Sorry for the quietness. You know that TPs are strong silent types.
The microlight floatplane testing is slowly progressing. We've put a new engine on it, and have been doing some general run-in flying. (Sorry Ghengis, but I was not able to do any of your requested data points - perhaps next time).
The floatplane will have no sides or back to its cockpit (weight saving). Although we spun the original wheeled version, it had all the hardware around the pilot. We felt we should spin it in its open condition, with the wheels on, so that we could compare the floatplane's spin characteristics when we get on to that part of the programme.
Yesterday we spun the wheeled, open version. As there is nowhere to fit the Ballistic Recovery System, we had to use personal parachutes in case of lack of recovery problems. The gliding school at Bicester was very helpful, and we went there, borrowed the chutes, completed the tests, and returned the chutes before going home.
The spin characteristics were identical to the original tests, with the addition that the onset of the sideslip was most noticeable, but there was no apparent effect on the yawing aerodynamic moment.
We hope to start floatplane training later this week.