The old adage that a build is always 95% complete and only 95% to go is almost certainly true. After her first flight last year I had to ground her for months while we sorted out issues with fuel leaks and many minor niggles. After 7 hours of flight testing the prop proved troublesome and had to have new blade bearings. But that is all behind us now. (I hope).
The final basic weight was 951lbs and she is effectively a single seat microlight unless you are thin and your passenger is anorexic. However a single seat at 1200lbs MAUW is a good place for this one as the performance is rather nice there. At 1450 she would be a bit of a slug and 1850lbs doesn't bear thinking about.
I have done all the testing myself and she flies remarkably well for 100HP. Very responsive and light on the controls. Not the fastest thing I have ever flown, but she certainly is slick for 100HP. Sitting in the big bubble is the nearest thing to being on the 'Magic Carpet' I have come across yet in 45 years of aviation.
Latest piccies here :
Picasa Web Albums - Ken - T51 #70 - Pos...
I have the drag polars worked out for this airframe at 1200lbs and the HP/IAS figures are interesting. - the basic table is below although I am not sure if the formatting will come out well off of excel....
Speed kts Speed MPH HP lph US Gal MPH/HP HP/MPH
Baseline
120.0 138.0 75.0 18.8 7.1 1.84 0.54
111.4 128.1 60.0 15.0 5.7 2.14 0.47
114.4 131.6 65.0 16.3 6.2 2.02 0.49
117.3 134.9 70.0 17.5 6.6 1.93 0.52
120.0 138.0 75.0 18.8 7.1 1.84 0.54
122.6 141.0 80.0 20.0 7.6 1.76 0.57
125.1 143.9 85.0 21.3 8.0 1.69 0.59
127.5 146.6 90.0 22.5 8.5 1.63 0.61
129.8 149.3 95.0 23.8 9.0 1.57 0.64
132.1 151.9 100.0 25.0 9.5 1.52 0.66
134.2 154.4 105.0 26.3 9.9 1.47 0.68
136.3 156.8 110.0 27.5 10.4 1.43 0.70
138.4 159.1 115.0 28.8 10.9 1.38 0.72
140.4 161.4 120.0 30.0 11.4 1.35 0.74
142.3 163.6 125.0 31.3 11.8 1.31 0.76
144.1 165.8 130.0 32.5 12.3 1.28 0.78
146.0 167.9 135.0 33.8 12.8 1.24 0.80
147.8 169.9 140.0 35.0 13.3 1.21 0.82
149.5 171.9 145.0 36.3 13.7 1.19 0.84
151.2 173.9 150.0 37.5 14.2 1.16 0.86
152.9 175.8 155.0 38.8 14.7 1.13 0.88
154.5 177.7 160.0 40.0 15.1 1.11 0.90
156.1 179.5 165.0 41.3 15.6 1.09 0.92
157.6 181.3 170.0 42.5 16.1 1.07 0.94
159.2 183.0 175.0 43.8 16.6 1.05 0.96
160.7 184.8 180.0 45.0 17.0 1.03 0.97
162.1 186.5 185.0 46.3 17.5 1.01 0.99
163.6 188.1 190.0 47.5 18.0 0.99 1.01
165.0 189.8 195.0 48.8 18.5 0.97 1.03
166.4 191.4 200.0 50.0 18.9 0.96 1.05
167.8 192.9 205.0 51.3 19.4 0.94 1.06
169.1 194.5 210.0 52.5 19.9 0.93 1.08
170.5 196.0 215.0 53.8 20.4 0.91 1.10
171.8 197.5 220.0 55.0 20.8 0.90 1.11
173.1 199.0 225.0 56.3 21.3 0.88 1.13
174.3 200.5 230.0 57.5 21.8 0.87 1.15
175.6 201.9 235.0 58.8 22.2 0.86 1.16
176.8 203.4 240.0 60.0 22.7 0.85 1.18
178.1 204.8 245.0 61.3 23.2 0.84 1.20
MG