Q. regarding first flight of a rebuilt A/C

[ehwatezedoing]

(should be the right forum)

-A/C type: Beech 18

This one did a nasty gears-up landing 2 years ago and is undergoing a big rebuilt. I was asked to do the first flight, planned at the beginning of spring.

Now, my questions are:

Regarding safety, what should I do/test first/not forget etc... during this particular flight and those thereafter???.......

Of course, I'm not asking about usual checklists!!!
But items you, engineers or pilots can think about. Like best procedures to follow etc...

Thank you for your time!

and for those wondering, no I wasn't the one who scrapped it...

[Genghis the Engineer]

A fair question well asked.

First thing, inspection. The aircraft will have been signed off no doubt by one or more very able technicians, despite which you need to do your own inspection. This may cause offence, but probably not - it's your neck after all. Get hold of a similar checklist to that used for final sign-off to the senior technician on the rebuild and don't expect to spend less than half a day on it, for an aircraft of that complexity a full day is more realistic. Ask as many daft questions as you wish, and don't accept anything less than an apparently perfect aircraft.

Second thing, functionality - you want to have seen everything hydraulic or electrical operated (ideally on jacks to simulate flight loads) at least a couple of dozen times. This particularly applies to the gear. Have all the pressure instruments been on a test set in situe, has there been a leak check (often neglected)?

Third thing, weight and balance. For first flight you want it loaded as near mid as possible, in case somebody got their sums wrong. Also, I would decline to accept a weight and balance based upon the aircraft pre-rebuild, insist upon a new weighing.

Eventually you'll run out of reasons not to fly it (which should be the mentality pre-flight). The next thing depends upon site.

- If you have a nice long runway available, I'd recommend some fast taxis and low hops. The purpose of all this is to check basic stability and controllability - you want to have checked all of the controls during these hops except probably gear retraction.

- If you haven't, get airborne fast and flat (erring on the safe side, you don't absolutely know if the pitot works properly yet) then get yourself to a good safe height and check all of the controls for normal operation, including trim range, ability to hold wings level hands-off, etc.

- Having satisfied yourself that the beastie is basically safe, think about flying the formal test schedule. It is likely that the schedule will call for 2 sorties - one at LW-aft, the other at MTOW-fwd, in which case you may need to land after the first shakedown sortie and re-ballast.

- Take a handheld GPS as a get-out-of-gaol-card in case all the avionics go tits-up.

- Finally, if your local procedures permit it, take the senior technician from the rebuild in the right hand seat. He or she can then see any fault first hand and make notes they'll fully understand concerning what needs doing.

- Finally Finally, DO NOT AT ANY TIME HURRY ANYTHING.


All a bit general, but I hope that this helps.

Merry Christmas,

Genghis.

[sycamore]

I would make sure I had spent a lot of time in the workshop with the engineers at each stage of the rebuild ,so you know they know you know!And the man who signs it off will be going along on the airtest as well !
If you are experienced on the a/c type then i`m sure you will know how it should all work ; if not, then go and get some time on type first,and speak to all known B-18 pilots about the "gotchas", from start-up to shutdown.

I would suggest that the first flight is going to be at a safe height ,around the airfield,with the gear down at a light weight ,but with enough fuel to sort out any problems,without declaring a fuel emergency.

At a safe height ,a preliminary look at the basic stalling speeds,to check they are close to the book figures.
This should also give you an idea about how well the aircraft will trim out,or whether it is bent; operation of the flaps- again at a safe height- in case you get asymmetric flaps, then a gentle trickle back ,and land.

The a/c should then have a thorough check over by the engineers,to make sure everything is tight and secure,before prising you out of the bar!!! Take it steady and expand each flight,but stop if you come up against a problem.

Try a PM to Chuck Ellsworth as I believe he`s a Master-pilot on B-18`s. Hope it works fine..

[ehwatezedoing]

Thanks both of you, very informative!.....Will follow all advices.

The Beech (D18S) was transfered via road to the repair shop couple of months ago.
I will dispose of a 3000' per 75' rwy and I have around 800 hrs on type (wheels) hold last century.....
oh well, at the end of the 90's ;) But you know more than me, that's never enought!

I'll see if Chuck Ellsworth will have the time to post some tricks here.

Merry Chrismas!

[Chuck Ellsworth]

Hi:

Sorry to have taken so long to answer but just didn't get the time.

I find the comments so far to be very well thought out.

My best advise would be to treat the first test flight exactly as any other flight, bearing in mind that there is a remote possibility that the airplane could be out of rig slightly due to what ever caused the damage.

So what we have to contend with here is flying a Beech 18 very carefully considering all the work performed on it.

The B18 is a very straight foward airplane and exibits no adverse flying characteristics that will suprise you, if you keep the sucker going straight down the runway on take off and climb it at the recommended a/s I canno't imagine there being any control problems that canno't be dealt with to return for a landing.

Take one of the engineers that worked on it with you as a co-pilot as they can cope with any mechanical problems better that the guy flying it.

One last comment, if there is going to be any real control problems it should show up just after becomming airborne.

Should there be "any " doubt in your mind that you "may" be unable to maintain control as a/s increases, abort the take off even if it may result in wrecking the thing again.

It is better to wreck an airplane and walk away from it than kill yourself because you tried to save the airplane.

I hope my comments help, as it is difficult to advise someone by offering suggestions that may not work.

The B18 is a great little airplane, just keep it on the center line on take off and landing. :D :D

By the way the B18 is a superb airplane on floats, I flew one for two seasons many years ago, also the Volpar Tri Gear B18 was a great little machine, only drawback was the slow gear retraction and extention.

Does your 18S have the walking gear in it?

Chuck E.

[ehwatezedoing]

Thanks!

One dumb question, also there should be no dumb one regarding this kind of discussion.

By "walking gear", are you asking about the "Geisse safety landing gear system"!?
If so, no there isn't one.

:D But I still hope to stay in "those who didn't ground looped it yet" category :D

[Chuck Ellsworth]

Hi again:

The Beech D18S models had what we called a walking gear, if your Beech still has that gear you can tell during the run up.

At your run up R.P.M. when you briskly change the prop's from fine pitch to coarse pitch the airplane will lurch forard as the gear rotates backward.

Cat Driver:

[ehwatezedoing]

Well explainned...........Yes it have one!