Quiet technology?
 

It's geting a bit quiet down here Ghengis! Any chance of getting Jim Whiteknuckles, Max Rate & Co. to scribe a bit? We don't understand it all but it's good stuff.

I'd been worrying about that myself - I know there's lots of test flying going on (or at least I'm damned busy), but nobody seems to want to talk about it.

Come on you chaps - what's your hot issue of the day.

G

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.

Thanks Wyvern - any pics of the ship? Just wondering about the thrust to water drag ratio on an ultra light.

billovitch - I'll take some digital photos when we're on the water, hopefully quite soon, and post them here.

We'll be looking closely at the drag situation, and should have some answers early in the programme. The aircraft has already been airborne from the water, and, apparently, it pops into the air quite easily.

I'll report when we have something to tell.

Do you guys know when the flight testing is due to begin on the BAe RJX?
Thank you in advance.

Being a bit of an insider, I happen to know that there are some pictures of the machine Wyvern is testing at
http://www.thruster.co.uk/floats.html

G

Thanks Ghengis - looks like fun. The first spin test must have been quite an experience!