Personal Flying Videos Mark II
Joined: Feb 2015
Aviation Qualifications: PPL
Posts: 1,758
Likes: 358
From: Cincinnati, Ohio
Lucky Post #1111, IFMU! I really enjoy your posts and admire your and your son's piloting skills. I am fascinated by your Waiex - a sleek and solid bird. Does the ruddervator empennage tend to give Dutch roll flight characteristics? I used to fly a friend's V-35 Bonanza. Great aircraft, but her tail tended to wander a bit at cruise speed.
- Ed
- Ed
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 1,289
Likes: 289
From: Poplar Grove, IL, USA
Lucky Post #1111, IFMU! I really enjoy your posts and admire your and your son's piloting skills. I am fascinated by your Waiex - a sleek and solid bird. Does the ruddervator empennage tend to give Dutch roll flight characteristics? I used to fly a friend's V-35 Bonanza. Great aircraft, but her tail tended to wander a bit at cruise speed.
- Ed
- Ed
Another interesting quality of the Sonex series, straight tail as well as Y tail, is that you need right pedal power off to stay coordinated. The VW engine turns opposite to a Lycoming etc. In climb, it needs left pedal but we trimmed it so no pedal required in cruise.
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 1,289
Likes: 289
From: Poplar Grove, IL, USA
Some post-flight observations:
1) We were turning 3400 at 80kts in the climb.
2) I saw 1000 FPM solo and 800 two-up. Steady, not a stick thermal.
3) CHTs were all under 300.
4) Oil pressure at 3400 was 72-75.
5) Oil temp got to 212 during my climb. About 3000 AGL solo and 2000 AGL dual.
6) EGTs much more balanced. With #1 at 1350, #2 & #4 were about 1270. #3 was a little over 1300.
7) Radio didn't transmit
8) Panel lights inop.
Modifications:
GPAS manifolds
Cotton Cooler (tm) cylinder baffles
Bonded in RH gear leg
Cleaned up cooling fins (EMPI heads from Sonex)
It really ran and flew great!
Joined: Feb 2015
Aviation Qualifications: PPL
Posts: 1,758
Likes: 358
From: Cincinnati, Ohio
IFMU, re: ground handling, are the tight, precise turns your aircraft demonstrates a result of strong tailwheel steering, differential braking, a combination thereof, or maybe telekinesis? 
- Ed
- Ed
Last edited by cavuman1; 13th September 2024 at 15:14. Reason: Add Text
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 1,289
Likes: 289
From: Poplar Grove, IL, USA
Ed, there is no differential braking. There is a single hand operated brake that works on both wheels equally. Tailwheel steering is direct link with no breakaway. The plus is it is a very forgiving taildragger, and easy to teach in. The minus is the turning circle. It's large for such a small aircraft.
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 1,289
Likes: 289
From: Poplar Grove, IL, USA
A former coworker, just retired for the second time. Has his 4 airplanes at the airport here. Drives to the airport either on his Ducati, one of his 2 open wheel classic Ford race cars with a flathead v8, or one of his other cool rides.
Last edited by IFMU; 20th September 2024 at 13:23. Reason: Wrong number of airplanes