Thomas Parkes wrote:

INITIAL FLIGHT TEST REPORT @ 8.2 HOURS - LANCAIR ES N44AZ

One month after first flight, N44AZ flight performance envelope has been
opened up to Vno (174 KCAS, in a descent) and 14,000 ft altitude.  Power off
stalls clean and with 10, 20, and 30 degrees of flap occur within 1 knot of
predicted IAS, with no appreciable tendency to drop a wing at stall.  Flight
control pressures are light at traffic pattern speeds but stiffen up
appreciably above 130 KIAS.

Takeoff and initial climb performance of the turbocharged Mazda 20B
powerplant can only be described as smooth and powerful, with rapid
acceleration to lift-off and climb speeds when using 32? MP (remember,
Prescott is at 5,000? msl - NA engines generate about 25? for takeoff).  Use
of 27-28? MP gives more sedate performance, more like a NA engine, and the
pilot must wait for things to happen.

Initial cruise performance at 9,000? altitude indicates that with the
high-pitch IVO Magnum propeller installed, 44AZ is about 15 knots slower
than a comparable Lancair Super ES equipped with a Continental IO-550 (310
hp) and Hartzell constant speed prop.  I say ?initial? because all
combinations of MP and rpm have not been evaluated to date.

Maximum level flight speed to date was attained at 14,000? with 32? MP and
5800 engine rpm (2673 at the prop) with a 50 degree OAT:  150 KIAS = 195
KTAS = 224 mph.  Reducing MP to 29? and rpm to 5460 (2516 prop) at same
altitude and temperature slowed 44AZ to 145 KIAS = 188 KTAS = 217 mph.
Higher altitudes will have to wait for an oxygen system.

Cabin heater, which scoops radiator discharge air directly into distribution
ducting, was effective at 50 degree OAT.

Engine coolant and oil temperatures have been stabilizing at 209 - 212
degrees during cruise climb airspeeds of 120 - 130 KIAS, 29? MP, 800 fpm.
Sustained climbs at Vx and Vy have not been possible with current cooling
configurations.  There may be several reasons for this, but one glaring
oversight occurred to me following a recent flight:  I had carefully
designed my cowl flaps to vary between 1.6 and 2.2 times cooling inlet area,
but didn?t even consider the fact that the Mazda oil cooler also discharges
hot air into the cowl!  That air obviously must exit through the same cowl
flaps.  Duh!  So, before making any other cooling changes, I?ll add a third
cowl flap and perhaps some louvers.

One major product improvement grounded 44AZ for a week this month.  An
interim MIL-6000 hose and hose clamps for the turbo oil drain began
evidencing heat damage, so I upgraded to the planned AN-12 Aeroquip 303 hose
with full fire sleeve.  Another project for this week:  A small oil leak has
developed in the vicinity of my PSRU scavenge pump near the right forward
engine mount.  I?ve tightened the scavenge pump hoses, retorqued the oil pan
bolts, but its still leaking.  No oil around the pump itself.  Hummm.

Well, that?s it for this month from the original territorial capital of
Arizona.

Tom Parkes
N44AZ flying and loving it in Prescott, AZ

 
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