MRE-FB wrote:

Hi Paul,

Have you already left for Japan?  I promised that you and the newsletter
participants would be the first ones to be informed about our engine's
maiden flight.

Well, it happened yesterday, Sunday 04/04/04 (good thing we are not
Chinese as the number 4 is very bad omen in their culture).  Our Arrow
went 3x around the runway at Daytona Beach International.  The flights
went without a hitch, the temperatures well all in check, except during
a high-power run-up when the coolant temperature went too high. We
believe that was due to the fact that the aircraft was positioned
exactly perpendicular to a 15kt wind, generating some kind of
interference with the prop wash around the air intakes.  The problem
didn't occur again during run-ups done into the wind or even facing
downwind.

I send you a picture of a run-up test as the photos and video of the
first flights are no good as they took place at dusk, with the camera
operator pretty much facing the setting sun.  Better pictures will
follow.

It looks like our Arrow will be at SNF... see you there.

Francois A. Badoux, CEO
MISTRAL Engines LLC
1500 Beville Rd, Ste 606314
Daytona Beach, FL 32114-5644
Tel:     (386) 405-6200  (valid starting April 13th 2004)
Fax:    (386) 323-8091
Email:  f.badoux@mistral-engines.com
Web:   www.mistral-engines.com

PS: As you may be on your way and unable to post this message, I also
send it to newsletter members of whom I know the email address.

They did not make it to SnF due to a strange oil cooling problem. The oil line going
into the custom Griffin oil cooler was too hot to touch but the cooler it
self was cool to the touch. Never the less the oil pressure at the inlet
to the block was OK at 60 psi indicating sufficient oil flow through the block 
and cooler while the oil temp was over redline. I went over to Daytona airport Emery Riddle 
with Francois during SnF to try and help. No luck. Still a big mystery when I left SnF.  
More pictures of the installation later.

Paul Lamar
 
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