I actually surprised myself getting it in the air. You should have seen what I had left to build just 4 months ago! The progress had slowed for the past 3 years because I have been working out of state for 8 months a year and it had just been sitting in my garage during that time, but when I came home at the beginning of November I made the goal of getting it flying before I left again, which will be next week. I worked an average of 80 hours per week with only a couple short breaks. I'm beat, to say the least, lost weight off my already skinny frame, but I did it! I won't have time to fly off all the test time but I will get time off work when I can and come back to get it done. I want to have it in Montana, where I work in the Summer. There is some great bush flying up there. Hoping to get at least a few more test flights before I go though. I fixed the oil leak (hopefully), finished my wing fairings and now I just need to do something about the tailwheel shimmy. I have a steel leaf
coming that I may try,
o
r else shorten the fiberglass one and try to change the angle slightly.
From: oifa@irishfield.on.ca
To: rebel-builders@dcsol.com
Subject: Re: [rebel-builders] RE: [rebel-builders First Flight...has happened!
Date: Fri, 18 Feb 2011 16:03:30 -0500
A big CONGRATULATIONS Jesse !!!! As a time frame in comparison to very many
builders you've done well... with me shipping you that kit in 2005. Didn't
seem that long ago.. but I just looked up my inventory in/out sheet.
Wayne
----- Original Message -----
From: "Jesse Jenks" <jessejenks@hotmail.com>
To: "Builders list" <rebel-builders@dcsol.com>
Sent: Wednesday, February 16, 2011 12:14 AM
Subject: [rebel-builders] RE: [rebel-builders First Flight...has happened!
It flies really nice, just like everyone says. I did a nice wheel landing
with a light crosswind, one wheel at a time. Had a wicked tailwheel
shimmey when it touched down and it wouldn't stop until I was at taxi
speed, so that was a bummer. Makes me glad I didn't 3 point it though. I
also have a nasty oil leak to track down and my airspeed is sluggish,
probably like everyone else who put static ports on the forward fuselage.
I guess I will try a static mast under the wing. Does that seem to work
well?
Looks like I have a few days work before I can fly again. I also have to
finish the wing/fuselage fairings as I just had them duck taped on for
today's flight, complete with a cardboard section around the
LE/windshield. That's OK because it is supposed to rain for a few days,
and I new this afternoon would be my window of opportunity, thus the duck
tape and cardboard to get me airborne.
I loaded 80 pounds of wood stove pellets and had 20 gal fuel for a CG of
14.5. The handling was just great. Ken I took your advice and just used
one notch for takeoff and landing. That seems very adequate for a first
time in the airplane, although I think I may have actually taken off with
one notch negative by mistake. My flap handle is not labeled yet and when
I went to retract the flaps at about 1,000' I seem to remember pulling it
back one notch to neutral. Who knows now, and it took off and climbed
great either way.
Thanks.
Jesse
Date: Tue, 15 Feb 2011 08:24:46 -0500
From: klehman@albedo.net
To: rebel-builders@dcsol.com
Subject: Re: [rebel-builders] I'm airworthy! - First Flight
Ahh the wheel landing question! Probably whatever you are most
comfortable with Jesse as guys have different preferences. I ask new
guys to use one notch of flaperon for the first takeoff and landings and
to try for a 3 pointer. It is a bit easier to get the tail down with
less flaperon. I think Bob always uses full flaperon though. Full
flaperon slows the stall 10% but that is only about 4 mph.
I've alway aimed for three pointers for better directional control with
the tail down. Unfortunately my wing is not stalled with the tail on the
ground even with full flaperon. I've had occasions where several seconds
after the tail was down a strong gust threw me back in the air. So I've
come to appreciate the merits of wheel landings in very gusty conditions
as long as the wind is down the runway. Full flaperons with some power
and quickly dumping (retracting) the flaperon at touchdown works well
for me with wheel landings in gusty conditions. However I don't like
wheel landings with a crosswind or on short rough strips so I rarely do
them.
Have fun you'll enjoy the rebel.
Ken
I always take off with full flap but
On 2/14/2011 11:09 PM, Jesse Jenks wrote:
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