SUMMER TIME 2005 TESTFLIGHTS

There are some realy nice weather during summer evenings to do testflights for example to examine fuel flow during flight trip. This Koala and all it's drag is taking it's part of fuel efficiency. If I'm flying 2600 RPM (now 55knots) it takes 13 liters (3.4gal) per hour, and with 2800 RPM (60knots) it wants 15 liters (4gal) of gas.

Here we are heading home just before sunset from one of those "long distance trips" Kiikala-Salo-Halikko-Kiikala, it's still less than 100km (about 50nm) total, but my circle is expanding... First other airfield than my homebase in Kiikala was Nummela (EFNU) that is half way from Kiikala to Helsinki.

"Boys" from Kemiö visited in Kiikala on one weekend. They have couple of these EuroCup -planes. It looks and sizes like Super Koala, but its performance with 912ULS Rotax is from other planet in climb... What a surprice...

This is secret weapont to fight against drag. I made these streamlining pieces from some really thin aluminum plate and those are just taped on behaind wing support tubes. According to theory and simulations this should help some and it really does even in reality. To surprice myself (not to mention sceptic others) I found that these helped 6...8 percent for cruise speed and more importantly same amount in vertical speed in climb.

I have also had one pasanger to fly with me once. We were at max cross weight 430 kg (950 lbs). Vertical speed suffered some (quite lot) as expected but anyway it is totally OK for normal airfield. This flight was made before that drag modification so I can just say that VSI showed some less than 400 feet/min but this needs further investigation to give any specific numbers....

SOME DATA SO FAR: will change with progress... Flight time:                     27 h 30 min  (5.7.2005) Landings:                       63 Climb speed:                   one on board: about 500 feet/min Cruise:                           2600 RPM / 55 knots (13 liter/hour)                                      2800 RPM / 60 knots (15 liter/hour) Max speed flat out:          3100 RPM / 66 knots Max tested speed in dive: 80 knots Engine temps:                 All in green... So engine is working                                      suprisingly well...                                      EGT ~600...700 C                                      CHT 160...200 C max                                      Oil    70...85 C

Next interesting test flights will consentrate on takeoff and landing distances, performance on max weight and some cruising around... I hope to visit in Jämi -experimental fly in, in Jämijärvi 15-17.7.2005.