Inter-flight activities:

1. Reinstall rubber sealing strip at left wing root fairing. Added pieces of duct tape on the bottom in an attempt to hold it in place.
2. Checked elevator trim tab position. It had been left in the position required for trim at VNE with aerobatic aft CG from the previous flight. The plan was to adjust the elevator trim tab travel so this angle was achieved at the nose down limit, thus potentially allowing increased travel in the nose up direction. But, it was found that the tab was only a fraction of a degree from the stop, so there was little to be gained by an adjustment.

Purpose:

1. Stability and control tests at aerobatic aft CG.

Events:

1. Static longitudinal stability tests at idle and high power, at low and high speeds, with flaps UP, 1/3 and DOWN.
2. Static lateral and directional tests at idle and high power, at low speed, with flaps UP, 1/3 and DOWN.
3. Stick force per g tests at VA and VH.
4. Two landings with 8 to 10 kt crosswind.

Results:

1. Stick free static longitudinal stability is positive at high speed, at idle and high power.
2. Stick free static longitudinal stability is weakly positive at low speed at idle power.
3. Stick free static longitudinal stability is negative at low speed at high power. If the aircraft is trimmed at Vy with flaps up, 1.2 Vs with 1/3 flap, or 1.3 Vs with full flap, and the speed is reduced, a push force is required to stabilize at any lower speed. If the stick is released, the aircraft will decelerate to the stall. While there is little risk of stalling with max power if flying in VMC conditions, pilots flying at aft CG in IMC conditions should be aware of this adverse characteristic.
4. Strong buffet with full left rudder sideslip with full flap at 1.3 Vs. The horizontal stabilizer tips move up and down several inches. Fortunately, there is so much discing drag at idle this prop that there should be no need for full rudder sideslips.
5. A strong nose down pitching moment is seen at full rudder with 1/3 flap at 1.2 Vs with max power, likely indicating that the downwind side of the horizontal stabilizer is affected by disturbed airflow from the vertical stabilizer or aft fuselage.
6. Stick force per g is on the order of three pounds per g.
7. Static directional stability is strongly positive under all conditions.
8. Static lateral stability is positive under all conditions tested.

New Snags:

1. None.

Existing Snags:

1. Max rpm still decreases late in the flight.
2. SD-8 Alternator - must run power wire to regulator.
3. Small amount of right rudder pedal force needed in cruise. Need to add a wedge on the left side of the rudder trailing edge.
4. Pitch trim speed of movement is slow during a touch and go. Need to try it with the pitch trim speed governor removed.

Inter-flight activities:

1. Added more ballast to the passenger seat to bring the CG to 85.1" aft of the datum. The CG moved further af to the aerobatic aft CG limit (85.3") as fuel was burned. Weight at engine start was 1803 lb, the highest weight that has been flown to date.

Purpose:

1. Stalls and one turn spins at aerobatic aft CG.
2. AWM 549.111 climb performance test (amateur-built aircraft in Canada must demonstrate the ability to climb 1000 ft in 3 minutes, at max take-off weight, corrected to sea level, standard day conditions).

Events:

1. Wings level, turning and accelerated stalls at idle and max power for each flap position.
2. One turn spins in each direction with flaps up (six turn spins with flaps up will be done later, as part of the aerobatic evaluation). The planned one turn spins with flaps extended were cancelled due to the significant risk of flap overspeed, and the likelihood that any in-service spins with flaps extended would likely occur at too low an altitude to allow a recovery.
3. Trimmed at VNE, then landed without retrimming. The trim angle will be measured, and the pitch trim will be adjusted to achieve this angle at full nose down travel. Reducing the nose down trim travel will increase the nose up trim travel, which will reduce the stick forces during final approach at forward CG.
4. Recorded full throttle MP vs IAS at 7500 ft.

Results:

1. Stick free longitudinal static stability is still positive at idle power, but is noticeably negative at low speed at maximum power at all flap settings. If the aircraft is trimmed at 80 kt at full power, forward stick force is required as the speed is reduced without changing the power. If the speed is reduced from the trim speed, and the stick is released, the speed continues to reduce until the aircraft stalls. Positive forward stick pressure is required to recover from the stall.
2. Stick force during approach and landing with trim at the position for VNE was less than 5 lb.
3. Post-flight analysis suggests that the induction system is achieving about 2/3 of the theoretical maximum amount of ram air pressure recovery, which is surprisingly high.

New Snags:

1. Rubber sealing strip between the left wing intersection fairing and the fuselage came loose, again. Tape will be used on the bottom of the intersection fairing to attempt to hold the sealing strip in position, without resorting to the glue that will be used once the aircraft has been painted..

Existing Snags:

1. Max rpm still decreases late in the flight.
2. SD-8 Alternator - must run power wire to regulator.
3. Small amount of right rudder pedal force needed in cruise. Need to add a wedge on the left side of the rudder trailing edge.
4. Pitch trim speed of movement is slow during a touch and go. Need to try it with the pitch trim speed governor removed.

Inter-flight activities:

1. Added ballast to the passenger seat to bring the CG to 84.3" aft of the datum. Weight at engine start was 1757 lb, the highest weight that has been flown to date.

Purpose:

Qualitative handling assessment at aft CG.

Events:

1. Slow flight
2. Longitudinal static stability
3. Trim at VNE
4. Stalls
5. Three touch and goes and a full stop landing.

Results:

1. Rudder pedal forces required to turn the tailwheel are much higher than at more forward CGs.
2. Stick forces noticeably lighter as the CG is moved aft.
3. Longitudinal static stability is still positive, but is much weaker than at forward CG.
4. Still able to trim at VNE.
5. Now able to trim at final approach speed at idle (cannot trim in this condition at mid or forward CG)

New Snags:

1. None

Existing Snags:

1. Max rpm still decreases late in the flight.
2. SD-8 Alternator - must run power wire to regulator.
3. Small amount of right rudder pedal force needed in cruise. Need to add a wedge on the left side of the rudder trailing edge.
4. Pitch trim speed of movement is slow during a touch and go. Need to try it with the pitch trim speed governor removed.

Inter-flight activities:

1. Troubleshoot data recording snag. It turned out to be an error I had made while making an "improvement" to my data recording program.
2. Added more ballast in the aft baggage compartment to bring the CG to 83.5" aft of the datum. Weight at engine start was 1717 lb, the highest weight that has been flown to date.

Purpose:

Qualitative handling assessment at aft CG.

Events:

1. Slow flight
2. Longitudinal static stability
3. Trim at VNE
4. Stalls
5. Three touch and goes and a full stop landing.

Results:

1. Much greater forward stick force required to lift the tail in the early part of the take-off run.
2. Stick forces noticeably lighter as the CG is moved aft.
3. Longitudinal static stability is still positive, but is much weaker than at forward CG.
4. Still able to trim at VNE.
5. Now able to trim at final approach speed at idle (cannot trim in this condition at mid or forward CG)

New Snags:

1. None

Existing Snags:

1. Max rpm still decreases late in the flight.
2. SD-8 Alternator - must run power wire to regulator.
3. Small amount of right rudder pedal force needed in cruise. Need to add a wedge on the left side of the rudder trailing edge.
4. Pitch trim speed of movement is slow during a touch and go. Need to try it with the pitch trim speed governor removed.

Inter-flight activities:

1. None.

Purpose:

Circuits at mid CG. I wanted to get used to how the aircraft lands at this CG before moving back to the aerobatic aft CG limit.

Events:

1. Three touch and goes and a full stop landing. There was no one else in the circuit, so I did closed pattern pull ups to a very tight downwind, and a tight, steep final turn to a very short final.

Local RV builder Patrick Valade snapped this very nice photo during one of my touch and go landings.

New Snags:

1. None

Existing Snags:

1. Max rpm still decreases late in the flight.
2. SD-8 Alternator - must run power wire to regulator.
3. Small amount of right rudder pedal force needed in cruise. Need to add a wedge on the left side of the rudder trailing edge.
4. Pitch trim speed of movement is slow during a touch and go. Need to try it with the pitch trim speed governor removed.