Curious. I’ve built and flown two airplanes. The first was a ground up restoration of a very modified PA-12 that was 95% new. The next was my very, very modified Cub derivative. I was thinking about the respective first flights. Very different. The experimental had a lot of unknown elements. I still seem to change something after every flight so I’m a test pilot every flight. It wears me out. It’s a different mindset than flying a known entity. I’m surprised there isn’t more discussion about the human part of experimental first flight experience. You know, that mixture of excitement to go and the resignation that something might not go right. A hightened sense of awareness is an understatement. At least for me.
Completely different experience here. I built and fly an RV10, a highly evolved kit plane. In my thinking it as close to a ‘standard’ design as any certified craft, at least relative to first flights. No unknowns other than the quality of the build and preparation for first flight. Dozens of examples had been flown with the identical airframe, control system, and power plant. The avionics were somewhat unique but that has nothing to do with the initial flights.
What I learned from my RC model days is that given a proven, or even a not so proven airframe design and power plant, if I got a very short list of things right before that test flight, all would go well. The short list includes CG, a working fuel system, and controls that are securely fastened and moving in the correct direction. Beyond that, if I was proficient on the controls, the test flight would be successful.
So before that initial flight the CG would be very carefully checked. Anything outside of a certain range makes the plane unflyable. The edges of that same range will make it difficult to fly properly. The engine would be run and the plane would be tilted up to simulate a high angle climb, and then tilted and shaken every which way to see if the engine might stutter or quit due to lack of fuel. Then a last control check would be done with resistance on the surfaces and a last mental check that everything is moving the right way. Then go.
The first flight of the RV10 was successful.
Before the flight a problem was discovered by my tech advisor. All of my fuel fittings were only hand tightened (!!!)
It took a few flights to discover that though the RV10 is extremely easy to fly, I had never been as stick and rudder proficient as I was on that day. Why? Because I had been flying my old Maule daily for the previous 6 weeks to get back and forth to the airport where I was doing the final assembly and flight. It didn’t hurt that the tail wheel Maule was a bit more challenging to fly well compared to the RV10.
As a result I greased on every single landing of the ‘10 for the first 6 months or so. I’ve e since returned to earth and miss the occasional landing now days.
But the ‘10 is really easy to fly.
