Congrats Rene. Sounds like you've had quite a journey. Well done. Enjoy.
Cheers, Tony On 20 January 2016 at 08:33, Lawrence Ffrench via KRnet < krnet at list.krnet.org> wrote: > Hi KR Team, > > N44774, a KR-2 retractable tail-dragger originally built by the great > hands of Gary Garvin in New Hampshire took its First and Second Flights on > Jan 17th at the Burnet, Texas Municipal Airport. (the Second flight is > important)... > > Gary originally finished it in 1986 but a balky 1835cc engine and family > needs led to the sale. It switched hands 4 times before becoming mine in > July 2014. I believe that at each change of owners, it suffered but Gary > helped me get it back in shape and he coached me thru the work that I > invested in it. > > I designed and built in a light belly-speed brake following some of your KR > examples, added a second ignition - electronic from Great Plains, harness > mods to the magneto from G3ignition (very good), 042 dual plug heads from > Great Plains (after 2 fouled attempts from other suppliers), crafted my own > dual port induction manifold using part of the single port manifold that > Gary built, redid an antique revmaster carb (not finished here), added the > nav/com, transponder, and ELT with 4 antennas inside the empannage (may not > be done there) with a re-wire, installed David Witter's spare 52x46 prop > (after my first one bit the 'dust'), added impromptu carb heat (after > another owner removed the first one...), and re-sized Ebay stobe parts for > top and bottom placement. (605 lbs empty-14.5 gal tank) > > After 3 flights last weekend totally 2.7 hours, it has a living log book. > Perfectly balanced as built (every possible weight and balance condition > was inside the conservative range). Very slick- level flight at 3000 agl > full throttle at 2980 rpm was 155 mph with gear down (I need to work on the > carb to get the top around 3400 and I know that the idle isn't right yet > but I set it high at 1400 for the flights). The engine loosened up and > gained rpm after those flights. I am very happy with the cooling in all > areas, I am using Quaker State 10-30 DEFY semi-synthetic (API-SL) - not the > same product by name as API-SN - both are on the shelves-- SL has high zinc > & phosphorus, where SN doesn't. (API-SN is built to protect catalytic > converters) also full synthetics can fail using LL100 fuel because > synthetic oils are not compatible with leaded fuels- that why the > semi-synthetic is good - especially since I set the compression ratio at > 7.9 so unleaded 93 octane works well. > > Well I could chat forever, but I just wanted to say thanks to all of you > for the archives and the active support from the KR Net. > > Cheers, > > Rene' Ffrench > N44774 (flying now) > Austin, Texas > based at Spicewood airport > 512-547-7164 > _______________________________________________ > Search the KRnet Archives at http://tugantek.com/archmailv2-kr/search. > To UNsubscribe from KRnet, send a message to KRnet-leave at list.krnet.org > please see other KRnet info at http://www.krnet.org/info.html > see http://list.krnet.org/mailman/listinfo/krnet_list.krnet.org to change > options >
