FINALLY, after a year and a half and 150 hours on the KR, it flew for the first time with wheel pants. YEEE HAAAAAAAAAAAAA. !!
With the old 600X6's and even more recently with the 500:5's I was seeing approx 155 indicated at full throttle level flight. It would pull about 2600 rpm on the 0-200. This morning the ol' girl was pushing 170 indicated and pulling about 2700 rpm, and several times the ASI was bumping 172 mph or so. Power up Mooney drivers or eat my dust !!!!!! I installed the new style RV pants that didn't come with any directions so it took a bit to make them work but they're on, they look good, and fly great !! The air was really bumpy today so I didn't get any accurate speed runs in. I did get in one eight-way GPS run but it was a bit bumpy and I had to dodge a few clouds. It averaged out to 165 mph which gives me an HONEST 10 mph increase over no wheel pants. I think a good run in smooth air will show a 12 to 14 mph increase. Before wheel pants I'd level out at cruise and the ASI would work its way up to the 155 mph mark when I could get the VSI to settle down. With the pants installed I'd level off and the ASI quickly shot to the 160 mark and when I got the VSI to settle out it was hitting 170 !! Now , even with moderate turblance and a bouncing VSI it stays in the 160 to 165 range. The GPS run, by the way, was at a density altitude of approx 8000 feet so I was probably only getting 22 inches of MP and able to pull 2500 rpm. Also on a low altitude full throttle run I'm picking up an additional 50 to 75 rpm with the increased speed. My problem now will be taking them off long enough to finish them. All I can say is " you have to catch me to tell me they look tacky" !! I am one "happy dude" with one "mean machine". And I thought I had something to YEEEEE HAAAAAAA about before....... Larry Flesner
