Archive/Old Mag/Little Toot Part 2

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0><tr> <td valign="top" rowspan="2" width=156 BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000" bgproperties="fixed" background="00e9cc00egerdp.jpg"> <div> <B> <STYLE>  </STYLE>  </B></div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div> <B> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="2" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="97" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 313 ><NOBR><div> <A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Home Page"><U><B>Home</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id2.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Archive"><U><B>Archive</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id5.php" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Contact"><U><B>Contact</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id6.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Downloads"><U><B>Downloads</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id7.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Events"><U><B>Events</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id8.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="For Sale"><U><B>For Sale</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id9.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Galleries"><U><B>Galleries</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id14.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Games"><U><B>Games</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id15.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Links"><U><B>Links</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id16.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Magazine"><U><B>Magazine</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id17.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Newsletter"><U><B>Newsletter</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id18.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Reference"><U><B>Reference</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id88.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Video"><U><B>Video</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id19.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Weather"><U><B>Weather</B></U></A></div> </NOBR></tD> </tR> </TABLE></B></div> <bR> </td> <td valign="top" colspan=2 height=100 BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000" bgproperties="fixed" background="00f00640egerdp.jpg"> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div> <I><B>Archive </B></I></div> <div> </div> </td> </tr><tr> <td valign="top" height=380 colspan=2 BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" > <STYLE>  </STYLE>  </FONT><A HREF="id58.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Archive/Old Mag/Little Toot Part 1"><U><B><<</B></U></A><B>    </B><A HREF="id59.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Archive/Old Mag/Xtreme 3D Part 1"><U><B>>></B></U></A></div> <bR> <div> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="2" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="602" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 1259 WIDTH="596"><div> <I><B>Little Toot Part 2</B></I></div> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="1a539b00.jpg" border=0 width="313" height="176" ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="5" VSPACE="5">With an all up weight of 13 pounds and a wing loading of over 28 ounces per square foot you'll understand that I was a little nervous about test flying this one. Fortunately we've had some pretty high winds of late, which I felt could only help with the take off and landing runs.  Walking up to the strip with my flight box in one hand and the Toot in the other proved to be too much and I had to resort to towing the Toot behind like a dog on a leash.  What a lump!</div> <bR> <div> The Super Tigre G20/23 started readily and a couple of very rich tanks of fuel were run through it. After this it was leaned out a bit and soon felt loose enough to fly. The only problem was a ludicrously rich mid-range, as ever with big Tigre's, but it would transition from idle to full throttle provided you didn't tick over for too long. Lots of messing around with the secondary needle did show a very marginal improvement. However, full throttle was good and so was idle, so time to fly!</div> <bR> <div> The 24 ounce tank was filled and the engine started. I left it at a fast idle to warm up for a few seconds and then taxied out. She handled well on the ground and was easy to steer around and showed no tendency to nose over. One thing I wasn't worried about was a rearward C.G. with that damn great tank full of fuel in the nose! Once lined up into wind I stood with my legs against the tailplane and gave her full throttle to clear her throat. I was mindful to open her up gently because of possible torque effects from the 18" propeller. Being a biplane the prop' is almost one third of the wingspan and if she became airborne before she'd made much speed there was a real possibility of torque rolling into the deck. (I thought!)</div> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="1a63ac10.jpg" border=0 width="314" height="193" ALIGN="RIGHT" HSPACE="5" VSPACE="5">I opened up gently and she began to gain speed quite quickly. Then, as I approached two thirds throttle, the power came in all at once and she was simultaneously airborne and rolling left with the motor still picking up revs, and then, as the motor achieved full power and she accelerated still further, the roll disappeared and she just belted off climbing into the distance. </div> <bR> <div> So I was right about the torque then! I flew around for a while and she looked great in the air and wasn't bothered by the high winds at all. You could really feel the weight of her though and sensed you'd have to keep the speed up. I decided to see what would happen when she was slowed down. Flying wise it was no problem, she just sinks like a rock with no tendency to drop a wing. But engine wise, oh dear! There I am with the engine at idle and the nose at about 10 or 15 degrees and the 'plane dropping like bricks are going out of fashion. I ask for a bit of power to arrest the sink and .... cough, cough, splutter, splutter....... finally a burst of revs and round we go again! Ye Gods! </div> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="1a73bbb0.jpg" border=0 width="315" height="187" ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="5" VSPACE="5">After landing a change of plug seemed to help the mid-range but it was still pretty hopeless. Later I would find that a O.S. "F" four stroke plug would help considerably. Not that it cleaned up the mid-range you understand, but you could at least pick up without waiting for a number 34 'bus to arrive!</div> <bR> <div> Over the next couple of outings I nursed her into various manoeuvres and she's pretty good in a clumsy sort of a way. If you lose speed through a manoeuvre she tumbles around like a drunk! Vertical rolls go off toward the down going aileron side, despite having 2:1 differential! Inverted requires surprisingly little down to hold her level. Snap rolls are brisk if you have plenty of speed but look like a clumsy aileron roll if you don't. There's no sign of a Lomcevak with the usual entry, but if you do it with a positive entry you get some sort of one that looks quite spectacular! She can hold knife flight well and control line circles are easy. I was suprised to find that the tiny rudder is amazingly powerful.</div> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="1a83ab10.jpg" border=0 width="314" height="177" ALIGN="RIGHT" HSPACE="5" VSPACE="0">So all in all not the complete waste of time I thought it would be when I discovered the all up weight! She's good fun and difficult to fly well, but that adds to the reward of flying her. Extreme caution is required at low level because of the weight. If she ever stalls in there won't be much left to pick over! But she sure looks good taxiing out and flying around. All I need now is a nice "Fred'" to sit in the cockpit. <I>G:-)</I></div> <div> <I><B>FF-10-06-02</B></I></div> </tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id58.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Archive/Old Mag/Little Toot Part 1"><U><B><<</B></U></A><B>    </B><A HREF="id59.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Archive/Old Mag/Xtreme 3D Part 1"><U><B>>></B></U></A></div> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>