SonexBuilders.net

I made a 45 minute 1st flight in the Xenos. I went up to 5500 ft near the field so I could get above the clouds. At 40 knts on the sailplane ASI I still hadn't stalled but called it close enough for a 1st flight. Then I spent about 1/2 the time trying to get down. One of the squawks I had was my pitch spring was too strong of nose down so my trim could make it neutral in level flight but just starting to pull the spoilers got a big nose down pitch. SO I didn't use spoilers until I was slowed just over the runway. On the long descent from 5,000 ft, I approached Vne with no issues. On a long final, I used a full control forward slip to help slow and descend as I didn't want to test the large pitch down of the spoilers before I make an adjustment on the pitch spring. It all worked out fine. As I slowed and about 25 ft over the runway, I put in 1st notch of spoilers and the speed was slow enough then to not have much pitch moment. I touched down tailwheel then mains right after but I was going for a 3 pointer. The touchdown and roll out was smooth and straight down the centerline.

One of the squawks I have to address before next flight is to get more cooling air to cyl. #4. My plenum over the engine does not have internal deflectors yet but will have soon.

Another was the cowling internal airflow put enough force on my cowl flap to push the cable sheath inside the firewall fitting. I did hit 135 kts IAS for a minute. I'll make a strong stop collar for the cable to fix that one.

I'll make another flight next weekend.

Rick Caldwell
Xenos 0057 N137RC

Congratulations! Keep us posted on your progress.

Hi Rick,
Congrats! great to hear, and thanks to all who helped you locally and on the forum!
Plane looks great, love the canopy.


WaiexN143NM
Michael

Congratulations Rick! Long time coming, but worth the effort. My Xenos has a pronounced nose down pitch when spoilers are deployed as well. Nothing that you can't get used to though.

Rick, Finally got that bird in the air. :-) Looks good.

David A.

Yay! - Great job!

Thank you all and for the support you add to this forum. Lots of good info I have used during the build. I especially thank David A. for his good ideas. I used his prop spacer idea to move the cowl forward, his three piece cowling idea, and others that I can't remember to recall.

I had Saber Mfg. make a prop spacer and the smallest they could make was 1". I don't know what is stock for the CAMIT prop flange spacing set up for a Sonex but it looks like it is more forward than the original Jabiru. I had to add 1" to the cowling to get it to fit. The oil door outline in the cowling was 3" too far forward so I had to fill that in and cut a new oil door. So it looks like my cowl is 3" forward from original. But even so, there is now just enough space for the air plenum I made for the oil cooler air. And the odd cyl. side is still close to the inlet opening. I could not imagine not having this extra space to work with.

Rick Caldwell
Xenos 0057 N137RC

Congratulations! Fantastic news!

Nice!!!!!!!!!!!

Can Bryan Cotton be far behind? By my recollection....it's already December 1009th.

Area 51% wrote:Nice!!!!!!!!!!!

Can Bryan Cotton be far behind? By my recollection....it's already December 1009th.

Most important - congrats Rick!

I still have to send in the registration. I've not been focused.