Tic Tac, tic tac, tic tac…

That needle never stops !

However there is a planned take off time: October the first.

No much time is left, and so many things to do.

I have been working more time on the airplane. In fact, my friend of Robledillo airfield, Benito Baldominos, one of the nicest instructors I know, told me: I give you this Directional Gyro! That way it will be easier for you when flying polar !

Well, Benito… the fact is that I have no room in my instrument panel, and I have not planned to change it.

I will accept it as you sponsorship, but I will have to make a provisional installation.

That present was like venom. Slowly, once I have been bitten, my only male neuron (spaniard ladies say that spaniard males have just one neuron) was attacked, and I was caught.

Well…

That off-panel installation was just no a choice: only place could be my F4 Phantom Turn and Bank indicator one, but where can I put now that T/R?

And the game started.

No fun at all drilling  a finished panel !

Next you can see the old and the new panel: just try to find where everything has moved ! It is like a finding the difference game !

The old panel

The new one

Also the USB power feeders were installed. It is now panelled at the forward right fuel selector valve area. I think that it is a cleaner installation.

I was not satisfied with the tail camera installation (hanging right side of top vertical fin). The camera was shaking during the flight and the results were not nice. The new installation is stiffer and cleaner. I have built a custom adapter and now I have to test for the results.

The other work was dedicated to the belly tank.

The tank was completed many months ago, and carried in flight. Also the release system was checked, but the last test, the one related  with leaks, was not performed.

So I did and discovered that I could use it as a sprinkler. Not a good idea for long range flights!

I have sealed then the micro and not so micro leaks and hanged the big tank underneath the airplane.

I wanted to know if the engine pump was able to suck the fuel from it and filled some 40 liters in it.

I installed the release handle (held with velcro tape) and also the selector valve.

For a better image of the fuel system, to select the belly tank the process is easy:

Left valve > Auxiliary Tanks

Right valve> Rear tanks

Rear tank valve > belly tank

Rear tanks selector valve

Robledillo airfield is has a 3000 ft elevation. I took off and circled the airport at 4000 ft. Then I turn the electric main pump ON and switched from the left main wing tank to the belly one.

A few seconds later, the engine sputtered but I kept waiting for the pump to do its job…

Then, the engine was alive again and I felt very happy that the system, the belly tank, doesn´t  need its own pump (even though I have installed it). Once I turned OFF the electric main pump, the system worked also perfect.

As the belly electric pump is not mandatory , I have to think about removing it or just leave it there. Not a big issue.

Concerning the heating system , still the extra heating system is not installed. I have to wait for a 2 inches diameter ¨T¨ and also to decide what heat muff to install.

Meanwhile, I will fly to Redburros meeting for a better belly tank test, may be at its max capacity. That meeting is a nice Portuguese one, a nice place for a fly-in.

Also I have to keep going on permits, sponsorship, Satellite Comm, and a long list of , I hope, wannabes….

So, more Tic Tacs to wait, Tic Tac, Tic Tac…