Forwarded from the bounce bin. Message is from
"Alan Stewart" <Alan.Stewart@marconi.com>
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Europa trip - Isle of Skye and Perth.
Hi all,
The following is a brief summary of our weekend break, just completed in my
Europa Mk 1, Rotax 912.
Day 1:
Rayne (Essex) - Crowfield (Suffolk) 20 min.
- Cumbernauld (Mid Lothian) 2hr 40 min
- Broadford (Isle of Skye) 1hr
Day 2:
Skye - Perth (Perthshire) 1hr 15 min
Day 3:
Perth - Crowfield 2hr 40 min
- Rayne. 15 min
Fuel use : circa 17 litres/hour at 5200 RPM (Flydat)
Overall trip ground speed : Around 113 knots. (overhead to overhead)
Average TAS : Approximately 118 knots.
FX will fly for around 4hrs on the larger, original tank.
I plan to fit the 'speed kit' to the aircraft next, and I the data I've been
collecting
should give me a very good idea of any performance gains. Watch this space!
The aircraft and engine performed flawlessly for all 8hours and 20 mins. We
were loaded throughout much of the trip to around the AUW of 1370 lb (My
6ft 6ins passenger weighs in at around 18stone 2lb)
Interestingly I haven't noted ANY reduction in overall speed as weight goes up,
however the load was profoundly unbalanced and I spent much of the trip
compensating
for Steve with moderate left pressure on the stick.
I used the Navaid wing leveler autopilot infrequently, for fear of buring out
the motor !
Climb rate was modest, as you'd expect and I choose long tarmac runways in
preference
to my usual grass strip near Blair Atholl.
The performance figures are fairly near the best I've achieved on such an
endeavour.
Winds were exceptionally light for the entire weekend and this was undoubtedly
a factor.
Scottish visibility was uncharacteristically poor for much of the return Skye to
Perth sector.
It rained persistently from a high cloudbase and the indistinct sillhoettes of
the surrounding
mountains, many of which were as high as we were, intimidated both passenger and
pilot.
With the danger of CFIT constantly at the back of my mind throughout, I realised
that good
judgement is essential in such conditions. However co-operation and planning
lightened
the cockpit workload and we were soon into better weather.
I'd thoroughly recommend the trip. The scenery is unparalled, and with good
preparation
can be accomplished without too much trouble. Engine failure in the Highland
sector is
obviously the most pressing concern. I believe that the aircraft would almost
certainly be
lost should it occur in some sections between Fort William and Arisaig. With a
low touchdown
speed however, both pilot and passenger SHOULD be able to walk away from the
incident.
In my personal view, engine reliability is paramount, and can typically reduce
by more than
half the chance of a serious incident. I'm glad I chose the 912.
I had no repeat of the fuel vapourisation issues I've experienced in previous
years (in very hot
weather) due in part to the mix of unleaded and Avgas. The Flydat gave a CHT of
around
80C and Coolant temp of around 100 - 125 throughout. ( the lower cowl is "backed
off" a little,
to improve air flow over the engine.)
We stayed at Hazelwood, a modestly priced (circa 14/each!), but entirely
satisfactory
B&B situated within a mile or two of Broadford, Isle of Skye airfield in an
idilic location
by the shoreline. Our host was helpful and pleasant, and picked us up by car.
http://www.isleofskye.net/hazelwood/
Car rental was also straighforward and at 35 for the day, relatively
inexpensive.
http://www.skye-car-rental.com/
Safe flying,
Alan
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