Test Flight 1: First Flight!

 

Test Flight: 1
Date: Sunday January 10th
Description: First flight of the aircraft
Objectives: Extensive preflight and run-up of the aircraft, high speed taxi / aborted takeoff, normal take off, initial systems checkout while in the pattern, depart the pattern for engine break in, return to base, normal landing.

Airplane Condition: 40 gallons of fuel, 9.5qts of oil as read on the dip stick, 50lbs of ballast in the baggage compartment, single pilot (150lbs)

Test Flight Track Log:

Test Flight Report:

 

 

FlyEfii Coil Bracket

If you remember when I got my System32, I struggled with how to mount the 3 coils forward of the firewall. A lot of people had just been using Adel clamps to secure the coil pack to the engine mount. The coils are surprisingly heavy though, and I think far too heavy for adel clamps. At the time, I had found some great bar mounts that I had milled and modified to fit my application. I was really happy with that however when I went to go install the cowl top, they coil pack was sitting too high and touching the cowl top.

With that, my new coil pack design had three goals. 1) securely mount the coil pack to the top bar of the engine mount with ubolts. 2) If possible, get some vibration dampening in the mount 3) Keep the coil packs as low as possible so they did not touch the show planes cowl.

To accomplish these goals, I ended up with a plate that allowed the coil pack to pass through the plate allowing me to put the coil pack at a minimum distance above the actual bar.

I drew this up in Fusion 360.


Then put it on my router table in the basement.



I did cheat and mill this out of plywood twice because I didn't want to destroy the $100 chunk of aluminum. The final product though is shown below.

I secure this to the top bar of the engine mount with three cushioned stainless u-bolts from mcmaster.

I could not get the fourth one because of the intersection of two bars right where I wanted to put a u-bolt.


The final product however was perfect. The coil packs are secured to the plate with 3 AN-4 16 bolts and 3 washers standing them off of the bar by 1/8".