After lonnng weeks of waiting for suitable weather, I finally saw a sun pictogram in the local forecast. It was a Tuesday and it was going to be sunny, fresh, with calm winds; just perfect. Took a day off to make sure I wasn't rushing for daylight after work. I wanted to take my time to make sure both myself and the machine were ready. Moreover, week-ends here in Lachute airport can get quite busy, so it was worth shooting for a week day to avoid too much airplanes in the pattern.
I spent the night before doing a thorough walkaround, checked fuel, oil, tire pressure, and plugged the battery on trickle charge overnight. I started feeling the rush as I finished preparing the airplane and closed the hangar door that night.
Morning air was fresh, with a clear blue sky. Winds were calm and forecasted to pick up slightly during the day, but along the runway axis. Took the time to refresh my memory on the key items noted during the flight I did with my friend Luc in his S-2C the week before e.g. the things to remember, common mistakes to avoid, etc. The plan was to perform braking tests during taxi, run-up, then take-off and climb at 100 mph along runway axis until 2000 ft then turn-around while continuing the climb until 3000 ft which is the limit of the airspace. Then I was going to check engine parameters upright + inverted as well as stall characteristics.
Didn't put the wheelpants for first flight to ease post-flight inspection of the brakes. The taxi tests went well. Brake pedals were not spongy at all. After a couple of S turns and brake tests, the engine began sounding a little different, similar to plug fouling. After a run-up and a higher power run on the runway, it didn't improve much so I decided to turn back and inspect + clean the plugs. Turned out #2 cylinder plugs were quite dark indicating a rich mixture. This was in accordance to a flow divider test I did a few weeks before. I therefore decided to install a smaller restrictor to the #2 injector (Airflow Performance). I also adjusted the idle mixture, cleaned the plugs and fit the cowl back on. Turned out it got improved so I taxied pyaing extra care about the mixture, did another run-up, took off and sticked to the plan. Although I was concentrating on what I had to do, the back of my mind was exhilarated by the acceleration feeling on the runway, especially the first few seconds in the air. Once at 3000ft, checked oil temp, oil pressure upright/inverted, fuel pressure upright/inverted with/without boost pump, checked CHTs and all was in-line with expectations. Did a mag check and got a few subtle backfires on RH mag that immediately disappeared when I switched to LH or both. This turned out to be my only snag. All the rest, including stall characteristics and hands off trim were surprisingly good.
Just like the WW1 fighters, I looked down waiting for the perfect opportunity to dive and join the pattern. Carried a little extra speed in the approach to ensure good control authority all the way down to the flare. Plan was to do a full stop unless otherwise required. Landing the airplane after all this time felt amazing. 32 min flight total, 1 snag BNF (like they say in flight test: to be fixed Before Next Flight). Mission accomplished!
I remember when I almost had a syncope as I was preparing for the 2015 season. It was then the beginning of a looonnnng project... Two years of work in total, little by little, spending evenings after work and week-ends at the hangar. I would be lying if I said that there was no phase of discouragement, but thanks to the help of my family and friends, and to you readers of my blog, I finally got back in the air with this little biplane so enjoyable to fly. When I think back of this first flight, the feeling of being at the controls of an airplane that I completely assembled was very peculiar, as if I was feeling all the small mechanisms moving behind each of my movements.
I want to thank my girlfriend Isabelle: you encouraged me all along, helped during the reassembly and supported my many days of absence, thank you! My father Victor for the important help during key stages of the reconstruction: engine and wings reinstallation as well as your help for the preparation of the first engine start and the first flight. Thanks to my mother Danielle for encouraging me relentlessly. Francois Marquis for countless technical advice at each stage of the reconstruction, and also for having supported the multiple, very educational words I pronounced on the phone when I realized what this crack meant. Thanks to Luc Martineau for keeping my morale up every time we crossed path at the hangar, for your help during the wing reinstallation, for your solid assistance during the first flight and especially for having supported my mess in the hangar during all this time. Thanks to Scott Black for the hundred tools I've borrowed from you and the many manufacturing tips and valuable references, as well as your help with W & B and parts machining, you were always there, ready to help. Thanks to Mark Clément for the excellent and precise welding work, your multiple trips to Lachute and your special care to understand what I needed. Thank you Paul Goyette for your precious time and your incredible attention to detail and patience that allowed me to make the trim tab and wing rigging tool. Thanks to Marc-Antoine for help in repairing the left wing attachment bracket, baffle, longeron brackets, as well as the many encouragement and our flights in the Citabria that helped me stay on tracks and fulfil my lack of vitamin G. Thanks to Jocelyn Côté for your patience, the multiple top quality parts refurbishments, and technical advice. Thanks to Mathieu Gratton for the great help in writing the logbook entry and mod report for the local authorities. Thanks to Raphael Langumier for your procurement help. Thanks to Francois Bougie for allowing me to visit the Pitts International Archives which got me crucial information for the repair. Thanks to Russ Larsen for helping with the final inspection and driving into crappy weather afterwards. Thanks to my friends from Wichita: Jeff Hyde for technical advice and very educational workshops at your hangar, Chuck Ellis for the unparalleled airmail service exclusive to aircraft building parts, Mark Wood for help with the fuel system redesign and the idea of the siphon valve, Ben Van Kampen for great tech tips. Thanks to Wes Liu for sharing the idea of split nosebowl attachment. Thanks to Dani for helping during wing reinstallation. Thanks to Francois Viau for help during the propeller reinstallation. Thanks to Peter Ashwood for the encouragements and information on the S-1T. Thanks to Bill on Biplane Forum for sharing the plans of the rigging boards. Thanks to Richard Perron for the multiple tool loans. Thanks to Pierre Bérichon for the loan of the shop crane which lasted a lot longer than expected. Thanks to Claude Camirand for the mag drill. Thanks to the team of Griffon Technical Services who have helped me several times. Thanks to Luc from BL Aviation for the quality service during the inspection of the magnetos. I'm deeply sorry if I forgot anybody and still thank you! I also want to thank again the readers of this blog; knowing that what I was writing wasn't too boring certainly helped keeping the momentum!
Thanks again to all of you that helped me throughout this long project. You made all the difference, both for technical and moral support. Each one of you made the dream to fly again in this airplane possible.
I will continue updating this blog with updates on my activities with my Pitts so feel free to come back now and then!
Cheers,
-Dimitri
