Bob,
Your reports are GOLDEN!! I look forward to future flights of the LS and "after action" reports!!
First flights of Steve Pedano LS Panther
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First flights of Steve Pedano LS Panther
Yesterday, 25 Nov 15, I had the good fortune to be asked by Steve Pedano to test fly his Panther LS on it's first flight. Steve's Panther is a superb example of the light sports version with the long wing. Steve's airplane is almost identical to my panther except for the long wing. Weights were within 8 pounds of each other and both are featuring a Lycoming 0320. Steve's aircraft has a 160 HP engine and is mounted via conical bushing. He has flush riveted the entire airframe and has install SPA offered MATCO wheels and brakes. He chose to use the smaller size wheel pants from SPA that fit the MATCO wheels and brakes nicely. Steve's engine was overhauled with channel chrome cylinders and thus needed special attention during break-in. Steve mounted a Whirlwind ground adjustable prop on the 0320 and used some of the same pitch data that I had found during my early testing on my Panther.
The initial test flight was dedicated to breaking in the engine cylinders and thus a 30 minute sortie over the airport was the test card. Dan and Steve provided chase in an RV 6 with a 180 HP with a constant speed prop. Break-in procedures for channel chrome cylinders require high HP output to generate heat for the break-in period. Thus the engine was run at 75 percent or above during the entire flight. The following are my observations during this short flight.
- takeoff roll was shorter by about 150 feet over the short wing sport panther.
- speeds for climb and acceleration were the same with the Steve's LS version having a slight higher climb rate.
- speeds in the high 180 mph was common at 2500-2600 RPM's at 2500 AGL. Note: the RV 6 could not maintain that speed and was at full power most of the flight. Speed comparison were identical on the two aircraft airspeed indicators.
- The one noted difference came when a descent and landing pattern was established. The airplane does not want to slow down and with 75 percent power in a shallow descent saw speeds approaching Vne. In the pattern, my observations were noted on the radio; "Dan, this thing is a glider". At 100 MPH opposite the approach end of the runway, full flaps were deployed (40 degrees) and power just above idle was selected. Very little pitch change was noted when flaps where deployed and the speed settled in at 90 MPH with a 300 FPM sink. On base leg I noted that the sink rate was not going to get me to the runway at the right altitude and thus I pulled the power to idle. The sink rate settled in at 500 FPM and I slowly bleed the airspeed off to just under 80 MPH on final and made at wheel landing. The long wing will require careful management of speed and power in the pattern. The LS wing provides excellent handling and slower speeds on final that the sports wing. My thoughts are, the LS wing could benefit from an extra 10 degrees of flap as I have in my sports version ( do not do this until consulting with Dan on the mod). This feature may be answered when Buddy Henson flies his LS version with the 0320, he has installed an extra notch of flaps and has just under 50 degrees of flap defection. More data to come with additional flight test.
The initial test flight was dedicated to breaking in the engine cylinders and thus a 30 minute sortie over the airport was the test card. Dan and Steve provided chase in an RV 6 with a 180 HP with a constant speed prop. Break-in procedures for channel chrome cylinders require high HP output to generate heat for the break-in period. Thus the engine was run at 75 percent or above during the entire flight. The following are my observations during this short flight.
- takeoff roll was shorter by about 150 feet over the short wing sport panther.
- speeds for climb and acceleration were the same with the Steve's LS version having a slight higher climb rate.
- speeds in the high 180 mph was common at 2500-2600 RPM's at 2500 AGL. Note: the RV 6 could not maintain that speed and was at full power most of the flight. Speed comparison were identical on the two aircraft airspeed indicators.
- The one noted difference came when a descent and landing pattern was established. The airplane does not want to slow down and with 75 percent power in a shallow descent saw speeds approaching Vne. In the pattern, my observations were noted on the radio; "Dan, this thing is a glider". At 100 MPH opposite the approach end of the runway, full flaps were deployed (40 degrees) and power just above idle was selected. Very little pitch change was noted when flaps where deployed and the speed settled in at 90 MPH with a 300 FPM sink. On base leg I noted that the sink rate was not going to get me to the runway at the right altitude and thus I pulled the power to idle. The sink rate settled in at 500 FPM and I slowly bleed the airspeed off to just under 80 MPH on final and made at wheel landing. The long wing will require careful management of speed and power in the pattern. The LS wing provides excellent handling and slower speeds on final that the sports wing. My thoughts are, the LS wing could benefit from an extra 10 degrees of flap as I have in my sports version ( do not do this until consulting with Dan on the mod). This feature may be answered when Buddy Henson flies his LS version with the 0320, he has installed an extra notch of flaps and has just under 50 degrees of flap defection. More data to come with additional flight test.