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First Fllight

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breece28117(at)yahoo.com
Guest

Posted: Tue Sep 13, 2011 2:30 pm Post subject: First Fllight

I made the first flight in my RV-8 last Sunday morning.  Other than having a yaw to the left and one comm radio not working, the flight went well.  However, the first landing was not so pretty.  On touchdown, the airplane became very squirrelly.  I was all over the place - back and forth.  Let rudder - right rudder - over correcting.   I had been practicing in an RV-7 and had been doing good landings, so I thought I wouldn't have any problem landing the RV-8.  I have a couple of thousand hours in tail draggers - including about 600 hours in an L-19.  I was pretty excited making that first landing, so I thought maybe the poor handling was due to that.  On the next landing, though, I realized that I was having to put way too much pressure on the rudder pedals to get any directional control.  The pedals were very hard to push and I was not keeping the airplane straight down the runway.   The next two landings were not any better - maybe worse.  The forth and last landing convinced me that  I might not be so lucky next time. 

  

  

I'm not going to fly the airplane again until I am convinced that I know what the problem is, and get it corrected.  Any suggestions or thoughts (other than to quit flying) would be appreciated.  I'm thinking about changing out the tailwheel assembly to see if that might help.  

 

Breece Nesbitt

N28117 (1.1 hour)

  

 [quote][b]

ualpilot3(at)aol.com
Guest

Posted: Tue Sep 13, 2011 2:42 pm Post subject: First Fllight

What taiwheel spring do you have?

Les



Sent from my iPhone



On Sep 13, 2011, at 5:28 PM, Breece Nesbitt <breece28117(at)yahoo.com (breece28117(at)yahoo.com)> wrote:



[quote]  I made the first flight in my RV-8 last Sunday morning.  Other than having a yaw to the left and one comm radio not working, the flight went well.  However, the first landing was not so pretty.  On touchdown, the airplane became very squirrelly.  I was all over the place - back and forth.  Let rudder - right rudder - over correcting.   I had been practicing in an RV-7 and had been doing good landings, so I thought I wouldn't have any problem landing the RV-8.  I have a couple of thousand hours in tail draggers - including about 600 hours in an L-19.  I was pretty excited making that first landing, so I thought maybe the poor handling was due to that.  On the next landing, though, I realized that I was having to put way too much pressure on the rudder pedals to get any directional control.  The pedals were very hard to push and I was not keeping the airplane straight down the runway.   The next two landings were not any better - maybe worse.  The forth and last landing convinced me that  I might not be so lucky next time. 

  

  

I'm not going to fly the airplane again until I am convinced that I know what the problem is, and get it corrected.  Any suggestions or thoughts (other than to quit flying) would be appreciated.  I'm thinking about changing out the tailwheel assembly to see if that might help.  

 

Breece Nesbitt

N28117 (1.1 hour)

  

  	  Quote: 	
		  

	


[b]

Larry Bowen

Joined: 09 Jan 2006
Posts: 802
Location: NC, USA

Posted: Tue Sep 13, 2011 3:25 pm Post subject: First Fllight

All controls should move freely! Figure out what's binding and address it. Wheel landings offer more control, IMO.  Keep the tail up until fast taxi speeds.  On Sep 13, 2011 6:31 PM, "Breece Nesbitt" <breece28117(at)yahoo.com (breece28117(at)yahoo.com)> wrote:> I made the first flight in my RV-8 last Sunday morning.  Other than having a yaw to the left and one

 > comm radio not working, the flight went well.  However, the first landing was not so pretty.  On touchdown, the airplane became very

 	  Quote: 	
		   squirrelly.  I was all over the place - back

 and forth.  Let rudder - right rudder -

 > over correcting.   I had been practicing in an RV-7 and had been
	


 	  Quote: 	
		   doing good landings, so I thought I wouldn't have any problem landing the RV-8.  I have a couple of thousand hours in tail draggers

 - including about 600 hours in an L-19.  I was pretty excited making that first

 > landing, so I thought maybe the poor handling was due to that.  On the next landing, though, I realized that
	


 	  Quote: 	
		   I was having to put way too much pressure on the rudder pedals to get any

 directional control.  The pedals were

 > very hard to push and I was not keeping the airplane straight down the runway.   The next two landings were not any better -
	


 	  Quote: 	
		   maybe worse.  The forth and last landing convinced

 me that  I might not be so lucky next

 > time. 
	


 	  Quote: 	
		   I'm not going to fly the airplane again until I am convinced

 that I know what the problem is, and get it corrected.  Any suggestions or thoughts (other than to quit

 flying) would be appreciated.  I'm

 > thinking about changing out the tailwheel assembly to see if that might
	


 	  Quote: 	
		   help.  

  

 Breece Nesbitt

 N28117 (1.1 hour)


	


  [quote][b]

_________________
Larry Bowen
RV-8 SOLD,
RV-7QB in progress...

CJohnston(at)popsound.com
Guest

Posted: Tue Sep 13, 2011 3:41 pm Post subject: First Fllight

That's the question i'd have - what kind of link to you have from the rudder to the tailwheel, and is the tailwheel stock?  I had some exciting times in my 8 with a rocket steering link, which i subsequently changed out for tail lynx.  My issue was that the steering of the tailwheel was waaaaaay too touchy for me.  I was used to a decathlon, and ended up being much happier with a little slack in the link.  After flying for awhile, I did have a time where my tailwheel steering required way too much force, and the solution was to disassemble and lube the swivel.  problem solved.  It turns out that the zerk on the tailwheel assembly doesn't work for lubricating the system, so it's best to disassemble and lube on a regular basis.



cj

________________________________________

From: owner-rv8-list-server(at)matronics.com [owner-rv8-list-server(at)matronics.com] On Behalf Of Les Bourne [ualpilot3(at)aol.com]

Sent: Tuesday, September 13, 2011 3:39 PM

To: rv8-list(at)matronics.com

Subject: Re: First Fllight



What taiwheel spring do you have?



Les



Sent from my iPhone



On Sep 13, 2011, at 5:28 PM, Breece Nesbitt <breece28117(at)yahoo.com<mailto:breece28117(at)yahoo.com>> wrote:



I made the first flight in my RV-8 last Sunday morning.  Other than having a yaw to the left and one comm radio not working, the flight went well.  However, the first landing was not so pretty.  On touchdown, the airplane became very squirrelly.  I was all over the place - back and forth.  Let rudder - right rudder - over correcting.   I had been practicing in an RV-7 and had been doing good landings, so I thought I wouldn't have any problem landing the RV-8.  I have a couple of thousand hours in tail draggers - including about 600 hours in an L-19.  I was pretty excited making that first landing, so I thought maybe the poor handling was due to that.  On the next landing, though, I realized that I was having to put way too much pressure on the rudder pedals to get any directional control.  The pedals were very hard to push and I was not keeping the airplane straight down the runway.   The next two landings were not any better - maybe worse.  The forth and last landing convinced me that  I might not be so lucky next time.

I'm not going to fly the airplane again until I am convinced that I know what the problem is, and get it corrected.  Any suggestions or thoughts (other than to quit flying) would be appreciated.  I'm thinking about changing out the tailwheel assembly to see if that might help.



Breece Nesbitt

N28117 (1.1 hour)

carl.froehlich(at)verizon
Guest

Posted: Tue Sep 13, 2011 3:48 pm Post subject: First Fllight

And make sure you are not dragging a brake.



Carl

 

From: owner-rv8-list-server(at)matronics.com [mailto:owner-rv8-list-server(at)matronics.com] On Behalf Of Larry Bowen

Sent: Tuesday, September 13, 2011 7:23 PM

To: rv8-list(at)matronics.com

Subject: Re: First Fllight



 

All controls should move freely! Figure out what's binding and address it. Wheel landings offer more control, IMO.  Keep the tail up until fast taxi speeds. 

On Sep 13, 2011 6:31 PM, "Breece Nesbitt" <breece28117(at)yahoo.com (breece28117(at)yahoo.com)> wrote:

 	  Quote: 	
		   I made the first flight in my RV-8 last Sunday morning.  Other than having a yaw to the left and one

 comm radio not working, the flight went well.  However, the first landing was not so pretty.  On touchdown, the airplane became very

 squirrelly.  I was all over the place - back

 and forth.  Let rudder - right rudder -

 over correcting.   I had been practicing in an RV-7 and had been

 doing good landings, so I thought I wouldn't have any problem landing the RV-8.  I have a couple of thousand hours in tail draggers

 - including about 600 hours in an L-19.  I was pretty excited making that first

 landing, so I thought maybe the poor handling was due to that.  On the next landing, though, I realized that

 I was having to put way too much pressure on the rudder pedals to get any

 directional control.  The pedals were

 very hard to push and I was not keeping the airplane straight down the runway.   The next two landings were not any better -

 maybe worse.  The forth and last landing convinced

 me that  I might not be so lucky next

 time. 

 I'm not going to fly the airplane again until I am convinced

 that I know what the problem is, and get it corrected.  Any suggestions or thoughts (other than to quit

 flying) would be appreciated.  I'm

 thinking about changing out the tailwheel assembly to see if that might

 help.  

  

 Breece Nesbitt

 N28117 (1.1 hour)

 	  Quote: 	
		    http://www.matronics.com/Navigator?RV8-List 	
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   [quote][b]

breece28117(at)yahoo.com
Guest

Posted: Tue Sep 13, 2011 4:31 pm Post subject: First Fllight

Its a standard Vans full swivel tailwheel assembly that came with my fuselage kit.  I've got about 1/2" to 3/4" sag in each chain.  

From: Les Bourne <ualpilot3(at)aol.com>

To: "rv8-list(at)matronics.com" <rv8-list(at)matronics.com>

Sent: Tuesday, September 13, 2011 6:39 PM

Subject: Re: First Fllight

What taiwheel spring do you have?

Les

Sent from my iPhone

On Sep 13, 2011, at 5:28 PM, Breece Nesbitt <breece28117(at)yahoo.com (breece28117(at)yahoo.com)> wrote:

[quote]  I made the first flight in my RV-8 last Sunday morning.  Other than having a yaw to the left and one comm radio not working, the flight went well.  However, the first landing was not so pretty.  On touchdown, the airplane became very squirrelly.  I was all over the place - back and forth.  Let rudder - right rudder - over correcting.   I had been practicing in an RV-7 and had been doing good landings, so I thought I wouldn't have any problem landing the RV-8.  I have a couple of thousand hours in tail draggers - including about 600 hours in an L-19.  I was pretty excited making that first landing, so I thought maybe the poor handling was due to that.  On the next landing, though, I realized that I was having to put way too much pressure on the rudder pedals to get any directional control.  The pedals were very hard to push and I was not keeping the airplane straight down the runway.   The next two landings were not any better - maybe worse.  The forth and last landing convinced me that  I might not be so lucky next time. 

I'm not going to fly the airplane again until I am convinced that I know what the problem is, and get it corrected.  Any suggestions or thoughts (other than to quit flying) would be appreciated.  I'm thinking about changing out the tailwheel assembly to see if that might help.  

Breece Nesbitt

N28117 (1.1 hour)

 [quote]

http://www.matronics.com/Navigator?RV8-List[/b][b]

n223rv(at)wolflakeairport
Guest

Posted: Tue Sep 13, 2011 4:47 pm Post subject: First Fllight

Sticking brake??



Sent from my iPhone



On Sep 13, 2011, at 6:28 PM, Breece Nesbitt <breece28117(at)yahoo.com (breece28117(at)yahoo.com)> wrote:



[quote]  I made the first flight in my RV-8 last Sunday morning.  Other than having a yaw to the left and one comm radio not working, the flight went well.  However, the first landing was not so pretty.  On touchdown, the airplane became very squirrelly.  I was all over the place - back and forth.  Let rudder - right rudder - over correcting.   I had been practicing in an RV-7 and had been doing good landings, so I thought I wouldn't have any problem landing the RV-8.  I have a couple of thousand hours in tail draggers - including about 600 hours in an L-19.  I was pretty excited making that first landing, so I thought maybe the poor handling was due to that.  On the next landing, though, I realized that I was having to put way too much pressure on the rudder pedals to get any directional control.  The pedals were very hard to push and I was not keeping the airplane straight down the runway.   The next two landings were not any better - maybe worse.  The forth and last landing convinced me that  I might not be so lucky next time. 

  

  

I'm not going to fly the airplane again until I am convinced that I know what the problem is, and get it corrected.  Any suggestions or thoughts (other than to quit flying) would be appreciated.  I'm thinking about changing out the tailwheel assembly to see if that might help.  

 

Breece Nesbitt

N28117 (1.1 hour)

  

  	  Quote: 	
		  

	


[b]

vshimsl(at)live.com
Guest

Posted: Tue Sep 13, 2011 9:06 pm Post subject: First Fllight

Too much slop in your tw linkage. Take out some links to verify. With tw in detent, u should have (at) 1" play side to side on rudder.

Tw not locking on detent(nut too tight). Main wheel alignment. Did you grease assembly? Just some thoughts.

VinceH

RV8 N8432 105 hrs.



Sent from my iPod



On Sep 13, 2011, at 3:28 PM, Breece Nesbitt <breece28117(at)yahoo.com (breece28117(at)yahoo.com)> wrote:



[quote]  I made the first flight in my RV-8 last Sunday morning.  Other than having a yaw to the left and one comm radio not working, the flight went well.  However, the first landing was not so pretty.  On touchdown, the airplane became very squirrelly.  I was all over the place - back and forth.  Let rudder - right rudder - over correcting.   I had been practicing in an RV-7 and had been doing good landings, so I thought I wouldn't have any problem landing the RV-8.  I have a couple of thousand hours in tail draggers - including about 600 hours in an L-19.  I was pretty excited making that first landing, so I thought maybe the poor handling was due to that.  On the next landing, though, I realized that I was having to put way too much pressure on the rudder pedals to get any directional control.  The pedals were very hard to push and I was not keeping the airplane straight down the runway.   The next two landings were not any better - maybe worse.  The forth and last landing convinced me that  I might not be so lucky next time. 

  

  

I'm not going to fly the airplane again until I am convinced that I know what the problem is, and get it corrected.  Any suggestions or thoughts (other than to quit flying) would be appreciated.  I'm thinking about changing out the tailwheel assembly to see if that might help.  

 

Breece Nesbitt

N28117 (1.1 hour)

  

  	  Quote: 	
		  

	


[b]

at6c(at)bellsouth.net
Guest

Posted: Wed Sep 14, 2011 4:05 am Post subject: First Fllight

Breece,

 My first flight in my RV  8 was about 5 years ago.  I remember doing a couple of medium speed taxi  runs and thought the airplane was squirrelly, I was wondering how bad it would  be on landing.  Turns out the squirrel was driving.  The first landing  I didn't even have to touch the rudder peddles it just tracked straight.   On later flights I learned to use very slight rudder inputs and all the issues  went away.

  

 I would check the  following.  First, make sure the airplane tracks straight on the ground  (the tail wheel and rudder may not align exactly).  Second the  movement of the rudder requires no effort if it feels stiff something is  binding.  Check the rudder and tail wheel freedom, neither should be  tight.  Third on take off and landing roll don't move the rudder like you  would on a big tail dragger, only very minor corrections are needed.  Once  the first flight adrenalin dies down you should be ok.  Good  luck.

 George

 [quote]   --

ghinman(at)mts.net
Guest

Posted: Wed Sep 14, 2011 5:17 am Post subject: First Fllight

I made the first flight in my RV-8 last Sunday morning.  Other than having



  a yaw to the left and one comm radio not working, the flight went well.  Ho

wever, the first landing was not so pretty.  On touchdown, the airplane beca

me very squirrelly.  I was all over the place - back and forth.  Let rudder -

  right rudder - over correcting.   I had been practicing in an RV-7 and had b

een doing good landings, so I thought I wouldn't have any problem landing th

e RV-8.  I have a couple of thousand hours in tail draggers - including abou

t 600 hours in an L-19.  I was pretty excited making that first landing, so I

  thought maybe the poor handling was due to that.  On the next landing, thou

gh, I realized that I was having to put way too much pressure on the rudder p

edals to get any directional control.  The pedals were very hard to push and

  I was not keeping the airplane straight down the runway.   The next two lan

dings were not any better - maybe worse.  The forth and last landing convinc

ed me that  I might not be so lucky next time.



 	  Quote: 	
		   I'm not going to fly the airplane again until I am convinced that I know w

hat the problem is, and get it corrected.  Any suggestions or thoughts (othe
	


r than to quit flying) would be appreciated.  I'm thinking about changing ou

t the tailwheel assembly to see if that might help.



 	  Quote: 	
		  

 Breece Nesbitt

 N28117 (1.1 hour)


	


     Make sure the main gear is aligned and not a bit toe in.



-- 

George H. Inman

ghinman(at)mts.net

204 287 8334

204 799 7062

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