First Flight

[XL-C-100]

After three years of working on my Lexl my first flight happened last week! I experienced a hard landing due to a stall during landing, but all was repaired and I went up again this morning. Amazing feeling finally making it in the air and back to the ground safely! Here are a couple a pictures, sorry they are sideways not sure how to fix that. 

4A084 engine performed well but I believe I am a bit over propped. Only achieved 3000 rpms on climb out with my 56x26 prop.

[XL-C-100]

Here is a short video, cool calm weather in Fond du Lac, WI

[Steve]

Here is a short video, cool calm weather in Fond du Lac, WI

That 4 cyl sounds so o o o  airplane...


Frank Johnson did a 56x24 for me and I don't know what the outcome is... It will be very close... The story on props for the 4Ao84 I hear is they run smoother with a longer prop so shaving the 26 pitch some would be where I'd adjust... Frank was going to run an o84 on his XL but went another direction with engines - you might check and see if he has bench run his engine and/or has a 56x24 made up...

[XL-C-100]

I am not sure how this works I would like to embed these short videos in this post. I copied the links from YouTube, if I am doing this wrong somebody please clue me in. 

I had the same idea about the prop. I think I will take the belt sander to it and make it a bit more toothpick like. 

Besides me banging the plane into the ground during the first flight everything performed very well. Has to be the most exciting thing I have ever done!

https://youtu.be/ynTO0fq9LIA
https://youtu.be/dO_KadDO2Vk
https://youtu.be/CSVgmzpmGN0
https://youtu.be/J423OwYkvI4
https://youtu.be/Ob_WOVMZr9g

[Dan_]

Nate,
I think what you did was use the "insert hyperlink" button in the editor button bar.

All you need to do is right click on a youtube video and hit "copy video url"  then place your cursor into your post and right click again and hit "paste".  Simple as that...

It used to be that you had to place each video url on its own line.   I am not sure you have to do that anymore, but it would be a good idea... 

BTW,  they don't show up until you hit post. 

[Steve]

<
 the prop. I think I will take the belt sander to it and make it a bit more toothpick like.
>

Look at the attachment:

[XL-C-100]

Thanks Steve for the info about shaping props, I will definitely use that advice to hopefully gain 100-200 rpms.

[XL-C-100]

Here is my first flight after making some prop changes. I took 1/2 inch off the trailing edge on the outer portion of the prop using the procedure suggested, and then sanded to create less pitch. Unfortunately I think I may have over did it, it when from climbing at ~200 fpm at 45mph at 3000rpms and cruising at 55-60 mph at 2600 rpms to climbing at ~200-300fpm at 35-40mph at 3300 rpms and cruising at 50mph at 2900 rpms. These are all approximations of course but didn't seem to gain much in climb but lost a lot on cruise.

Of course its all much better than where I was a month ago which was on the ground! Having a blast I should have built one of these years ago!

Hopefully the video I tried to post works out, I copied and pasted the url at the top of this message.

[Tom H]

Congrats on your first flight.  Now the real fun starts!

Maybe you did take too much off.  RPMs are quite a bit higher.  I used that procedure on a prop for DE Stubby and got improved performance, but we eventually had Frank of Performance Propellers dial in a prop for us, which turned out to be way better than anything else we tried - much better in climb, which is what we were after, but also improved cruise.

[Flyguyeddy]

Any updates on this? 

[XL-C-100]

Changed props since last year. I think I did remove a little to much material at the tips. I now have a prop that I carved myself which is a duplicate of a 56x26. It flys well but is a very slow climber. It really isn't a problem for me where I fly so I haven't made a change.