To the Paint Shop
 

Friday 2JF got a test flight. All went well when I finally got it started. After sitting since November and many times cycling the master switch for various tests and flaps etc. the battery has taken a beating. Even though we had charged the battery it was still not 100% when I arrived to perform the test flight. So after I did a thorough pre-flight, I pulled it outside the hanger and jumped in to start the engines. I used my normal technique and it fired but just didn't stay running long enough for me play with the throttles and work the mixtures to try to keep it running. When I tried it again there was not enough juice left to fire it. OK back to remove the cowling and the battery box cover to hook up the battery charger and wait for the charge to complete. After finishing some tasks I decided that the battery should have enough and re-installed the battery box top and cowling. Back in the saddle I again used my normal technique and again it would not cooperate. So back to the same routine to charge the battery again. Third try is the charm, right? Well by this time Larry had shown up coming home from work and I told him my dilemma and I said that I was just going to use my normal technique one more time. I hopped in and it fired up so quickly that it was like I had never had a problem. Anyway I think we will check the battery a little closer when we finish the annual after the paint job.

It was fun to fly with all the new stuff. Wing tips, boom fairings, nice comfy seats, lots of other things and it all worked fine. After a couple of landings and take offs it was apparent that it was handling different. In a good way though, very stable in slow flight. One observation was a heavier elevator with the boom fairings. I could tell when the rear engine was producing power by the feel of the elevator. Not a bad thing just a little different than before. I will need some more time before I can really give a good report. I took Larry around his runway pattern for 2 landings and then my IA went around with me once while Larry took some video and pictures. Enough for the test flight, we came back and pulled the cowling for inspection and readied the aircraft for the trip to Sturgis Saturday morning to the paint shop.

Flight was great on Saturday to Sturgis. I had Doug my partner in the Twinco pick me up. I will return to the paint shop on Wednesday to see the starting progress. The paint tech says 3 weeks and it's done. I told him it had to be ready for Branson fly in. That's my deadline. I have decided on paint scheme #3 see below and a picture outside Larry's hanger before we went to the paint shop.

This is the end of this thread and stay tuned for the new paint thread to come soon!

Herb,

Wonderful job. If I may, I would like to offer one last piece of advice: Have you considered permanently installing the wires of a BatteryMinder to your battery? I have taken the cowling off one too many times, and finally I installed the wires. The connector piece is now tie-wrapped to the oil dipstick stalk, so that it can be connected very easily without removing the cowling. The rest of the wires is securely tie-wrapped along with other wires running towards the firewall. I put my battery on the Minder about 3-4 times a year.

One request: I would love to see a pic of your new wingtips from the FRONT, please.

Winglets
 

I added one more picture of the winglet straight on.

Here is about the best shot looking forward right now. I can get you a better shot later.

How about Twin Tails with 5 engines.................

The only flying Japanese Zero around, amazing aircraft when you really look at it

Or triple tails on a C6614, rare Cessna conversion modified by Twin Skymaster entrepreneur

Thanks, Herb.

Now, if someone can just figure out a way to make those winglets with HID landing lights in them, that would be awesome!!