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Oh, I have slipped the surley bonds of earth..

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John Slade

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jan 5, 2003
Messages
157
Location
West Palm Beach, FL
I haven't been over here much lately, but I'm sure some of the regulars will remember who I am.

I'm happy to announce that, after just over 5 years building, Cozy IV plans # 757, powered by a Mazda 13B turbo rotary engine, danced the skies this morning in a short but sucessful flight.

I've read others say that their first flight was "uneventful" and thought this to be a strange choice of words. Now I can appreciate the term because that's exactly what it was - uneventful.

Take off run was about 2000 ft on just over 1/2 throttle and wastegate fully open. Coolant temp was at about 185 in the climb, and 175 on the downwind. The engine purred smoothly, if a litle rich. (The fuel injection computer still needs some airborne tuning at various Manifold pressures.) The approach was a little fast but I managed to put her on the numbers at 75kts (thanks, Paul) and the touchdown was smooth. I used only a little braking to pull off at the end of the 3400 ft runway. I flew her once around the pattern - total time about 6 minutes.

My thanks to Burt for the original concept, Nat for the design, making the plans available and supporting them all this time, Paul Conner for teaching me how to fly a Cozy and Dan Cruger for allowing his pretty Mk IV to be used for the exercise. Thanks must also go out to Tracy Crook for his excellent products and support, the guys on the flyrotary group without who's input this could not have been done, and to Mazda for making such a superb engine. Last, but by no means least, to my wife, Char, for her support, tolerance and being behind the project 120%.

And to builders still slaving away with the epoxy, micro and the heat gun - as I've heard so many times before over the past 5 years - keep at it people. Flying your own bird is worth all the hard work, and then some.

So now, the adventure begins...

John Slade
PS - There's a write-up on the flight at http://kgarden.com/cozy/chap28.htm#firstflight
Cozy Mk IV Turbo Rotary N96PM
 
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