Note:
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It's
September 29th 2003 and I'm lazily mulling around my little
Fokker wondering if the wind is going to settle down and allow me to test
fly my finally completed project. Every inch of the plane has been checked
and rechecked for any discrepancies that might prove hazardous in flight.
The plane is fueled, the sky clear and the wind is blowing like mad in the
wake of a recent cold front. As I sit and anxiously await a break in the
wind I can't help but wonder if this was how the First World War aviators
felt before their flight to the front lines in search of a fight.
After waiting what seamed like
an eternity, I decide that I just can't sit still any longer. I figure
that if I can't get it airborne I can at least taxi up and down the runway
getting a little more familiar with the ground handling characteristics of
this little cloth covered beast. I coolly strap on my flying helmet and slip
my foot into the stirrup located on the left hand side of the aircraft. With
one swift pull I send my foot over into the cockpit seat and slide gently
into the cramped compartment below. As I tighten my safety harness I flash a
quick grin to my wife attempting to show my false confidence for success.
With my attention now diverted to the instrument panel I begin the process
of bringing the massive and earth shattering horsepower of the Rotax power
plant to life. I switch the master switch to the "on" position
followed by the fuel pump. A few shots of prime and the ignition switches to
the "on" position complete the highly technical chain of events
required to fire off the two-cylinder behemoth tucked neatly under the nose
cowl. With a cool and confident "CLEAR PROP" I push the starter
button and wait for the tiny little explosions within the engine to bring
the RPM to idle speed. As the engine gauges settle to their operating
temperatures I slowly advance the throttle starting a long taxi to the end
of the 2200-foot grass strip.
It's
now just before dark and the wind has settled enough to attempt a flight. I
had played with the plane enough to feel fairly confident on the ground so
with the plane positioned at the end of the runway I go through the check
list again, sub-consciously prolonging the inevitable attempt at a takeoff.
Controls free and clear, dual ignition check, fuel and fuel pump on. All
that is left is to check pattern clear and give it all it's worth. I
remove my shaking and sweating hands from the controls to dry them on my
jeans in anticipation of the upcoming event. Slowly I point the Eindecker
down the runway and with one smooth motion I force the throttle lever to the
stop. The rotax screams with authority as the plane starts it's
acceleration to takeoff speed. A slight fwd motion on the stick unseats the
tail wheel from the earth as I apply a very light pressure on the rudder
petals to keep her guided in the right direction. A quick glance at the
airspeed and tachometer assure me that the engine is putting out enough
power to get the job done. As I pull back slowly on the stick I feel the
little Fokker surrender to gravity and start a climb into the cool September
evening. From my peripheral view I can see the ground quickly slipping away
beneath me as the plane is climbing with surprising authority given that the
wings are so short. I was maintaining a 50 MPH climb speed with little
effort on the controls. The elevator and rudder were extremely sensitive as
compared to the ailerons which felt as though they were firmly seated in
cement. She was flying straight and true so I relaxed a little and let her
build some altitude before my first turn. The pattern at this particular
field is a right hand pattern so I leveled out the climb, reduced power to
cruise and started a right turn to the down wind. As soon I bank the wings
and start
the turn I'm hit with a massive volume of air on the left side of my head.
It takes me a few seconds to realize that I'm feeling the effects of an
uncoordinated turn and am suddenly aware of how much more of an attention
getter this is over the ball. With the plane back in coordination I complete
the turn and head down wind to setup for an approach to the field. I decide
to fly out farther and try a left hand turn only to find that again the
plane slips into an uncoordinated turn with incredible ease. Nothing light
rudder pressure doesn't cure but it tends to get into a slip or skid very
quickly. I maneuver the plane in on a high and long decent for landing and
pull the power back to 5000 RPM. The Eindecker settles into a beautiful
decent and provides a very good view of the runway ahead. As I near the
trees I get a few light bumps from the wind and start to reduce power a
little more as I break over the threshold of the runway. I opt to keep the
airspeed high and just feel for the ground in a wheel landing which proves
to be of little effort for the Eindecker. She settles in perfectly on the
mains and is a breeze to control as the tail slowly drops to the ground. As
I taxi to my parking spot I begin to feel the thrill of what had just
occurred. I had just completed my first ever test hop in an airplane I built
in the basement. What an idiot I am! But I still love it!
I
cannot explain the feeling of this first flight and will not even try to. I
will obviously be doing more testing but up to this point I have learned
that the Eindecker is an outstanding machine that I intend to enjoy to the
fullest.
