Thread: UGN to LNA

Trip UGN to LNA in a Flight Design CTLS Jan 19-20, 2009

A little bit of background first to understand how I got to where I made this flight.

I have been flying for 40+ years and have accumulated over 7,000 hours. Soloed in a C150, got my private in a Cherokee 180, then commercial and instrument ratings in a Bonanza. Have owned several Bonanzas, a Baron, Mooney, and a Cessna 340A in which I put over 3,000 hours. I firmly believe that they played a significant part in helping my business success. When I sold my company in 1995 I sold the 340 and bought a brand new A-36 Bonanza, first new airplane I had ever owned.

I put 1700 hours on the Bonanza by 2007. It was time for a new or reman engine plus there were other expenses I was looking at for the upcoming annual. Since I had only flown it for 88 hours the previous 12 months, with 40 of those hours on Angel Flights, it was time to examine my flying needs and if it warranted the hourly cost. I reluctantly sold it in May of 2007.

I had heard about LSAs and had attended the Expo in Sebring, FL in Jan 2007. I had already put the Bonanza on the market so I placed a deposit on a CZAW Sport Cruiser in Feb 2007 and got delivery of N947DM in August 2007. I really got to like the plane as it flew somewhat like a small version of the Bonanza.

The only maintenance problem I had was that the throttle mechanism would start to creep after just a few hours of flying, caused by the rubber base of the throttle losing traction. In the course of changing that rubber in November of ’07 a tool fell on the floor. During the preflight and run-up the control stick was free but during the climb out the tool slid back and jammed the stick at the base (there was no boot). I had no aileron control and was lucky to be able to get the plane back to the airport where it crashed, right wing low, and was totaled. I got away with just a small bump on my right shin.

The insurance company settled and I was again without an airplane. Deliveries on another Sport Cruiser were out nine months so I did some serious shopping for a new plane, again at Sebring in Jan 2008. I found that I was comfortable in the wide cabin of a CT and really liked the new LS upgrade. I had always preferred low wing planes. I am 6’ 3” and could never see out the left side of a Cessna without having to bend over, and then the wing would block the view in a typical left turn to base and final. Sitting in the LS I could see out without having to bend over and strange as that may seem, it was the deciding point in my decision to look seriously at buying one. I met Tom Baker at the Flight Design booth at Sebring and promised I would call him after I looked at all the plus and minuses of buying a Flight Design CTLS. Soon afterward I sent Tom a deposit on a plane that was available in Tulsa and got delivery in April.

Tom met me in Tulsa and we flew back together to his home field (OLY) getting three and a half hours of cross country along with familiarization in flying a CT. We added another two hours of instruction the next day and I flew home to UGN. The only other serious cross-country was a trip back to Tulsa to get some minor bugs taken care of, a five hour flight each way, in August.

This flight from my airport North of Chicago to Sebring was going to be nine hours in January in a plane in which I had had trouble staying warm. After consulting with Tom and other CT flyers I taped up all the openings inside the cabin, the wing root joints and put insulation behind the openings to the baggage area. That helped a little. Also added 2 strips of aluminum tape to the radiator.

On Jan 15 Chicago had a high of -3F. So to prepare for the trip I bought battery operated electric socks which never did anything to warm my feet other than they were heavy and good insulators. On Jan 19 at 11:15 am I departed UGN (with an outside temperature of 9F) for OLY, Tom Baker’s place. I had on heavy boots, 2 pairs of socks, thermal underwear, flannel lined pants, flannel shirt, heavy sweater, leather jacket, a blanket and good gloves. It all worked, I was fairly comfortable the entire 9 hours.

Climbed to 3500 heading 180 degrees; 113 kts indicated, 116 true, 128 ground speed; 5000 rpm, 24 in.; EGT: Left 1350 (nervous, engine alarm went off when rpm hit 5200) Right 1400; CHT: Left 184 Right 196; 5.3 GPH 3.9 psi; Oil 186 45 psi. Trip 232.2nm, 1.8 hrs = 129nm/hr average ground speed; 9.8 gals = 5.44 gph

2nd leg OLY to HSV (as far as I could go due to weather). Climbed to 3500 heading 175 degrees; 112 kts indicated, 118 true, 132 ground speed; 5100 rpm, 24 in.; EGT: Left 1350 (still squirrely) Right 1400;
CHT: Left 187 Right 194; 5.2 GPH 3.8 psi; Oil 188 45 psi.
Trip 272.5nm, 2.2 hrs = 126nm/hr average; 11.7 gals = 5.31 gph

Jan 20, 3rd leg, HSV to AYS. Left HSV at 7:45 am, temp COLD! Thought I was going to be robbed – the linemen had ski masks on!
Climbed to 5500 heading 135 degrees; 115 kts indicated, 120 true, 135 ground speed; 5150 rpm, 24 in.; EGT: Left 1360 (still squirrely) Right 1327; CHT: Left 184 Right 185; 5.2 GPH 3.8 psi; Oil 188 45 psi.
Trip 308.8nm, 2.3 hrs = 134nm/hr average; 11.8 gals = 5.13gph

Jan 20, 4th leg, AYS to LNA. Climbed to 5500 heading 170 degrees; 114 kts indicated, 123 true, 123 ground speed; 5130 rpm, 22.8 in.; EGT: Left 1340 (still squirrely) Right 1300;
CHT: Left 184 Right 185; 5.4 GPH 3.9 psi; Oil 198 47 psi.
Trip 325.3nm, 2.7 hrs = 120/hr average; 14.2 gals = 5.25gph

This leg proved the value of using flight following when going cross country VFR. I had planned AYS LAL LBV LNA to stay out of all the restricted areas. Winds across Fl were forecasted to be from the West at 35 to 40 knots and they were right. At Ocala (OCF) I was only making 117kts ground speed so I told JAX approach that I was going to cut the corner of the Lake Placid MOA and go direct LBV to see if I could pick up some ground speed. He said, “why not go direct to LNA?” That route would take me right over the TFR at Disney World and all the AVON MOAs. He said that he would pass on my route to Orlando approach and they would steer me around any potential problems. I changed direction from 170 to 135 degrees and ground speed went from 117 to 141 kts.! I had to jog a little around the hot AVON NORTH MOA but otherwise went directly to LNA including flying directly over PBI.

This trip also confirmed my choice of the CTLS for a cross country cruiser. I had filled the plane with golf clubs, a large duffle bag, a hanging bag, computer, cPap machine, back-pack type camera case, and a 208 lb. pilot weighing 229 lbs. with all the clothes on. Total weight with full fuel came to 1303 lbs., a moment of 19672 for a CG of 15.2, well within the 11.1 to 18.8 acceptable range.

Postscript: On Jan 23 I decided to fly from LNA (where I was staying) to SEF for the Expo. The fuel pressure gauge (Dynon) stayed at 2.2 psi which is right at the edge of the red/yellow markings. Fuel GPH were normal but I nevertheless made a precautionary landing at X10 to see if I could find the problem. The fuel vents were clear so I called Lockwood at Sebring to see if they thought it would be safe to continue. They said to come ahead. Enroute the fuel pressure went to 2.5 and stayed there. When we landed we went directly to their hangar and told them about the ”nervous” left EGT gauge, the problem with getting heat to the cabin, as well as the fuel pressure gauge. They told me to take in the Expo and they would look into my problems. By 3 that afternoon they had replaced the fuel psi sender, tightened up some loose wires on the left EGT, and tracked the heat system to confirm it was okay. Great service at a very busy time for them.

Note: couldn't find Add an Attachment so wasn't able to attach picture of the baggage I carried.

i have frozen in my ct before. eventually i found the butterfly valve on the heat muff was opening only a small amount. now i have all the heat i want

I had same problem with mine it was only opening about a 1/3 adjusted it and heat pours out now :>)

Rgs Mike

CharlieTango Posted: Fri Jan 30, 2009 4:11 am Post subject:

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i have frozen in my ct before. eventually i found the butterfly valve on the heat muff was opening only a small amount. now i have all the heat i want

Originally Posted by danmayworm

Trip UGN to LNA in a Flight Design CTLS Jan 19-20, 2009
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Note: couldn't find Add an Attachment so wasn't able to attach picture of the baggage I carried.

Great trip report!

The CT is amazing in the amount of baggage that will fit. Just make sure it's all tied down - it's a long way to the back of the tailcone, and that's BAD for the CG ...

Doug

My guess is that you both have an SW. It is not easy to check the butterfly valve on an LS but both Tom Gutmann in Tulsa, where I bought the plane, and the folks at Lockwood tell me that the valve both opens and closes all the way.

Would like to hear from someone who owns a CTLS to see if they have heating problems.

i do have an sw. like you i was repeatedly told that the heating system was functional.

then one day i looked and saw for myself

Yes mine is a SW didn't think mine was partically good so checked it out and that is what i found no problem now chuck's out loads of heat

Rgs Mike

I have found in about half the CT's I annual that the gate for the heat doesn't open all the way and only needs a cable adjustment at the gate itself. This is supposed to be checked at you 100 hr/annual. It is easy to do. Just pull the heat on all the way and stick your finger in the top opening where the gate is and see if it is topped out. If it isn't then you are getting cool air mixed with you warm air. It only takes a minute or two to adjust.

Roger, I tried to do that but the heater box in the LS is so imbedded under the engine that it is impossible to "stick your finger" into the top of the box. I had it checked at the 100 hour and also recently at Sebring. They both report it does open and close all the way. I also listened closely while someone inside the cockpit fully opened and closed the heat control and I could hear the valve hit the stops both ways.

It is almost time for my annual so I will pay particular attention to this problem. But Spring is coming so should not be a problem until next winter.

Dan

dan,

below is a photo of the field i fly from, i encounter a lot of cold weather, currently it is 15 degrees F.

the reason i suspect your heating system isn't functioning correctly is that once mine was corrected i get so much heat that i can fly in a t-shirt and don't even need to tape my wing root any more.

my point is the heating system can put out massive amounts of heat.