PT6-20 Cessna U206

[vpjr 18]

Short video of one of the takeoffs. https://vimeo.com/60276912

[Rover 11]

Quote

Short video of one of the takeoffs. https://vimeo.com/60276912

Sweet

2 wrongs don't make a right - but 3 lefts do.

[Skydivesg 7]

Quote

Short video of one of the takeoffs. https://vimeo.com/60276912

It's really nice to see things are coming along and that you haven't given up in spite of all the road blocks.

There are more people rooting for you than you can imagine.

I look forward to jumping it someday.

Sandy

.

Be the canopy pilot you want that other guy to be.

[vpjr 18]

Stalls and Falls for your safety!

[vpjr 18]

Flight test at 3600lb gross, Cargo doors installed, 325hp -350hp maintained, from 500ft msl - 14,500, 11 min and 8.4 gals to alt including start and taxi. At a higher power setting the engine should be more efficient requiring less fuel in the climb, doors removed and spoiler installed will increase fuel required. I did not preform the dive and return to landing on this run. Previous flights showed >5,000 fpm decent. Idle fuel flow is 15gph so a flight that included decent, taxi, and loading of 6 min would be 10 gals. My flight efficiency was poor and would improve with practice in this aircraft. More testing to come.

[vpjr 18]

Smell Test, Cargo doors removed and spoiler installed. Empty with just fuel and pilots. 90 - 80 mph climb no exhaust smell at all. Jump run power back, 80 mph indicated level flight, slight exhaust smell. Decent no exhaust smell. Passed the test

[SEREJumper 1]

Thanks for the updates!

We're not fucking flying airplanes are we, no we're flying a glorified kite with no power and it should be flown like one! - Stratostar

[totter 2]

How about the "just ate a bean burrito and passing thru 8,000 smell test?
Need to know how quickly it'll vacate the cabin.

I was an earlier skeptic, but it's looking good. Hopefully the FAA sequester will not hold you up.

[vpjr 18]

Flight testing is going well but I expected more horse power at my target 640C temperatures in this summer heat. We are using the EI engine monitor that corrects for resistive errors instead of the resistor and Barfield Cal that was in the Twin Otter so it appears more accurate. I also have my King Air 90 engine that is classed for higher alt than the Twin Otter so If I reclassed it it would spin faster and give me more TQ at lower alt. Durning the winter test flights I could get the 450hp at 640 but now only 350hp at the same 640c temp. It holds 1600fpm at gross from takeoff up through 8000 in this summer heat but I wanted more. More, More, More!!!. Still very smooth and trouble free, Climb times are very close and fuel burns are within my initial targets. Moving fwd.

[ZigZagMarquis 9]

Water injection for the summer months?

[diverdriver 6]

Fantastic update. Thanks.

Chris Schindler
www.diverdriver.com
ATP/D-19012
FB #4125

[hackish 8]

Just curious, but what the heck do you do for a 5000fpm descent? I've only been back down in turbo piston planes (PA31) but 4000fpm is a chore and often flown in the middle of the yellow.

-Michael

[RMURRAY 1]

august update?

[vpjr 18]

All Aft CG stalls @ 3600# completed and no problems with stability. I have the Sportsman STOL kit installed but removed the Wing-X and Superdroops for the flight test. Power on Stalls at 260hp both IAS and CAS probes needles are against the low speed pins. >35Kts.

[holie 0]

Wuuuuhuuu, that looks steep ;-)

Great news!

[dzswoop717 5]

What does this mean in terms of when you think you will recieve the final stc? I have been following your progress since your first post with great interest. You are on the right path. This will be the perfect airplane to replace 2 or 3 Cessna 182's at a small drop zone or the perfect week day tandem machine at larger drop zones. Keep up the good work.

[vpjr 18]

In Aviation and even Skydiving, Each step forward does not show you when you will achieve your goal only that you havent quit.

[dzswoop717 5]

Good analogy, Don't quit, it will be worth the effort.

[vpjr 18]

Today during flight test. Aircraft at 3600# gross for takeoff, Climb to 23,000 ft. 500fpm through 22,000 ft msl @ 660C ITT, 265hp at that altitude. Got stopped a couple of times on my IFR climb so time to climb and fuel used data skewed. Wanted to go to FL240 but couldnt get approval. Not that it matters for this group but 165kts TAS at 22gph with large tires.

[JohnMitchell 16]

vpjr

Wanted to go to FL240 but couldnt get approval.

What part of the country are you doing the flight testing?

Sounds like a lazy a$$ controller didn't want to make a point out to the high altitude sector. I worked a ton of flight test over the years and learned to accommodate pilots a little.

[vpjr 18]

KC Center over mid mo. I called in a IFR Flight plan 10nm radius with block FL180-240 with all the details of the flight test 2 hours prior. The controller seemed to be overworking herself. I think the airplane could do FL300 easy. My O2 saturation was still 95% but saw my flight engineers at 83%. Need to get him a mask with a mic to go higher.

[JohnMitchell 16]

vpjr

KC Center over mid mo. I called in a IFR Flight plan 10nm radius with block FL180-240 with all the details of the flight test 2 hours prior. The controller seemed to be overworking herself.

You did all the right stuff. "Quadrant clearances" are something I used often, "Cleared all quadrants Astoria Vortac, 10 NM radius" or even "present position" for a fix in lieu of a navaid.
Works really well for test flights and training. With that said, some controllers are unfamiliar with those types of clearances and are hesitant to issue them.

I believe KC center is still split FL230/FL240 between high and low sectors. Climbing that last 1000' would have required coordination with the controller above her airspace. I've seen controllers either too busy or too lazy to do that. Not sure what the case was for you guys, but I saw plenty of lazy in my career.

Overworking the traffic? Boy Howdy have I seen that done! Can't tell you how many times I've tried to "bring down" an over amped controller. Best thing you can do is bring some calm to the sector.

[vpjr 18]

Got an unrestricted climb to FL230 today, 24min 18 sec, #160 under gross weight, 12 gals of Jet A to alt. Did some airwork up there so didnt do the return trip times.

[JohnMitchell 16]

vpjr

Got an unrestricted climb to FL230 today, 24min 18 sec, #160 under gross weight, 12 gals of Jet A to alt. Did some airwork up there so didnt do the return trip times.

Pretty good numbers, it looks like. So, is that 5 or 6 jumpers to FL230?

[skydived19006 4]

vpjr

Got an unrestricted climb to FL230 today, 24min 18 sec, #160 under gross weight, 12 gals of Jet A to alt. Did some airwork up there so didnt do the return trip times.

That's cool!!

Experience is what you get when you thought you were going to get something else.

AC DZ