Boomps-a-Daisy in the Nieuport 11

This is actually the second flight since the Big Repair. I had some timing issues with the engine, but they're all sorted out.



A few notes -

1) Tightening up my pattern is a must, as I've been taking these terrible long low ones that aren't any good. Last time, when I didn't have a camera on board, naturally I rounded it out and landed picture perfect!

2) Putting the GoPro on top of the gun magazine sounded great in my head, but it moves around a little in flight (or so I found). Worse than the head mounted SpazCam.

3) Some minor oil leaks to chase down, but other than that all is well.

4) WooHoo! She's flying!

very cool, must be amazing flying something you built from the ground up!

An truly wonderful endeavor.

Gotta be real proud of that! You took a box full of metal tubes and fabric sheets and made them fly. You're a damn magician I tell ya!

Finally made time to watch.

I love it, way to go Dart!

I actually put this in the wrong thread, but here's the scientific analysis of what I did wrong using CloudAhoy:





Change my landing point to be further down the runway? Are you kidding? It's only 5,000 feet long!

That is a neat overlay tool Dart.


Wheels

I've made a couple videos of me bouncing or sliding the aircraft - it's much more interesting than anything else I do in her - that I was told that I needed some sort of proof that I land her without incident the vast majority of the time.



Big winds that day, too - ten miles an hour, though it was mostly down the runway.

I do wish we could still get that close to the runway at Chino....
Do you plan on trying to land at any grass strips with your Bebe Dart?


Wheels

Yep, but there's only two in my 25 mile circle that I've visited and trust; one is invitation only and the other is a residential strip.

St. Clair County keeps their grass up well enough to land next to the pavement or between runways, and don't wig out if one uses it.

The day was cold, but winds were low and the wife had to work anyway, so out I went to the airport.

A few things of note:

1) In a fit of caution, I zip tied the sides of the head harness to the GoPro to the headset. This was fortuitous, as the darned thing slipped back and would have departed the aircraft otherwise. It did so right after takeoff, so I just looped around, landed, put it in the hangar, and went back up.

2) I didn't wear my wool pants, and about 45 minutes out really could start to feel it. I was actually shivering coming in for a landing. Everything else was warm but my legs. Weird.

3) Since nobody was out there, I called a friend and told him what my flight path would be, and my anticipated return time. This beats filing a flight plan (even though it was just local) all to hell, as if I failed to show up he'd know exactly where to send the search team.

Because he's almost as much about aviation as I am, he came out to the airport, snuck down to the runway, and captured my landing. I think at this point they're hoping to capture a wreck or a massive ground loop. And because I have no shame at all, I made a little video of it.

Looks really nice with the low sun.

Wheel covers not coming back?

I think they'll be wire rimmed through the winter.

Plus I have to scrounge up some fabric.

You are so lucky to fly this little Nieuport! Great footage!