#Wasabinought Reno 2021
September 2021 - Reno Nevada. A great week of pylon racing with the Sanders Air Racing Team. Some fantastic battles with Bob Swortzel in Race #26 and Bob Mills in Race #49.
#Subsonex Experimental Authorization
Arpil 2021 - California. Subsonex checkride complete
#Raptoraircraft 2nd Visit
August 2020 - Cherokee County Georgia. After months on the phone reviewing squawk lists and suggested fixes the team headed to Georgia to do another round of inspections and testing. The new stick made a considerable difference and the stick forces had become much more reasonable. After the engine quit and couldn’t be restarted with ship board electrical power the decision was made to find an airport that had more suitable options in the event the electrically controlled engine failed in flight.
The owner/designer makes his way to the stranded protoype.
Justin boards the prototype for a low speed taxi test.
March 2020 - Camarillo California. Elliot wrapped up his Experimental Authorization in the Vodochody L-29 Delfin for an up coming flight test program.
#bowerspony Flt 014
May 2020 - Visalia California. After an eventful flight where propeller control was lost, the aircraft was inspected and the engine cleaned for a much more successful flight 14. The flight was dedicated to Bo who besides being a huge supported of the project had consistently advocated to get real air-to-air of the airplane. This was the first time we were able to do that.
From chase. Flight 13 and 14 were great examples of the value of chase in high risk flight test.
TORA TORA TORA “Zero” Reflight
April 2020 - Eagles Nest Airport in Ione California. After prop overhaul this functional check flight and eventual delivery offered a chance to re-learn details of T-6 gear and hydraulic systems.
#RaptorAircraft First Look
Cherokee County Airport in Ball Ground Georgia. The team’s first visit to see the Raptor prototype (website), more information available at the Raptor YouTube channel (link). The deliverable for this trip was a squawk list of items that should be looked at before the return trip.
Peter Muller, Elliot Seguin, and Justin Gillen with the Raptor Prototype
#AuroraDelta First Look
Eagle River Wisconsin. The team’s first visit to see the Aurora Delta prototype. Aurora is a amphibious delta winged aircraft with a pylon mounted electronically controlled rotary engine and twin vertical tails. The aircraft was designed by Gary Schiffmann.
Schiffmann Aurora Delta
#BowersPony Reflight
Visalia CA. Functional check flight after engine overhaul. The engine had a FOD incident on the previous flight so it needed to be torn down, inspected, and rebuilt. We landed with concerns about the setup of the hydraulic cylinders as the gear retraction success and speed varied greatly during this flight.
#JellyBeanthorp Spd/G/Acro Demo
Eagles Nest Airport in Ione California. The final test flights for the aircraft included dives (210 MIAS), windup turns (5.3Gs at 1300lbs), and demonstrating the owner requested aerobatic maneuvers.
Wind up turn
The top of a loop
#IrishMeteor Acro Training
October 2019 - Eagles Nest Airport in Ione California. Zach purchased the Sanders Smoke SF260. As part of his familiarization with the airplane he asked for a aerobatic refresher, focusing on spins.
Cockpit view during incipient phase of the spin
Split external views during incipient phase of left spin
#JellyBeanThorp Aft CG Test Series
October 2019 - Eagles Nest Airport in Ione California. From fwd to aft CG loading over 4 flights. The deliverable for this series was a qualitative handling evaluation (including stalls) at the most unfavorable W&B loading.
Early morning flight test in the T-18
N4782G with Lu Sunderland, the original builder