For those of you interested in the flying aspects of the Europa:
I flew to see my brother in Aberfeldy this weekend.
Left Rayne Fm, Essex Saturday morning and flew to a farm strip in Blair Atholl
north of Pitlochry in the Highlands , without stopping !
The journey took 3hr 30min f.t. and included quite a long diversion from
east to west to avoid 'fog on the Tyne'. Actually flew from nr Gateshead to
Lockerbie. Seemed to be able to hold about 110 knots give or take on the way
up at just under 5000 rpm. Total fuel usage appears to have been about 52 litres
(3hr 40min engine time). Much of the flying was at altitude to avoid
the discomfort of thermal activity (5000 ft)
The engine performed flawlessly, I had no problem with the aircraft itself.
Some of the electrical connections seem to be a little unreliable, mostly due
vibration. The spinner is a bleeding disaster and wobbles like crazy. The
aircraft flies MUCH more smoothly without it. I need a dynamic balance
INCLUDING spinner, or I need to find a better solution. I don't detect any
significant speed reduction without the spinner assembly.
The journey back was slower due to a strong easterly crosswind component and
slight headwind. I was airbourne over 4 hrs and was begining to worry about
fuel reserves. Speed was often reduced to 85 knots, even at 5000 rpm.
It was VERY turbulent due rotor when crossing to Vale of York across Pennines.
(even at 4500 ft !!)
My arrival at Rayne was spectacular due to the wind. (Stansted METAR gave
NE 20 knots gusting 31 knots). The local annemometer gave 35 mph gusts at
about 30 degrees off the runway. I slammed it down heavily onto the grass
but remarkably, without incident.
The scenery in the Highlands is spectacular. It makes such a change from
the familiar. I would thoroughly recommend it to anyone who has built up
a level of confidence in the reliability of the engine & airframe.
There aren't many strips, and the one I used was cut out of a hillside. The
Europa does have good short field performance though (as long as it ain't hot
and wet) and seems well suited to this form of flying.
alan
|