Hangar Flying

You will get lots of different answers---but you will need to know a little bit of info behind each answer.  

1. Rate of climb is highly dependent on engine size and aircraft weight (actually gross weight at time of test).

2.  Speed at various rpm and alt.  A couple of speeds at a couple of rpms at one altitude should be enough.  However, you will probably need to know what the engine is (type, HP, perf mods like hi-comp pistons/port/polish etc), the propellor type, pitch, and diameter.  You will also get lots of variance in the airspeeds even with like weight and power due to builder attention to drag.  Paying attention to drag adds up faster in speed mods than HP additions.

3.  GPH is good to get but you will also want to know if they are running with electronic ignition and fuel injection.  The data is also meaningless unless you how many degrees off peak (and in what direction) you are running the engine.  Not everyone runs with a fuel flow gauge, so you may not get great info.

4.  Weight.  You will need to get a feel for what they have on board like full IFR, night and the kitchen sink.  On my longez, I was carrying a good amount of lead in the nose (big engine, light pilot, short nose).

Aircraft type
Aircraft drag details (wheel pants, gear fairings, spinner, other special contours)
Engine type/mods
Engine Ignition
Engine carb/fuel injection/throttle body
Engine inlet (updraft/downdraft, NACA, P-51, armpit, etc)

Prop type, pitch, diameter

gross wt at test
OAT at test
altitude at test (set 29.92)
speed check on 2 rpm settings at same alt
gph at each rpm setting along with degrees off peak and which direction

But then again, maybe you are just looking for anecdotal information.  In that case, my Longez climbed over 2000 ft per minute light loaded with only me in the cockpit.  Heavily loaded, I placed the throttle to wherever 176 mph IAS was at any altitude up to 10,000 ft.  Don't have fuel flow to give you---but ran at 100 deg ROP.  My engine was a Lyc 0320 EXP, ported and polished with 10-1 compression turning a Herzler Silver Bullet.  I was on the draggy side.  But I did have downdraft cooling (pressure plenums), carbureted, wheel pants with no fairings

You may be able to find a experienced longez guy in your area.  He could do the initial taxi tests and test flight.  The insurance company may accept him instead of a CFI to do your checkout.

I recently checked out a brand new low time pilot in my longez when I sold it.  I am not a CFI but the insurance company was much more comfortable having an experienced guy in TMS than having some CFI with no time

I am at a loss for words---especially when we lose someone with his experience.  

Here are a couple of articles I have found

http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/metro/20050822-9999-1m22pilot.html

http://www.kogo.com/localstory.html?ID=20050822013644

This one has a picture of the crash site----if you are familiar with his plane, you will recognize the trim.

http://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/4876706/detail.html

There may not be a clamp in there.  If there is, the only way to get it is to pull the wing.  It is not hard to do.  It is easy if you have two others to help you.  You are supposed to pull the wings every year for the condition inspection.  I think this is excessive----and Mike Melville thinks that is what contributed to him getting a massive soft spot on the underside of his wing that he had to repair.  However, you should probably pull the wings every 2-3 years and probably no more than 5.  After 5 years (of not taking the wings off), the wing bolts were kind of hard to get out---they were getting some surface corrosion on the outside.  I replace all the bolts, lubed them up, and put them in.

I took my wings off to string led nav lights and normal strobes.

Anybody know what the "factory setting" is for the Allegro Engine Monitor K factor for fuel flow?  I know how to experimentally set it---but I would rather start with the factory setting.  Unfortunately, it was not listed in the paperwork.  I have a Lycoming O360 with airflow perf fuel injection.

<snip>7) IFR? Losta luck

 Do you really want to expose yourself to all the experimental restrictions? <snip>

I am on my second experimental (first a Longez and now a Cozy MKIV).  I made both IFR in rather short order.  Not sure I understand what you mean.  Also, what real restrictions do I have in the experimental cat?  I think that I have more in the certified cat.  For certified planes, I have to buy the certified part---and pay the extra cost---even for things like sun shields!!

I can put an alternator in my experimental (buy the part) anywhere from 35 bucks to 100 bucks.  You are talking at least 300 bucks for a certified aircraft.  And I can guarantee you that you are not getting a 200 dollar better quality and safer alternator.  Oh----and you will need to pay someone to put that alternator on for you.

I will never own a certified airplane because of all the restrictions---not the other way around.

Related to what Deltapop said, do you have anything taped up like the canard or wing joints?  If you did not clean the area real good where you want to stick on glider tape-----and/or you mix high speed with rain---the front edge of the tape can lift up and make a real loud high pitch squeal.  It will also change frequency with AoA.  For me, when the tape finally gave way, it scared the crap out of me as it flew past the left side of the canopy (didn't know what it was at first----just saw a shape fly by real close).  It then stuck on the strake----and proceeded to "thump" the strake with the rest of the tape that would not stick.

Another funny sound----more of a rattle than a squeal---can be the canopy safety beating on the canopy locking rod.

Hard to tell from the aspect----but....looks like the Longez drifted up out of his altitude block, got his left rudder clipped from the opposing RVs, uncontrol bank to the left and into his wingman.  I read there was a 7th plane flying high over the formation---Frank P, was that you?  Was there a 7th plane?