I've decided that for the sake of clarity the Mk III build will be moved to a
new thread and this one will remain for the build and modifications of the Mk II. That said, I have just test flown the Mk II after a series of modifications.
I was never quite happy with how blunt the cowl looked. Space inside the fuselage was limited due to the FT style powerpod, and the cowl had to be removed to check or change the flight battery. I have never swapped the pod out since I built this aircraft, and a few crashes had left the pod slightly deformed, contributing to some up-thrust on the motor mount.
Needless to say, the up thrust made for odd trim changes with power. This, coupled with the sensitivity in pitch had me thinking I might need to enlarge the h-stab.
I decided I'd had enough of it; it was time for some changes. First thing was first, he cowl was taken off for the last time and tossed. The powerpod came next. There was an obvious crease just forward of the first-locking tabs, ie it was junk too. Firewall and electronics were salvaged. I then glued in a former to the forward end of the fuselage to which I bonded a 2"x 2" foam box for an engine mount with a new 1/8" plywood firewall bonded to the front of that for the motor to screw to.
A new cowl was built up much as the old one had been, but now 2" longer to accommodate the longer motor mount.
The scoop got some 1/2oz fiberglass added around the intake for reinforcement. The longer motor mount/cowl was no heavier than the powerpod and cowl it replaced, but the additional length moved the nose weight just far enough that she balanced a little nose-down. The battery is installed through the hatch on top of the fuselage and no longer needs the cowl to be removed to do so.
The new cowl is all paperless DTFB, coated with WBPU. All bonding was done with white Gorilla Glue.
This afternoon was in the low 70's with essentially no wind, perfect for a maiden. She performed beautifully. She took off smoothly and climbed easily. The pitch sensitivity I had noticed before was gone. I may dial my throws back up next time I take her out. Power on stalls are almost non-existent as she has enough power to climb vertically. Half power stalls have a strong tendency to break left once speed has finally bled off enough. Power off stalls resulted in a gentle break right. Knife edge is simple now, and I can almost loop her (a limitation of my skills, not the airplane). She lands and taxis on grass as smooth as ever.
I did notice some excessive noise, which may be the cowl rubbing on the motor, or the larger intake may have forced enough air into the fuse that the top hatch was pushed open and fluttering. The motor was warm, bordering on hot when she came down. I have enlarged the opening around the motor shaft to increase airflow as well as cut a section out in the cockpit area to allow cooling air to escape the fuselage.
It is tough to decide whether this or my Versa is my favorite plane to fly. Right now, I'm leaning towards this one.
