On 12/08/01, Velocity XL RG N724X passed it's FAA airworthiness inspection with flying colors. DAR, John Murphy, was very complimentary and imparted much useful information regarding the finer points of building and flying kitplanes during his inspection which was much appreciated. N724X weighed in at a patriotic 1776 pounds. The rest of the day and most of the next was spent checking and rechecking fasteners and bolts, connecting the last bits of instrumentation and systems. Finally, it was time! In the final hours of a beautiful Florida day, test pilot, Mike Manary belted in, fired up the engine and taxiied forth. With the appropriate paperwork, N724X became legal to fly, but it still wasn't an airplane. This all changed on 12/9/01! With a throaty roar and a graceful leap into the air, a new Velocity was born!
N724X flew straight and true and has required no adjustments to wings or control surfaces. After some cautious maneuvering, Mike started to wring out the plane and was having so much fun, I think he almost forgot to come back! We could see some of the maneuvering from the ground - it was a joy to behold! The first flight lasted almost an hour. The engine ran smoothly with no significant cooling issues. After a flawless landing, an excited Mike Manary described a wonderfully smooth and downright fun test flight.
Want to ride along on the flight and see for yourself? After you've finished here, take a hop over to the First Flight Video section and enjoy the ride!
Click on thumbnails to view larger versions of the pics!
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| If money is what powers airplanes, then the paperwork is what provides the lift! With airworthiness certificate in hand, N724X is ready to leave the nest! | Like a young Chuck Yeager, test pilot Mike Manary belts in for the first flight. Riding shotgun is a Sony TRV900 camcorder hooked into the wingletcam on the pilot side! | Setting up the equipment for first flight. | Hitting the starter button! |
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| The prop looks perfect. You can see the close positioning of the cowling outlets which were lengthened slightly to bring the tips closer to the prop. This facilitates pulling air from the engine compartment and bolsters cooling, especially on the ground. | It begins!!! Starting to roll to taxiway. | Waiting for taxi clearance to runway 9L. | Bathed in the rays of a setting sun, N724X looks beautiful as he taxies to the runway! Note the tinted side windows and the clear windshield - I wanted best visibility for night flying. |
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| After just over 1000 feet roll, it's up.... | ... up .... | ... and AWAY!!!!! | |
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| Is it a UFO? N724X in the far distance. |
Comments, questions, and suggestions are welcome! email: rich@rguerra.com
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