So today I wrapped up the repairs by re-wiring the Lightspeed coils. The way I had originally wired them, there was potential strain indirectly (but directly enough) on the fast-on connector crimps. I resolved that with what I should have done from the start, which is a slightly different wire routing and a bracket that clamps the wires on the back side before they penetrate the baffle wall. Absolutely no stress or vibration can occur at the fast-on connectors now. I'm infinitely more confident in this design than the old setup.
It's really amazing. After 150 hours, I'm finally getting a clue about a few of these items...like the oil cooler baffles, the coil wiring, etc. Some stuff might look fine to you when you're building the plane, but until you can see the effects of normal engine operation on some of these slightly, potentially volatile designs with your own eyes, there's really no way to know whether something is gonna work or if it's gonna break. It's mostly 20:20 hindsight, but I have some perspective now on what to expect from these systems. I'm learning some good lessons here, that's for sure.
Anyway, I flew today, and the thing ran so sweet, smooth, and powerful. I was very pleased with it to say the least. I was somewhat concerned that the new oil cooler location and the big brace angle would inhibit oil cooling efficiency, but it had no impact whatsoever. With 100-degree air temps on the ground (101 in the shade), the oil temp peaked at 212F during a relatively "steep" (120mph indicated) climb to 7500'. After levelling off, the oil temp went down to 195. Can't complain. (On subsequent flights in hot weather I found the oil cooler was plenty effective.)
When I got back down I had a real warm buzz going. I cleaned the plane thoroughly in preparation for tomorrow's formation flight -- we're going to have a "Mass RV Arrival" at Flabob for Trish's wedding (don't worry, I didn't even write this page until after the fact...I'm speaking in "today I..." terms to make it sound chronological). Anyway, after sweating for an hour cleaning this thing, the sun was setting, and it just looked so amazing in that light. I had to get some photos to capture the mood.
There's nothing more satisfying than coming back to the hangar after a perfect flight, cleaning the plane up a bit, and just admiring the fruits of your labor as the sun sets.
Almost looks like polished aluminum in this light. Not! At least it's clean.
