Intent is to keep a log of a cross country flight.This is a modified version of zkdos transcontinental Mail Route. Flying a Stearman to emulate the 1920s era experience.
Day One: Weather clear, ATC is on. Learning the characteristics of the Stearman. Fuel estimate vs. NM range is guess work so far.
KCQX to KHYA to KPVD to KSWF to KAVP to KBFD. Full stop landings each airfield.
Trim does not appear to hold with the Stearman. Nose will trim up and down but it will not hold the attitude.
Day Two: Turned on real weather and ATC is off. Enabled Sim acceleration (time) but lack of trim makes usefulness limited…gonna be a long trip.
KBFD to KCLE to KGYY divert to KIRS for fuel
Maxed out fuel at KBFD and struggled into the air…could have been ugly. And oh my flying in weather in hill country is an attention getter!
Thought I maxed out gas but was on reserve by Port Meadville KGKJ so stopped in for juice. Bumpy ride and to paraphrase…9K foot ceiling my butt.
About to land at about 1.5K ft.
Otherwise Mrs Lincoln how was the flight? …Purty…
Despite having a ample range for KGYY ended up running short and diverted to KIRS. Weather was getting iffy so made the stop. Must have caught a head wind. First half of trip at 3K feet speed at 75kts. Second half, same altitude but 90kts. Not sure what is going on with the trim. There is a trim lever in cockpit but keyboard commands do not seem to set it. Meanwhile, using throttle to maintain an altitude.
Day 3: KIRS to KGYY to complete last leg of yesterday’s flight.
-Intermittent haze at South Bend clearing as crossed lake to Gary. 2.5 to 3K altitude, 75kts.
-Brought it down to 1.5 at one point looking for terra firma. no luck so back to 2.5.
-Rudder failure (again) on landing. reset control to “reverse axis” and signed it off for next flight.
KGYY to KDPA Early morning flight, scudding clouds which closed in and weathered out KDPA, divert to KARR. 85kts at 3k. Good landing in near darkness.
KARR to KIOW Broken clouds, uneventful flight at 3.4K alt. and 95kts
Day 4:
KIOW to KDSM
Dawn take off broken clouds 2.5K alt. 100kts. Couple of wind shears one down about 200ft the other up over 500ft. No clouds in area of shear.
Rudder failed again on landing KDSM
KDSM-KOMA
3Kalt. 95kts Hazy to Clear
-Trim resets to neutral
-Rudder checks good
KOMA to KLBF (217nm)
4K alt. 85kts Ptly cloudy to mostly clear. Ran out of daylight…divert to KBBW
-Rudder checks good
-Trim checks good
Day 5
KBBW to KLBF 58nm TO 0735 Land 0900 5K Alt 85 kts Partly cloudy
Finish Day 4 route
KBLF-KCYS 187nm TO 0930 -Land 1400
5K -7.5alt 90kts clear skies
Just west of Kimbal about 7K, RPM drop and aircraft struggling. Adjusted mixture but no affect. At B2V aircraft jumped about and climbed suddenly...RPM and airspeed returned to normal. Not sure if I hit a head wind or have a mixture control problem.