Aug 19, 2023     Propeller repitched       Category: First Flight

Had the propeller repitched. It was a 74X61 but went to 72X68. The engine would rev over redline in level flight at 61 inches of pitch. Way over redline. Now in level flight it might go over buy about 20 rpm at 2720. Manage to pick up 20 mph in full throttle level flight. Wheel pants and gear leg fairings on the main gear gave a 10 mph speed boost. So, we have gone from 150 mph to 180 mph. One quick little bird.

  Aug 01, 2021     Final Inspection. April 24, 2021 - (5 hours) Category: Airframe

Finished the import inspection today. Now just to put everything back together and wait for some nice weather for the first flight. Paperwork should be done and CofA issued in 4-6 weeks. Been a long road getting to this point but a great learning experience.

  Jun 05, 2021     First Flight after restoration - (2 hours) Category: First Flight

Did the first flight today and began the engine breaking process. The aircraft flew very well. Inspected the engine after the flight. No oil leaks and all systems working as they should with the exception of the directional gyro. Will have to replace it.

  Nov 01, 2020     Weight and Balance - (2 hours)       Category: Airframe

Did the weight and Balance. Came out 15 pounds lighter than when last flown. CofG came out at 82.5 inches aft of datum. Datum rang is 80-90 inches aft of datum. Empty weight is 1245 lbs. Groos weight is set at 2100. Not to bad.

  Nov 01, 2020     Wash Day       Category: Airframe

Took the BD-4 out of the hangar to let the rain wash off the dust.

  Nov 01, 2020     Fuel Tanks, Pickups and Sumps - (34 hours)       Category: Fuel System

Had small leaks in both tanks. Did a fuel flow test. Started with 10 gallons per tank. Found that in a level attitude, both tanks had almost 5 gallons of unusable fuel. This combined with the lack of fuel drains in either tank, it was time to improve the system. A previous BD-4 I owned had wing tank sump similar to the ones used on the new BD-4 C. These work amazing, less than one gallon unusable per tank. Little risk of unporting a line, a low point for Watertown collect and a drain to clear water and sediment. Top wing skins opened up, tanks were in excellent condition. Blocked off the rear pick up in both tanks. Then added a tube to the Center pickups, running two thirds of the way down into the underwing sumps. Screens were added to the pickup tubes. Made a mold for the underwing sumps. Two sumps we made from the mold using West Epoxy System. Sumps were riveted and proseal Ed into the bottom of each tank. Then the tops of the tanks were repaired. Came out great. The unusable fuel in a nose up attitude is about half gallon in each tank.

  Nov 01, 2020     Fabrication of interior panels - (26 hours)       Category: Interior Finish

Fabricated cover panels to enclose all controls. Install most of the carpeting. Sent template and fabric to the upholstery shop for the rear sling seat. Aircraft was missing many of the interior panels for the rear seat area. Those will be fabricated later. Concentrating on Getting ready for import inspection.

  Nov 01, 2020     Fuel Flow Test - (4 hours) Category: Avionics

Did the fuel flow rest today. Required minimum flow is 21 GPH. Test results, 23 GPH with minimal fuel on board. Based on a max burn of 14 GPH, This gives 1.62 times the max burn. 1.5 is minimum as per Transport Canada. So, all good.

  Oct 21, 2020     Pitot Static Test - (2 hours) Category: Avionics

Had the pitot static test completed and certified, transponder and encoder tested and certified.

  Apr 07, 2020     Cowl Paint - (4 hours)       Category: Cowl

Repainted the grey on the cowl halves. Not a good match, will have to wait till the stores are open again to find a better match. Looks good though.