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Jabiru J450 Constructors Manual
Testing>General
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
298 of 343
Testing>General
Here we are: the
Construction
phase has been completed and the task in hand is to thoroughly
check the aircraft in preparation for flight and then, finally, test fly the aircraft for first time.
Many tasks need to be completed prior to the first flight:
The aircraft must be carefully Weighed and Balanced and, if necessary, rebalanced to
suit your intended loadings and the information recorded in the Owners Manual;
The Rigging (the deflection of the control surfaces) must be rechecked – each
deflection was set as part of the relevant
Post-Paint
tasks so this is essentially
confirming your earlier work and making minor adjustments if required;
The Fuel Gauges will need to be calibrated so that you will have an accurate indication
of fuel quantity;
You will need to affix the required placards and decals as listed in Section 2.8 of the
Owners Manual;
You will need to fit the Registration Markings required by your country‟s aviation
authority;
An extensive Pre-Flight Checklist must be completed: this checklist runs to 15 pages
and to complete it correctly will take you several days;
And finally the Test Flight, which will require a disciplined approach and which
should be conducted by a suitably experienced pilot.
Resist any temptation to rush these final tasks; it is
extremely important
that all checks be
completed correctly before flight is attempted. Failure to do so could have severe
consequences, so take your time and be
very thorough
!
So there is still quite a bit of work to do, but you are within a week or 2 of finishing your
build, depending of course on how much time you can devote to these tasks.
This would be a good time to have a clean-up of both the aircraft and your workshop:
Clean the aircraft interior: remove anything that is not part of the aircraft (tools, rags,
sandpaper, etc) and vacuum out any dust and dirt.
Wash the exterior with clean water with a little soap (most car washing products are
suitable) and chamois dry.
Clean the windscreen and windows carefully and if necessary use some Novus
products (refer to
Post-Paint>Fuselage>Fit doors
for details) to clear any minor
marks or scratching.
Clean your work area thoroughly and organise your tools.
Locate your deflection templates: you will need them shortly.
OK, let‟s get on with it – the end is in sight!