Holy smokes! It looks like the Rocket is still a contender for the records after all.
It was drop dead gorgeous weather here today for January. I took off at around 3:00 and the wind was light, it was sunny and about 60 degrees!
I remembered the variometer today, but I forgot to turn it on before I took off. So, I made a round at low level and made a touch down back on my runway and switched it on, let it come on and then I powered up and lifted off again. J
With the engine running at full power as soon as we were airborne, I let her go up like the elevator that it can be. The engine hit 6500 rpms like it is supposed to, and the EGTS and CHTs were perfect and mighty close to even.
The throttle stayed at full power all the way up to just above the 3,000 meter AGL level and never missed a beat. It sounded sweet. Then I backed off to 3,000 rpms and began the descent.
Not long after I started descending, a warning light went off on the EMS. It was the fuel pressure. It had dropped to a couple of pounds at the low rpm and high altitude. This was my first flight to altitude with the fuel pressure sensor. The fuel flow was still fine and I guess all engine would do this at the altitude. As I descended and stayed at the same rpm, the pressure slowly came back up the lower that we got.
It was cold up there today, and the temp dropped to 30 degrees before I hit the top. The Tour Master electric clothes did a sweet job though. I did not even wear the flight suit over it today, and I stayed toasty warm.
Below is a copy of today’s flight barograph, and below it is the one from when I went to 19,311’ with the 583 engine in 2009. The climb angles are real close. The rate of climb when corrected from the previous flight to the recalibrated instrument reflects that both saw a maximum climb rate of 1240 fpm. That means this 582 setup is doing as well as the 583 did at lower altitudes. However the climb rate seems to fall off a little quicker with the 582. That is probably due to the lack of RAVE valves.
Still, the Rocket 582 did pretty good today and still beats the official time to 3,000 meters record. The record is 16 minutes and 51 seconds. The Rocket did it today in 13 minutes and 25 seconds. In 2009 the 583 Rocket did it in 11 minutes and 28 seconds.
It was about 15 degrees warmer today than back in 2009 too, so things are still pretty close. J
Have a good one!
Steve Thomas
"Rocket", 582, TB E-310 N3098Y
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