First flight

So finaly after changing and connecting all tubes, there was time for the first test flight. Weather wasn’t the best, with blue thermals and quite turbulent and pulsating as expected this early in the season. Preflight testing on the ground looked promising but would it show correct data?

I set local QNH in XCsoar and took off behind our Dynamic WT9 climbing steadily with an indication of OpenvarioGHYup to 12mps – something that would make our micro towplane more like a turbine tug on steroids.

I also experienced some pretty bad interference/noise when using comms making the system go high wire.

I turned off my radio, using a handheld for the remainder of my flight and things started to look a hole lot more promising. Noise and interference disappeared and after a system reset the vario showed correct information compared to the mechanical winter vario. Due to marginal thermals I tended to get lower fiddling with the system so I hade to land after just 40 minutes.

My “partner” an co-owner flew two flights the next day, experiencing pretty much the same, without the interference/noise after we rearranged and shielded some wiring with chokes.

To sum it up:
1. GPS stable
2. Screen performing well in sunlight even with touch screen installed.
3. Flarm radar OK
4. ADS-B in OK – needed some tweaking filtering out traffic >1500m vertical separation.
5. Vario information OK – but an update are in the works improving stability and overall performance.
6. IAS OK
7. Altimeter OK
8. Remote Stick OK – making a touch screen redundant, improving sunlight readability.

For more information and details check the forum on Xcsoar.

7 thoughts on “First flight

  1. This display is a PQ070WS01 (200nits) but in our new setup under development (and units built and sold to fellow pilots) we use the Texim CH070 7″. Better resolution and sun readability.

    Jarle

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