Updated 4/17/08
Fisher FP 303
Flying page, yes, it flies.
September 3, 2004 became moving day, and the day of my first flight in the little guy.
Here's that story. EEk.
I rented a trailer, got her loaded up, and off to my new hanger in Arlington. Arlington has a dedicated ultralight airpark, so very friendly to this sort of thing. Dropped it off, and took the trailer back, then came back and spent a couple hours or so rigging it, and messing with stuff. Then I stared at it, decided there was nothing left to do, but go fly it. My new engine primer worked great, started right up, and off I went taxiing away. That got boring quick, so, Hammer down!!!
Well, I would like to say, all was well, and I was as calm and cool as Chuck Yeager. But, well, I have a great respect for test pilots now. Or not, They're nuts! I nailed the throttle, and it jumped off the ground like a scared duck. Bascially flew in control, but just felt weird. I suppose that is because I rebuilt it in my garage, and it is not a certified craft like I am used too. Kinda felt mushy, and like it wanted to go back to the barn all the time. So, a couple laps around the pattern, then to a nice 3 point landing on the grass strip. Taxied back, shut her down, then contemplated stuff. When my heart rate got back out of triple digits, I looked around at all the connections, and bolts and stuff, and thought, guess I better do that again. So, off and up. This time, I was better able to evaluate what was going on.
It is rigged a little goofy, so I will straighten that out. Pretty much, I had to hold one fourth of my stick travel to the left, to keep it flying straight. Not good, since you have 3/4 of the stick left to go right. eek. That, and it really isn't forgiving of un-coordinated flight. It really likes, wants, you to use the rudder. But that is a good thing, Cessnas make you lazy. Oh, that landing was a little sketchy, but oh well. So, next, measure, and rig the wings to fly straight, make some updates to stuff I don't like, and have fun.
9/6/04 So, I've been chomping at the bit to straighten out the rig. Got up at 7 this morn, and at the airport by 8. Weirdo, anyway, fixed it. Flys straight and nice now. Got to talking to another guy with a tube and fabric ultralight. So, did some time in the pattern. Talked a bit more, so, we took off in formation to Camano Island. Pretty cool. I actually left the pattern. His was a bit slow, but a neat little B1RD. He had more HP's than me, but I must be a lot cleaner because I'm a lot faster. I just sat off his wing at half throttle. Landings are a bit fun, but will be more fun to "master". So, my next update to include pitcures or video, but that may be a while. In all, It has been a successful build, on a plane that I am enjoying more and more.
9/30/04 So. All is well, have been enjoying bombing around in the thing. No motor issues, no groundloops, not too much scary stuff. It is just a fun little bird, that I am enojoying more and more. Yesterday, I got Mike to come out and shoot some video. It doesn't want to upload, at the moment, so when I get some time, I'll stick it on here.
Video :) 
10/20/04 It's been a while since an update. But, still alive and flying. If I can get weather next week, I'll go spend a day dinking with it. It's about time I got some helmetcam video. Big news is, I bought a new prop. 3 blade adjustable pitch composite jobby. My wood prop doesn't have enough pitch, so this puppy will cure that. That, and it will give me the ability to change pitch for cruise, or change it to a climb prop for those days when I am hauling hunting gear and game into and out of the back country ;) I better stick to grouse though.
10/25/04 I got some prop action now! 3 blade composite Ivo prop. Interesting fellow, Ivo, he is the guy that escaped over the Berlin wall from the land of "Commie's" in a homemade ultralight. Apparently, after he got over the wall, he flew around for a couple hours, enjoying the view. Now, he lives in CA and makes propellers. Neato unit. I first put it on, had the pitch wrong, and I could only get 5,500 rpm in climb, Now, I'm golden, right at redline, 6,400. Works great. Plus, a quick twist of the wrist, to change it to more of a cruise prop. I may make it a two blade prop as well. So many choices.
12/22/05 Still here. I just moved this site to BadBearMine.com. Thus, I haven't updated in a while. The little guy is still in Arlington though. I have put about 25 hours on it in the past year. It really needs to come home for an "annual", but I haven't had time to do that.
I had a very neato flying adventure the other day. I got the bug to fly it, as I hadn't for a while. So I figured, if it will start I'm going flying. It started, I did.
It was a cold day, but bombed around the Stanwood valley for while. Then, about a thousand feet below me, I spied an unsuspecting, unprotected freight train. I rocked the nose over, in full WWII fashion, and strafed him. He he. Blew over his head at an unspecified, FAA approved altitude. So cool! Then, looped around and flew off his port side at a likewise FAA approved height and distance. What a visual. Wish I had my helmet cam.
Anyhow, there is an update, of sorts. Still a fun bird.
7/25/06 Alive and well!!! Did a little crosscountry the other day. There is a classic aircraft show in Concrete, WA that I have been wanting to visit, so I did. Had a nice 50 min flight out. Stayed and visited. I was a hit, because most of the old planes had gone home. Mine is of course bare bones stick and rudder, so I was a rockstar. Then hopped aboard for a bit longer tour home. Did one nice strafing run over some unsuspecting ground bound skydivers too. He he.
Also, punched it up to about 6,300 rpm for most of the trip. It kept the temp good, so I let it rev. Bombed along at about 60 mph. Oh, but watch the fuel burn when you leave the r's up like that, eek! He he, had fuel to spare, but a bit less than my "personal minimums".
1/9/08 Just to say, I'm still here!!! Hah, somebody told me I hadn't updated for a while, so I'm updating. I moved it north, to an enclosed hanger now. Now I get to mix in with jet traffic. Oh boy! I suspect the best mix is no mix...Haven't flown much, but took it apart this spring to do a condition check, and change a couple things. It was nose heavy in flight, I never liked that. If you lose elevator authority, you lose your life. Not pretty, so I changed the angle of incidence on the Horizontal stab a bit, to counter that. I believe you should be able to raise the nose, hands off, with throttle alone. Changed my Ivo to two blade, with the chagrin of Ivo, but he he, I have to fly it, not him. Really, I think it is best. But still, just testing for now. Anyway, I have hopped it down the runway a couple times lately, and am getting it ready for full on flight, shortly. It sits at 249lbs on bathroom scales, so I hope the weight police will leave me alone.
4/17/08 All is well in the land of Sub 254lbs. I like the two blade Ivo. It pulls just great, doesn�t seem to �slip�. Seems to run smooth, with a quicker spin up. I think for the 28hp that I have, it is fine. I also built a cooling shroud. It keeps the air on the head, then hangs below the firewall a bit, to help get the air out of the motor compartment. The temps without it would hover around 410 at 6,000 rpm level cruise. With it, about 360 at 6,000, level. So, yeah, worth the time and weight, for sure.
Had a nice tour of the valley the other day. 40 minutes. A bit bumpy and gusty, that is always disconcerting�Went out and did some turns over the valley, then headed for a look at my house, down the river, over a friend�s. He was in his hot tub, but I didn�t see him. Then back to the airport. There was a jet landing at the time. So, I circled well away. Then another plane landed, still circling, then I swooped in and dropped it on the taxiway. At this airport, the ultralight pattern is 500 feet, North of the airport, and land on the taxiway. So, I just try to stay well out of everybody�s way. Better to help us �all get along�. GA is in such a sorry state, oh well.
7/21/08. So, that is it, I guess...Hah. Life marches on, so I decided it was time to sell. I listed it on ebay, and low and behold, I had an actual buyer. I hope he likes it. Nice guy. I suspect that some in his family question his sanity, but such is the life of a man that flys that which he builds and maintains. Off to Colorado my little guy went. Oh well. I'll do another when I can. If you have your "active X" turned on, you can see a little video I did during the sale. Posted it up on youtube. I strapped my camera to the tail, aimed it forward, and off I went. It shakes around too much. A combination of normal airframe movement, and loose camera mount. But, it was nice to document my last flight in it. Have fun and be safe!
