"Cecil Chapman" wrote in
. com:

A question I've always wanted to ask homebuilders is based on how I
can see one could go through the process of building through lots of
hard work and dedication - but how do you get yourself to do that
first flight? I would think a thousand questions would fill one's
mind (ex: did I tighten or overtighten that blank, are the rivets
going to hold,,,, etc.).

How does one safely test an 'unknown'..... just curious.....

Sounds like a wedding night. G


Seriously, remember that you don't just "take to the sky" the minute the
last rivet is set. By the time you have the thing built a lot of pieces
have been assembled and disassembled and reassembled, and you are
probably (certainly should be) VERY familiar with pretty much every
piece of that plane.

There are test runs of the engine. Even taxi tests. Leak checks are
performed. And everything SHOULD be rechecked for proper torque.

Rules vary from country to country (some require stage checks), but in
the US there is a final exam that must be passed. An examiner goes over
the plane (hopefully with a fine tooth comb) for anything that does not
look save and conform to safety standards. Only then do you get a
certificate to go flying.

The first flight itself is interesting. There are books and tapes (and
not all agree) on how to do it. Test hops (just a couple of feet in the
air) can be made. But usually once you do commit to flight, you go fly.
The plane is climbed to a safe altitude (about as high as practical) and
a series of test maneuvers is made to verify things like stall speed and
wing drop -- things you probably need to know before trying to land. G

Yes, mistakes do happen, but considering the number of safe "first
flights" taken by experimental aircraft every year, aircraft built often
by first-time builders, the success rate is IMHO amazing.

jmk