RansMail #012  April 6th 2004 

The picture shows Vince helping me with my 'new S4 G-MWFW, before departure from Dunkeswell (Devon) a.m 5th April.
 
On a blustery day with some 20 knots westerly I finally brought the Rans S4 home yesterday, either sitting out the rain showers on the ground, or dodging them in the air to make it from Devon to Jackrell's Farm. In the end, Sunday, based on Saturday's inaccurately optimistic web weather compilations for Monday, I went by bus to Torquay (without a chicken hearted return ticket) and my bro. took me early Mon. to Dunkeswell.
 
The GPS I took failed to lock on anywhere all day - till back at Jackrell's !!  So it was 1/4 million and IFR (I follow Railways) to get back, but very exhilarating. I made some dodgy landings possibly due to allowing the tail to settle too soon and fast after touch down so she tried to balloon a bit and jumped around from wheel to wheel & swung requiring loads of pedalling, it felt quite hairy then.. The last landing was good as I did the right thing, which kept better vis over the nose whilst in the horizontal attitude as well as making her altogether more handleable once the tail did drop. 
 
Once pushed a little way into the new hangar. a second row of slabs under one wheel lifted the wing just about clear of (Adrian's) folded trike and so there's room to use one a/c without disturbing the other. 
Cruise was about 50/55 and g.speed getting on for 70 mph. Fuel consumption turns out to be approx. 2 gph, but I had to stop to be sure at Henstridge and Popham, so that there was loads available if I had to make a massive diversion due to rough conditions. I'm very impressed with the way she coped with the weather, as on the ground one had to take care when empty unless sitting dead into wind etc.
 


Mike