Challenger II First Flight

I've been working putting together my Challenger II Clipped Wing special for a little over a year now. Having received my airworthiness certificate a couple days prior I was very excited to go do a first flight. However it didn't quite go as planned.

[@skesno309]

i had a challenger for 3 years. it does fly better without the doors but it's not a big deal with doors on either. a tip for you, when coming in on final just crab it all the way down until the last 30 or 40 feet of altitude. it's a lot less work keeping it going down the center line and then once youre close to the ground, tuck the wing down and use rudder to align fuselage to centerline.

[@skesno309]

I just bought another Long wing 2 last week as a project so i'll be back in the air next spring.

[@thecottonpatch80]

Just came across your channel. Couple things I saw. Looks like your rudder trim tab is pointed to the wrong side. should be pointed left. If you don't have finlets on the horizontal stabilizer I would make some. it helps with the adverse yaw created by the doors. Take the doors off and fly you'll notice it flies much better. Also a yaw string on the windshield will help along with a slip indicator.

[@neilrempel7167]

I need to try mine to fly , looks like it did fly easy

[@Mike-01234]

Did you get transition training in the challenger, or did you have prior ultralight aircraft experience? I see a few videos where pilots say can get into trouble with these if you only flown certified like 172's because the challenger requires more rudder use.

[@flightventure]

It was nothing too in depth, but I did do one flight lesson in a challenger before taking mine up for the first time. Just made sure to do stalls, steep turns and several touch and goes.

[@L2FlyMN]

It did look like you were struggling with directional control a bit. Was that due to the wind?
I know some have been upgraded to larger “tail feathers”.

[@flightventure]

Yeah I sure was, it wasn't due to the wind though. It turned out that I had my rudder trim backwards.

[@challenger2ultralightadventure]

What was the cause of the adverse yaw? Cheers from Winnipeg.

[@flightventure]

There's some weirdness with the propeller spinning and having the doors on. The door kit warns of this and advises the rudder trim, making that stick out more seems to have helped.

[@challenger2ultralightadventure]

@@flightventure I've heard that from other owners of this airplane. I've noticed that some install vertical fins on the elevator. I wonder if this is also an effective solution to that anomaly.

[@flightventure]

@@challenger2ultralightadventure I also saw that and think it does help, but the instructions I saw mentioned that it comes at the price of some rudder authority which I want to avoid (not that I know if it's enough of a loss to make much difference)

[@challenger2ultralightadventure]

@@flightventure I'm going to have to contact Quad City and see if they have test data or pilot reports on this mod. Cheers..

[@GolfRomeoIndia]

Rudder trim tab on the wrong side. 😉

[@roseanncloskey]

Note: no preflight. 4/23/2023yr

[@TechTheRedneck]

Excellent choice on the go-around, the approach wasn't on centerline and stable. Well done!

[@BrianVickeryUSAxxxx]

you do need an instructor to get a licence and then qualify properly for that CWS 2 seater
Remember climb to safety ,, the TPaltitude.... You need instruction , for your safety and compliance and for the safety of thos on the ground...... fly to be an old pilot

[@hartmutweyer1875]

Would have been nice showing the instrument panel instead of your shaking head😊

[@wdoxsee]

God, that "music" is f***ing mind-numbing annoying - had to leave after a minute.

[@PaulvanderBreggen]

You are coming in way to shallow.

[@JohnSmith-xl9bo]

at 5:07 RIGHT NOW WHERE WILL YOU LAND?

[@BrianVickeryUSAxxxx]

exactly........ it is an aircrft, not a bleeding lawnmower. altitude is safety , for you

[@JohnSmith-xl9bo]

IN AN ULTRALIGHT, THE MAJORITY OF YOUR LANDINGS SHOULD BE OFF-FIELD