Plans: 1. Perform first high speed taxi. With the recent cooling mods it is safe to taxi the aircraft unrestricted. So a high speed taxi on the runway will hopefully reveal any addition issues. The thinking is to progressively push the engine to higher RPMs without flight to see what happens.
Status: Complete. Two taxis at a ground speed of approximately 20 MPH were performed the length of the runway. This speed was obtained at about 2300 RPM. So still not much load on the engine. All systems ran normally. I observed the following: 1. Mains tracked straight with no apparent sideward tendencies. Steering was responsive and precise. 2. Airspeed indicator tracked GPS GS indicator to within about 3 MPH. Airspeed was jittery but it was a windy day at low speeds. So not bad. 3. Engine coolant and oil temps were stable around 200 degrees F. 4. Taxi camera helpful as forward visibility is zero. 5. VHF radio operated. Calls out 5x5 to nearby handitalkie. Incoming volume from distant overhead traffic audible but not sure of distance. More tests are needed to improve assessment. 6. Brakes helped at end of run.
Next test will be a littly highr RPM winds permitting. I intend to keep airspeed below 35 MPH at all times.
Test video available on YouTube. Search Airdrome Aeroplanes Fokker D.VII N917WP Fast Taxi (https://youtu.be/37rRiO99dHk)
