BLACKWING 635RG Checklist & Crosswind | FlyTheThing

ESMI-ESTT-ESMI with SE-MML July 4 2023. Checklist up to eng start and certain measures in the air. Short airworks with non-perfect dutch rolls.

[@ghamari2001]

beautifully flown.

[@flythething193]

Thank you!

[@sirvis1]

So Blackwing in comparison with WT9 in your opinion is better, worse, similar?

[@flythething193]

Don´t get me started again... :-) You´ll need both! If you search my channel for Blackwing I have already elaborated on this in length in a few posts, don´t remember exactly which videos, but you´ll find it. The WT9 is more unforgiving in the sense that it will develop more stick and rudder skills, where the Blackwing just feels like a neutral airplane. Easy to fly, easy in the view, good potential for aerobatics if they can solve the spin tests. Very fast in pitch and climbs more than you think, but at the same time not that it feels sensitive in that regard. Rudder harmony is neutral and balanced. Picks up speed fast, you´ll have to watch, Vne for the 635RG is 174 KIAS. I´ve been close and everything feels normal. The old WT9 fixed gear I fly feels like a tractor in comparison, although it still has a decent climb. The newer WT9 RG is more on par, and a competitor in side by side, but not as fast and then the WT9´s design including cockpit is more spartan in itself. For pure flying with airworks I still prefer the WT9, more personality. The thing with Blackwing is you can fly fast with decent economy and a light luggage, excellent views and have this impression of technology at the forefront. According to an owner I talked too who had an old VL3 before, Blackwing is 10 kt faster when you compare 100 hp. In the 635RG, when getting past 120 KIAS (the wing has an aerodynamic threshold around that number you´ll need to accelerate past) and cut back to 50-55% throttle speed, will reach 130-135 KIAS at a few thousand feet on approx 19 L/h. So you´ll get spoiled by a new normal speed wise. When you climb into the machine it feels a bit sensitive and not as carefree as in the WT9, but there you´ll on the other hand sit very deep with a restricted view. Such things is just a matter of getting used to, just as the non forgiving flying characteristics of the WT9. I don´t even think about it anymore, but people who come from yokes and non ultralight planes like Pipers and Cessnas seems to have a problem with both types. Landing wise I prefer the WT9, when used to the float/glide ratio, it becomes your friend and makes for safer power offs. The Blackwing is quite similar to a Eurostar in landing, but has more drag with gear down and flaps 2 (normal flaps position used). You´ll need a bit steeper approaches with the Blackwing to be on the safe side. Idle rpm on MML is 1600 instead of advised 1800, so to avoid a semi hard touchdown you may need a touch of rpm until last moment. With flaps 2 or 3 there should be some quirk the CFI told me about, in that you don´t get more lift as you raise the nose beyond a certain point, but else it just feels like a neutral airplane in the landing. Crosswind, seems very capable, but I´ve only had a few instances. POH says 20 kt. For WT9 it varies, I´ve seen 16-24 kt mentioned, but would generally say it´s a confirmed +20 kt plane. At least the fixed gear WT9 is a low speed monster Vs1 (clean) 33 kt, and the wing is more a compromise than primary designed for speed. Some pilots complain that the WT9 is slightly unstable in yaw at low speeds on final, but I´ve never thought about it. Maybe has something to do with a quite small fin, in comparison.

[@dietrichwagner]

At what runway lengths do you feel comfortable with takeoff and landing in this aircraft?

[@flythething193]

If no crosswind and tree curtain 450 m for landing, but a friend of mine with 5-6 times as many hours in the Blackwing put MML down on a private 250 m strip with flaps 2, flying the final just a tad over 50 kt. For takeoff I haven´t measured but feels like rotation happens quite fast just like in a "normal" microlight /ultralight, so 150-200 m. Optimal speed over threshold for a predictable touchdown point is 55 kt, and with flaps 2 drag is much greater. Easy achived in calmer conditions with some practice.

[@dietrichwagner]

@@flythething193 wow that’s impressive performance. A 250 m strip for an aircraft with thise performance oriented characteristic is impressive.

[@flythething193]

​@@dietrichwagner Landing wise it feels very close to the Eurostar, used by many flying schools/clubs in Sweden, and it´s known to be capable of short strips. But the Blackwing has better aileron authority, and more drag with flaps 2.

[@egfried]

Hi , thank you for posting. Is it possible to connect with you to exchange on the subject ? I’m also a BW60 owner and have some questions on the checklists. How can I reach out to you ?

[@flythething193]

Sure, I´ve sent some info if you check your dashboard. Btw, I think I talked to another guy from Luxemburg at ESML (Landskrona) last summer, he had his 600RG there and was also a previous owner of one of the older JMB VL3. Forgot his name, but he´s in the "Easy to land" video when I make thumbs up after full stop. That gesture was because we first made a short flight where I suspected that the governor wasn´t working, and at the 2nd everything seemed ok.

[@egfried]

@@flythething193 I know, I spoke to him about you - but he does not have your contact details saved unfortunately. How can we get in touch ? I don’t see anything on the dashboard

[@flythething193]

@@egfried I replied to one of your videos with Poul, so I thought you would see it if you click the notification bell. Let me know if you can´t find it.

[@egfried]

@@flythething193sorry, I did not see any comment at one of these videoq, no worries, I will ping Poul tomorrow

[@flythething193]

@@egfried I tried again, in one of your older 12 sec Puy, seems like the comment stays. I wrote before at Training part 3, now I see it´s gone, strange. Maybe youtube auto deletes words like gmail etc, still I didn´t write the "at sign". I get emails with the comments to my account that youtube is associated with, so maybe its saved there for you too? Else Poul has my contact info.

[@lukasplsko]

Hi, do you use a GoPro?

[@flythething193]

Yes, it´s an old Hero 5 Black. Protune is on with ISO set to 1200, but the other models don´t have that value. At dusk/twilight I would set it to 1600. Else it default I think, WB on auto etc. I use no stabilisation btw.

[@lukasplsko]

@@flythething193 very interesting. That means you have got the 4:3 sensor right? I am blown away how much it captures. I thought it is the new 8:7 sensor from the new models and wanted to see how it would look before I try it this weekend in Dynamic.

[@flythething193]

​@@lukasplsko I wasn´t aware of that, but seems you are correct. "The new Hero12 Black and Hero11 (Black and Mini) have a 1/1.9″ image sensor and an f/2.5. The aspect ratio also changed from 4:3 to 8:7. This gives a 13% taller field of view." storytellertech.com/gopro-sensor-size/ Yes, the Hero 5 is still very good, at least in 2k, which I started to use since HD1080 without Protune activated (used it out of the box first year) lost too much detail as youtube processed it. GoPro Colors are ON but they have a less intense flair to them compared to for exemple Hero 7. 5 was their first model with built in stabilisation, it works ok but became much better already in 6. I think every GoPro model loses 10% in width with it ON, but I´m not sure since later models seems to have it activated default, with an option to add another level of it.

[@lukasplsko]

@@flythething193 yes indeed. If you are interested I can upload the video for comparison after my flight. And are you getting good recording times with the batteries?

[@flythething193]

​@@lukasplsko Please do! Yes, I bought a new battery last autumn and it seems to work great. Made a mistake with the original two, I had them in a battery charger all the time, even after the indicator went to green, so that must have shortened their life. Had to throw one away, and the other gave maximum 30-40 min last year I used it.