Newbie Mike King
Hi all, this is Mike King, I just sent my donation Doug?s direction. I have monitored the forum for a couple years but didn?t feel right posting until I paid my share. This place is such a great knowledge base I decided to right a wrong and sent enough to cover last year and 2014.
I purchased my ?8 out of Florida 6 years ago, it was 90% done and 90% to go. The late John Marshall (Super 8 guru) let me bring it to his shop so I could finish it with his guidance. That was by far the smartest thing I?ve ever done in my 63 years (next to marrying my wife). John passed in December of 2012 just after we had moved the fuselage to KGEZ. I was able to finish the project under the watchful eyes of Larry Anderson, Jeff Hagg, Steve Wood and Jon Hubble. A big thank you also goes to my wonderful wife Lou Ann for supporting me through this time.
While N771ML is not pretty yet, it is nothing but beautiful to fly. Saturday Larry graciously flew the first and second flights and then turned it over to me. I had spent 9 hours training with Jan Bussell in Okeechobee, Florida in his RV6 but was unsure of my solo skills in such a high performance airplane. My first flight was at high noon with the bumps keeping me busy. Makes you wonder why the stick has so much travel when it seems like you don?t move it more than ? inch in any direction. My first landing wasn?t pretty but the plane could be re-used.
I took the plane up for my second flight Sunday morning in smooth air flying laps around the airport at 190-mph grinning from ear to ear, what an incredible machine! This was my first experience with a constant speed prop and it really messes with my head. I?m sure it will all sink in, hopefully sooner than later. The second landing was planned as a wheel landing but when it took a bounce I brought in a little power and eased it back into a less than perfect 3 pointer per Jan Bussell?s teachings minus the slop.
The engine is a ECI Titan IOX-360 with 9-1 pistons built by Bob Barrows in Virginia. Airflow Performance fuel injection, 1 lightspeed electronic ignition and 1 slick mag. Vetterman exhaust. The prop is a Whirlwind 200RV and is super smooth. The EFIS is a Grand Rapids HXr 10.1 with autopilot and I?ll have a tablet in the rear seat communicating to the EFIS via Bluetooth. I am giving serious consideration to having the plane wrapped after visiting with Scott from Aircraft Wraps in Florida last winter. Their planes are nothing less than beautiful.
Thanks to Doug for an awesome site and thanks again to the late John Marshall for making this dream a reality.
Mike King
