Falco Builders Letter

Falco Builders Letter A Visit with Frati If anybody ever suggests you go visit Frati “in Milan,” as Alfred Scott did when he heard I was going to be in Italy writing about the Piaggio Avanti turboprop, here’s my suggestion: get Alfred to pay the cabfare. If you can’t do that, buy a car. A small Fiat will do, and it’ll prob- ably be cheaper than a cab. I leapt off the train from Genoa at Milan’s central station and plunged straight into a waiting taxi. “Via Trieste Vente-Quat- tro,” I said in my best non-Italian, and about $15 later, that’s exactly where he took me—24 Via Trieste. Quiet urban residential street... relatively upscale... odd place for an airplane factory.... Actually, there was no number 24. We found a phone booth, and my cabbie Jim and Gail Martin's Falco is the 17th Sequoia Falco to fly. was nice enough to tackle the Italian telephone system on my behalf. He First Flight: Around the Falco called Frati’s number, and I knew I was in trouble when I saw him perform the Jim and Gail Martin Patch classic application of heel of hand smartly Jim and Gail Martin’s Falco flew for Luciano Nustrini came to Oshkosh as to forehead, as though trying to jar loose a the first time on August 13th in But- planned, but not via Europe as he had subdural hematoma: the Via Trieste that ler, Pennsylvania, making it the 17th intended. There was a change in plans, I wanted, it turned out—a street that ap- Sequoia Falco to fly. Doing the honors and he booked a flight to Los Angeles and parently is the Italian equivalent of “Oak was Robert Bassinger, a local instructor hoped to catch a flight to Oshkosh. Karl Lane” or “River Avenue,” with at least with lots of time in the CAP-10. The Hansen was going to come to Oshkosh in one in each town—was in Pioltello, not first flight lasted for about 45 minutes, his Falco and Shirley was coming along Milan. I had done the equivalent of ask- all done with the gear down. With ev- since she didn’t want Karl (three tours ing for an Arlington address in “Dallas,” erything working well, Robert then took in Vietnam!) to go alone. Karl had been or somewhere in Berkeley by requesting Jim up for a short ride. talking about offering Luciano a ride and “San Francisco.” so we arranged this at the last minute. I’m delighted to see builders like Jim Mar- Nustrini changed his flight to San Fran- By the time we got there, the driver was tin, Pawel Kwiecinski, Neville Langrick, cisco, Karl picked him up and on Saturday steaming, the taximeter was smoking, and Richard Brown getting someone with morning they departed for Oshkosh. and the total looked roughly like a loran lat/long readout. (Don’t ask about the more experience to do the first flight. It Please Turn to Page 5 is an act of intelligence for a decision too trip back: I had to pay for the cab both often based on emotion. Jim Martin had ways on that one.) done most of his flying in a Skyhawk and In This Issue: was not prepared for the Falco. It didn’t Was it worth it? Absolutely. Stelio Frati was in fine form, his staff seemed hurt Jim’s feelings that Robert Bassinger 8 Construction Notes delighted to devote most of a day to a fell in love with the airplane. Jim says 10 Goings On at Sequoia he is “like a kid with a toy. I can’t get guided tour for me, and his delightful him out of it.” 14 Aftermath: N69WD redhead of an assistant Carla Bielli was 16 Brenda's Corner nice to me even though I got an F in her quiz. Bielli adores the United States, After the initial test flights were finished 16 Sawdust and confirmed that everything was work- has traveled extensively here, and knows ing well, Robert checked Jim out in it. 17 Mailbox more about the country than most of us. Please Turn to Page 2 18 Ferrucio Guaducci Please Turn to Page 3 1 September 1988 those homebuilt Falcos which have had like a seat, so everyone thinks the Falco is Jim and Gail Martin the stall strips just plastered on the front a 4-place airplane. There are no radios in Continued from First Page of the wing have all had admirable stall the plane. That’s something Jim is wait- characteristics. And there is always the ing for later. In the meantime he would “I’m glad he did,” says Jim, who admits desire to paint everything before the first rather cruise along without having to talk that he did not fly it well at first. He flight—everyone wants the stall strips to to anyone. was accustomed to the slower approach be painted as part of the wing. speeds of the Skyhawk, and he initially Jim had previously rebuilt a wrecked let his speeds get too low. Then he would So given the choice of installing a stall Grumman American, and most of his flare too high, as if he was landing in the strip, painting the wing and go-fly-it, ver- flying has been in humbler fowl than the Skyhawk. And once he managed to stall sus painting the wing and maybe putting Falco, and he is a bit nervous about flying it before flaring. The left wing dropped a stall strip on later, I still say stick’em such a valuable airplane. So he is willing sharply. Fortunately, they were only two on the wing ahead of time. Mr. Frati is to listen to offers for the Falco, though he’s feet off the ground. technically correct, but I’d rather see stall not going to give it away. As I write this, strips that have not been tuned than no they have 12 hours on the plane. Jim says Jim now has learned to fly the plane and stall strips at all—which is the more likely that “Everybody who flies the airplane falls feels comfortable landing the Falco, but outcome. If you are going to fly the plane in love with it.” In the meantime, Jim and it did take a period of adjustment. “I love in primer, then just tape them in place Gail are going to settle down in California, the airplane,” he says. and fiddle with them until you get things get things in order and spend a little time the way they should be. very carefully puttering around in their Jim reports that the Falco indicates about Falco.—Alfred Scott 150 knots at 2,500 to 3,500 feet at 75% In Jim Martin’s case, the left wing stalls power. The Falco has a 160 hp engine first. The first thing he should do is to put with a standard canopy. It weighed in at stall strips on the wing with duct tape and 1,231 lbs empty. see how it flies. If the left wing still drops, then you want to induce the right wing Everything on the Falco has worked well to stall a little earlier, so you would raise from the beginning. The only glitch has the stall strip on the right wing. Then been a minor oil leak. Initially, they test it again. thought it was at the crankshaft oil seal, then in the propeller itself. The lat- Jim Martin bought the Falco plans in est theory is that a loose fitting for the October 1980 and began construction propeller oil pressure line might be the shortly thereafter. He built the plane culprit. Jim has had the prop off three from kits, working on the plane for a times, and this oil leak has been the only while and then pulling off it for a spell. mechanical problem. Jim’s wife, Gail, kept her distance from the airplane, but as it took shape, she sud- Jim said he thought we should install a denly took an interest in it. Since then stall warning system. He said his Falco she has worked side-by-side with Jim on stalls with absolutely no warning and the plane. The “dynamic duo” is what with the left wing first. It turned out that she calls the team. Overseas Falco builders rejoice—Se- he did not have the stall strips installed, quoia Aircraft now has a fax machine. and after reading to him what Mr. Frati They took some time off to build a house— Our fax number is (804) 359-2618. said of anyone who did not have the stall again both of them did it. Finally it was We leave the machine on all the time, strips installed, he said with a touch of time to finish up the plane and like so so you can send a message at any chagrin that he was going to put the strips many before them, the final stages took hour. on right away. longer than expected. Jim had once of- fered the guess that they would be flying Mr. Frati feels that the stall strips should in October of last year, and here they are The Falco Builders Letter is pub- be adjusted to tune the characteristics nearly a year later with the bird in the air. lished 4 times a year by Sequoia Air- before they are permanently installed. craft Corporation, 2000 Tomlynn I have advised many of you to go ahead About time, too, because Jim is retiring Street, Richmond, Virginia 23230.

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