This morning was absolutely perfect, with cool, calm and sunny conditions prompting me to pack the recently refurbished Radjet. Having previously established it was flying stably, before it ploughed into the paddocks on its next ill-fated flight, I was looking forward to having an enjoyable flight with it.
Despite it's now very battered appearance, the little propjet flew beautifully - as stable as you could wish but still very manoeuvrable. I'm still adjusting to the "bank and yank controls", sometimes finding myself wondering why it isn't turning after I've put it into a bank. However it flies so well now that small pilot delays are accommodated without disaster. Orientation miscues, like looping down instead of pulling up, are likewise rectified by the quick responses of its aerobatic nature.
The last surprise is how well it now glides. Coming into land with power off and full elevator, it floats along as if it were a glider and lands with as much elegance as you could expect from anything.
I'm still a long way from mastering this little firebrand simply because it's so much faster than anything else I've flown and I need time to adjust - the flight this morning was at no more than half throttle. I've also experienced some difficulties in picking orientation which is a little worrisome, although I think it's mainly as it's been getting a bit too far away ("why isn't it turning?").
So I'm looking forward to exploring it's capabilities of the Radjet, hopefully without further damage. And, when the nerves are a bit shot from high-speed manoeuvres, there's always the dependable Walrus to take for a relaxing fly...
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