There are a whole bunch of things I have found out about the CC11 over the past year (150 hours) many of which would have been useful to know earlier so I thought i'd gather them into one post.
Things from the Forum that aren't in the manual:
- The pressure for 8.5 tyres should be 12-18 psi. I was running 4psi for a long time some time before I found this out. It's much more bouncy but I ran the risk of shearing off the valves which would be very bad.
- I needed a Vernatherm to get the oil temperature up to recommended 175F. Blanking off the oil cooler is unsatisfactory as it's very hard to get at (my arms are too big to get the tape in there) and did not work for me as I was not aggressive enough to cover more than half.
- Remove the pressure bypass valve when the Vernatherm is fitted
- Have the oil filter installed rather than the rock catcher to extend oil change intervals
- A Lithium Iron battery is essential for reliable starts if you don't have the latest CC with the larger battery
- There's really good info about doing X-Wind wheel landings that is working for me
- Use Camguard in the oil after break-in
Things I've learnt:
- Cruising is much more comfortable at 100-200 rpm less than max continuous rpm. The speed sacrifice is trivial and is more than compensated by the lower fuel burn.
- Unlike every other plane I have flown full power for take off and climb is not always necessary. You can play with the power settings a whole lot more than with most airplanes and make for a much more comfortable and controlled ride
- Ballast in the back is very helpful as the tail is very light. I have a 20 litre (5 gallon) plastic water container I strap down in the back when there is no passenger.
- Pay full attention on landing every time - particularly on cambered strips as it wants to run off and into the fence
- If you can spend the time go to the workshop with the plane and help out (remove cowls etc). You can save a lot of grief by making sure things are done right and cost if you know how many hours were actually spent
- You can get the oil out for an oil change leaving the lower cowl on by using a plastic hose on the quick release oil drain.
- I'm delighted that I got the extended baggage compartment. It makes carrying stuff like camping equipment and the like a breeze.
- The Taildragger Dragger is not really very good (mine is for sale). The tail wheel tends to fall off if you turn and any kind of slope is a problem. I've had a custom made handle made which clamps over the tail wheel bolts and solves all these problems
- You need a cover that covers all the holes in the front cowls or bungs otherwise the birds get in.
YMMV (your mileage may vary)