The start of this project was in 2002 :

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workshop.....outside.......

1st July 02 Olli writes : Now we are now in our summer and its +24 C; last night I flew to Halli at 22:14 and the sun was still shining. These pictures were taken on 28.5.02, the man in the pictures is Rauno Pylväläinen.

Exhaust Collector ring ... ... ... ... ...

Olli continues... (about the collector ring):Each cylinder has it's own stack and the connector ring is also divided for each cylinder. The material is very thin, 0,9 mm if I remember correctly, so it won't cause too much strain on cylinders.

The size of the pipe is a bit excessive but Rauno was trying to get the looks of the Siemens Halske's collector ring.

This same material has held on very nicely on the Finnish Air Force Vinka's: most of them have flown over 4000 hours within 20 years and the original pipes still hold on.

Next winter we plan to get the wings and tail done and perhaps it will fly next summer?!

......................... Keep going as there are more pictures following ....

R2800 powers up! now read the comments ... ....

About the First Start Olli writes 17th August 2003:
Dear Paul, It was really really great to get the engine running!

We pre oiled as you said and on second 10 sec run the oil light went out. So as the tank is close and the pipes are short, there we no problem to get the juice flowing.

It is amazing how smooth it is. I have a Lyc 320 on my RV-6 and it shakes and vibrates all over even though it is a smooth Lycoming.

Your engine does not generate any noticable vibrations on Tiira even though it weights now only about 280 kg without the wings.

After a good warm up we took it to full throttle and at 3600 rpm it pulls 144 kp! We are not sure, if we need wings at all to get it flying!?

We have the tail on next week and I will send you some pictures.

Then we will be busy to build the wings (just to be on safe side for the first flight...).....

Best Regards,

Olli

20th August 2003 Olli Writes:

On 1424 is builder Rauno Pylväläinen interviewed by local newspaper. There were 3 of them coming to hear Rotec's sound!

29th August 2003: Hello again!

One more check: is 3500 rpm good figure for the engine at 15C temp?

There is 200 rpm to go abd induction and exhaust seems to work ok at that rpm. -And it runs so smooth!

Olli

31st August 2003 Olli Writes:

We warmed the oil to 50 C ore when the meter starts to move (at about 50 C) before getting full power.

I was just thinking thatis our exhaust limiting the power to 3500 rpm or is the prop limiting it at 3500 rpm. If it is the prop, then it should be just right for Tiira: once flying or taking of, there is still 200 rpm to go beforeredline and we get full power at takeoff. -Sure it should not be needed as it probably takes of at 50% power!

Internal macinery was really neat as you can guess when seeing the outside of the engine!

Have you measured a prop load power curve showg the hp at different rpm values?

Best regards,

Olli

31st August 2003 Olli Writes:

"I think that once people see them they just have to get one! There has been tens of people here coming just to see it when the word spreads that there is a neat radial engine here!"

(picture of a delighted owner as the R2800 proves once more to be beyond and above expectation)

 

1st February 2004 Olli Writes:

Here is pictures of the right wing installation today and as you can see in backround, also the second is on good shape.

It is as big as Cessna 180 so there is lots of wing. Weight was about 45 kg with fuel tank so it seems that we will meet also the weight target easily. ...

Regards Olli

Rotec comment: Looks absolutely fabulous...
....click on the thumbnail to view full size.

20th Feb 2004:... Tiira has now both wings on

Best regards,

Olli Puttonen

July 2004 - about ready to fly ... ...

1st August 2004 Olli Writes:

..Hello Jim! Here is some pictures from the airfield today! There is only radio installation and official flight permit holding - and sure it should be a calm day or night for the first flight. It will likely take about 1-2 weeks to get the permit and weather ok!

Now there was a 10 kts wind and it did not flip it over yet so there is a good chance to get Tiira airborne!

Rauno is the gentleman on the picture.

Best Regards, Olli.

... ... Flight Pics >>

First Flight: Click on the thumbnail to view full size...

15 August 2004:

Tiira flew today for the first time. It was a cool morning (+6C at 5 am).

On first flight Rauno Pylväläinen was on the front seat and pilot Jyrki Laukkanen on rear. We have a 2600 x 60 meters runway so there was plenty of space.

Tiira was accelerated to 70 km/h and it climbs at 2 m/s and 3600 rpm on engine. Maximum speed (indicated) was about 150 km/h and stall at about 60 km/h.

We had adjusted idle quite low and when testing low speed stall the engine stopped at 500 meters height. It did not start first but when choke was on it started and run ok. There seems to be no windmilling with reduction gear!

On second flight I was on the front seat and we had a nice flight.

Handling seems to be good it flies like it looks!

And the sound is also as it should!

Best Regards - Olli and Rauno

More flight (air to air pics) and comments ...

5th Sept 2004: 3rd Flight of 43 minutes went fine and we got some air to air photos from a C-150!

We will adjust stabilizer a bit more to get it stall.

Best Regards, Olli Puttonen

... ... .. Its always great to see another craft in flight!

End of September ... its cold and winter is etting in so the next pics will be in Finlands Spring!

The following information was provided by Olli & Rauno with thanks from us:

About the original TIIRA- project:

Name means tern, a small bird that flies really long distances. Actually I remember a news about a Finnish (or marked here) tern, that fly all the way to Australia but he/she was probably lost!

This aircraft was designed by Atle Blomkvist back in 1928-29.

He and Niilo and Valto Karhumäki and Eemil Kankaanpää formed a club and built the first aircraft in about six months: the first flight was on 11.7.1929 on floats.

The 50 hp Anzani 2-row 3 cylinder on each row radial engine was supposed to be a 60 hp engine and as you can guess, it was under powered. It was a single seater on floats but on skis you could take a passenger.

It flew about 200 h on 500 flights and at that time the engine was getting sick; they got a DH Moth and the Tiira was taken into storage and never flew again. There was a fire in that storage in 1945 and it was completely vanished. The depression and WW 2 were also a big thing here during that time.

Tiira was also the first amateur built aircraft registered in Finland.

We started the project (officially Rauno Pylväläinen is the builder and I am the supervisor of the project) when Rauno got his previous aircraft, a K-7 glider, overhauled.

I have built a Van's RV-6 and wanted to built a radial engine aircraft and then we typed "radial engine + aircraft" to Alta Vista and rest is history.

Anzani weighted 75 kg and I was really worried when we learner that R2800 weight 110 kg with all the goodies. We have now weighted the fuselage and there is no problem with the CG even thoug we had to place the enginee 100 mm more forward than the original to get the air cleaner installed.

Best Regards,

Olli Puttonen

email: olli.puttonen@sci.fi

email: Olli.Puttonen@patria.fi