Five Years With Melmoth 2

Peter Garrison

Sunday, May 25, 2008 at 08:00 AM ET

Verified

Key Takeaways:

The author's homebuilt "Melmoth 2" aircraft has been continuously refined over five years of flight, with numerous modifications adding weight, improving performance, and addressing design challenges.
Aerodynamic improvements were gained from unexpected sources, such as nosewheel doors reducing total drag by nearly 10%, while other changes like wingtips addressed handling characteristics.
Extensive work was required to resolve persistent engine cooling issues, including uneven cylinder temperatures, fuel boiling, and maintaining optimal operating temperatures across varying flight conditions.
Future plans include further aerodynamic refinements and the completion of complex systems, such as the hydraulically actuated Fowler flaps, reflecting the author's intricate design philosophy.

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Last Halloween my homebuilt, Melmoth 2, celebrated its fifth birthday-if age be counted not from conception (in which case it would not be five but 26) but from first flight, and if being an inanimate object parked in a hangar be called celebrating.

_Melmoth_2 was not really finished in 2002, but what original-design homebuilt ever is? It was ready to fly. I have continued to work on it since then at a rate of 10 hours or so a week. I’ve made many changes, added a lot of weight-185 pounds and counting-and somewhat improved its performance. But there’s still plenty to do.