Stolspeed VGs installed on Bearhawk

I put the VGs on my Bearhawk B-model wings minus the 18” extended wingtips. Following your guidance on spacing, installation was a breeze. The weather cooperated for a limited window today and I called my fellow test pilot (Dad) to give her a spin. We tested at 2,250 lbs with a CG slightly forward of center. Woah!

I started with two high-speed taxi runs to make sure there were no major problems and got airborne briefly but then the wings just held on! It floated nose-up high well after it “should” have landed. Power-off stalls were unrecognizable. Instead of a clear stall at 56 mph (flaps up) as per previous tests at this weight/CG, it slowed to 50 and just stayed there, controllably mushing its way to Earth at 1,000 fpm. Flaps 2 of 4 notches went from 53 to 48 with the same controllability increase. Wild!

Full flaps now do nothing to the stall speed. It was minor, and now they are just drag. Power-on, flaps up, the plane now sustains a 33-degree nose-up attitude at full power and 46 mph, climbing at 300 fpm. In all cases, the control stick is fully aft at the stop and the ailerons are effective. Woah.

Many thanks,
Ken in Alaska