Hi Robin

I am glad to hear that you are getting use to the 801. 

One thing I would like to emphasize again is the value of a little power when landing. Whenever I have non-pilot passengers I essentially fly right down to the runway for a very smooth landing. And as soon as the mains make contact pull back the stick all the way. Doing this I can very easily do a "wheely" all the way down the runway (by fine adjustment of the stick position and power) -- and then very gently drop the nosewheel.  Also, for better runway visibility during touchdown, I like to have 5-10% flaps.

Regardless of what some veteran pilots might tell you, there is really no good reason to reduce to idle upon landing.  If an engine is going to quit, reducing the power to idle in the pattern is usually an invitation to do so -- probably due to carb icing.

However, I frequently practice no power (idle) landings when alone or with pilot friends to remain proficient in case of a rare event of engine failure.

It actually took me more than 100 hours in my 801 before I could make satisfactory landings at idle -- but I am a slow learner.

Larry L

HI robin,

noticed you are in Kenya, as i am. i am just preparing to ship my 85 percent complete 801 here from the US,  would love to chat about your plane some time.  my kit is set up with the Walter LOM  m337ak  engine.. not sure if you are familiar with it, but as it can run on 87 octane and give me 210 hp i figrued it would be great for our altitude here.  let me know if you are free to chat some time and if i could pop in and see you plane.   0770696803   i am based in the Mara.   cheers  josh

Hi Robin;
I now have over 550 hrs on my 801.
To answer your question about cruise speed, I can do about 90 knots indicated (105mph) at 2400 to 2500 rpm (at 3000-4000 ft msl) with my Lycoming O-360. This speed is in line with Zenith's published figure.
Your slower indicated speed might be a result of the location of your static port. Mine are on both sides of the fuselage about halfway between the wing and elevator. My speed agrees with a GPS ground speed in a no-wind situation.
As far as the flaps are concerned, I rarely use them as my home airport has a 4000 ft paved runway. I will use about 50% flaps if I have to get into a short (1000 ft) runway with obstructions. Based on my own experience, I suggest you fly your 801 for many more hours before you use much more than 5-10 deg of flaps. It is particularly important to practice both power on and power off (idle) landings until you are very familiar with the behavior of your aircraft. If you can land consistently without the nosewheel "slamming" down, than you may be ready to start landing practice with flaps. Full flap landings must either have an extremely steep approach and/or some power in order to land smoothly. My approach speed on final is generally about 55-60 knots.
I have all four of my tanks plumbed separately, with an Andair 5-position valve. Running the tanks low providing that you have sufficient altitude is not a concern, I have run a tank dry three times and it is pretty much a non-event. The engine sputters, prop slows, the nose drops --- but simply switch tanks and you are flying again with very little altitude loss.

Boy do I understand the two step forward and one step back scenario, been there for the last 10 years, finally cracked the ceiling and finished. You will get there just keep up the great work.

Robin, hope progress is a good to you as it has been lately for me, Finally finished on Friday the 28th so now we will be on to flight testing, looking forward to hearing that you are doing the same. Have some photos available on my page.

Flying the 801 is too easy. I recall on my first test flight, I said to myself, "I built this what does that mean?" Then I just pretended it was another Cessna. I love doing take offs, I pull back around 30-40mph and climb out at 55mph. In the air very stable, especially in steep turns. Landings, well it is not like my 601, which gives me 3-5 flare options. The 801 gives me about 1.5 flare, so I come in with a little power to slow descend and soften the landing. My 801 tends to be nose heavy in landing, the power on landings help, like some old pipers. That is my simple process, I am sure others can give you some great information. Have fun!

In checking the site I came up with a few more for you some in your area,Philip Cronje in south africa has done a lot of bush flying and would be a great resource for you with experience in your type of flying environment, also Jonathan Portor from Gahanam Michael Dawson a missionary in Venezuela, Gary Liming from st. louis, Mo. Caleb gebhart from the factory as well as Sebastian Heintz from the factory. This should provide a wide and varied field of experience in the 801 for you to work from.

At this time the fellows that I know who have considerable time flying the 801 are Ben Haas and Larry landucci, you might also add Roger Daubert, and Matthieu Heintz to that list. If you check the 801 members list you will also find others that have a fair amount of stick time in the 801 as well as would be a great source of information. Hope this is helpful.

Dear Robin, Hope the bush wasn't too thick and you didn't have to hack you way back to civilization. Ha! ;) Anyway glad to hear you have a working airplane and yes we all would like to see photos of it as well as your area, many of us will never get the opportunity to see much less go into the bush so we are interested. As far as a factory contact, they are always happy to answer any questions, you can always send them an e-mail or call if it is really important. Keep in mind also that here on this site you have access to a world of knowledge about the 801 from those of us who have built our own so please feel free to ask any of us questions, I am sure you will get answers. Look forward to hearing from you sooon.