X-Virus-Scanned: clean according to Sophos on Logan.com Return-Path: Received: from web30114.mail.mud.yahoo.com ([68.142.201.222] verified) by logan.com (CommuniGate Pro SMTP 5.0.3) with SMTP id 862442 for flyrotary@lancaironline.net; Sat, 03 Dec 2005 22:20:02 -0500 Received-SPF: none receiver=logan.com; client-ip=68.142.201.222; envelope-from=prvt_pilot@yahoo.com Received: (qmail 81356 invoked by uid 60001); 4 Dec 2005 03:19:14 -0000 DomainKey-Signature: a=rsa-sha1; q=dns; c=nofws; s=s1024; d=yahoo.com; h=Message-ID:Received:Date:From:Subject:To:In-Reply-To:MIME-Version:Content-Type:Content-Transfer-Encoding; b=3dRvYkJgm7Ww2cCSv0pKmdOS1vhbAPJaQIHE9t0rEMfN38l4EClsqyZzN1S/nyciTl5fqC6EEhscepdaVy5FGQbwC1aAU2DduG8/4x0LBa9Si4qP1OZGpa0f3JxUjIC0zB/Wdc8ADfARLeNF1cSeiOzhX/3LzZMNrCVkdlc0Xck= ; Message-ID: <20051204031914.81354.qmail@web30114.mail.mud.yahoo.com> Received: from [63.135.33.54] by web30114.mail.mud.yahoo.com via HTTP; Sat, 03 Dec 2005 19:19:14 PST Date: Sat, 3 Dec 2005 19:19:14 -0800 (PST) From: Steve Brooks Subject: Re: [FlyRotary] Re: Intersting flight To: Rotary motors in aircraft In-Reply-To: MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit Buly, I'm using a split master switch (Cessna style), but the right half is the alternator, as in a Piper or Cessna. I've actually given some though of rewiring the alternator, and splitting the two master relays between the 2 switches. The one for the engine systems though will still be a single failure point, So I'm not sure what I'm gaining. I guess if I still had avionics and I/P I'd still have Comm and Nav. Steve --- Bulent Aliev wrote: > Hi Steve, > Glad to hear you are OK. I'm surprised that you have > one master > switch. I have 2 separate switches L battery, R > battery or both. I > have to loose both switches for something like that > to happen. > Keep going. You are almost there. > Buly > On Dec 3, 2005, at 9:28 AM, Steve Brooks wrote: > > > I made it down to South Carolina, to among other > > things, fly the Cozy. It had been 2 months to the > day > > since I had been down, so the remaining 8 hours of > the > > 40 test hours have been slow to come off. > > > > On Thursday I washed about 30 lbs of dust off of > the > > plane (open T hanger) and checked everything out. > I > > did a high speed run down the runway, but didn't > have > > time to get in a flight. > > > > Yesterday I went to the airport after it warmed up > a > > few degrees, and took off. The engine was running > > very strong in the cooler air (54 degrees). I had > > planned to do about a 30 minute flight ad land, > just > > to check everything out, and was was doing turns > and > > just cruising around about 6-7 miles from the > airport > > at about 2900 MSL (2300 AGL). While flying > straight > > and level, I felt a sudden miss in engine. When I > > check the I/P, I also noticed that the digital > gauges, > > fuel and oil, had rebooted. I immediately started > a > > turn toward the airport. > > > > About 15 seconds later, I lost total electric. > The > > I/P went dead, and so did the engine. This isn't > > good, I thought. Actually, it was more like, OH > SH**. > > I took a look at the airport, and I was too far > to > > make it there, so I looked around, and a 4 lane > > highway, which has light traffic appeared to be my > > best option. I had just started turning toward > that > > highway, when the electric power came back, and > the > > engine picked back up. > > > > I immediately started a climb, and headed toward > the > > airport again. I already knew that there was a > plane > > in the pattern doing touch and goes (unicom > field), so > > I called the airport and advised the other > aircraft > > that I had a serious issue, and needed to make a > > straight in landing. > > > > It didn't lose power again, on the trip back to > the > > airport, but that 6-7 miles seemed to take > forever. I > > stayed on the high side on altitude, for obvious > > reasons, and then had to bleed altitude (and > speed) > > while on short final. I came in a little fast, > and > > touched down earlier than normal, but still was on > the > > ground, and very happy. > > > > Since I have two separate electrical systems > (engine > > and everything else), I was really stunned that I > lost > > both like that. After thinking about it for I > while, > > I figured out that the master switch was the only > > common link. I pulled the I/P cover off, and > found > > that the ground connector was pulled off of the > > terminal and just sitting there barely touching > the > > contact. > > The cause of this was the fact that when I did an > > annual on the plane in May, I had added some > addition > > ty-raps to dress up the wiring a little more. In > > doing so, I had stretched the ground wire which > runs > > to the master switch, which energizes the two > master > > relays. > > > > It was an easy fix, but now I have to replenish > the > > adrenalin supply, and figure out how to get the > ridge > > out of the seat cushion. > > > > After some ground testing, I made another flight > > (circling the airport) and everything checked out > OK. > > > > > > I have an emergency bypass switch that will supply > > power to the engine systems from either the > forward or > > aft battery. I didn't think to switch it over, > but I > > really didn't get to the point of doing any > trouble > > shooting, so I'm not sure if I would have thought > of > > that option or not. It was without power for only > > about 20 seconds, but it seemed much longer. I > will > > definitely remember the emergency power switch, > should > > I every have an issue like that again, but I hope > that > > never happens. > > > > This isn't nearly as harrowing as some of the > > experiences that Ed or John have had, but it was > > plenty for me. I don't want any more glider time. > > > > Steve Brooks > > Cozy MKIV > > Turbo rotary > > > > > > -- > > Homepage: http://www.flyrotary.com/ > > Archive and UnSub: > http://mail.lancaironline.net/lists/flyrotary/ > > > -- > Homepage: http://www.flyrotary.com/ > Archive and UnSub: > http://mail.lancaironline.net/lists/flyrotary/ >