Kelly,
I’ve been working on finishing all
the other stuff and haven’t done any more ground runs lately. I’m
still at about 10 hours on the Hobbs with no leaks.
Mark
From: Rotary motors in
aircraft [mailto:flyrotary@lancaironline.net] On
Behalf Of Kelly Troyer
Sent: Sunday, February 19, 2006
12:44 PM
To: Rotary motors in aircraft
Subject: [FlyRotary] Another
rotary failure
So relieved that the failure was benign enough to
allow you to pick where
and how to land.........Like all of the "Rotorheads"
I will be waiting to hear the
cause of compression loss........Along the same line I and others will
be
interested in how the "TES" O-rings in your rotor side
oil seals were holding
out.........You and Mark Steitle are the only ones currently using them
in
your engines rotors (that I am aware of) and Mark has only
ground run time
on his 20B.........How many hours do you have on them now ?
--
Kelly Troyer
Dyke Delta/13B/RD1C/EC2
----- Original Message -----
Sent: Sunday, February
12, 2006 12:26 AM
Subject: [FlyRotary]
Another rotary failure
Sorry I didn't make to Bill Eslick's for the Rotorfest, I
missed by about one hour. About 30 miles north of San Angelo TX
the RPM suddenly dropped and I could not restore it with any of my emergency
procedures. GPS told me nearest airport was Robert Lee about 15 miles away. I
headed there and landed without incident.
Turning the prop by hand shows almost zero compression in
one rotor, indicating bad/broken apex seals, quite similar to my engine-out
experience 2 1/2 years ago which caused a forced landing near the Grand Canyon. This time the vibration was not quite as
bad, and the RPM dropped to around 4300 which was still not enough to maintain
altitude. I called my friend with a Glasair and he cam got me and took me
home. I will have to find some time to build another motor and drive 12 hours
back there and swap motors. Or I might drive there, remove the wings and
trailer it back, have not decided yet.
My good friend/mentor/flight instructor is trying to talk me
into going back to a Lycosaurus, and I have to think of some good reasons not
to. Until I get the motor back and torn apart, I wont know what caused the
failure, but I will post anything that I find.