Glad the problem wasn't serious Ed.
    Good judgement call. If in doubt, get on the ground, especially if you
are sitting right over an airport! I only hope all of us can be so lucky
both in the severity of the problem and he location of the nearest airport.
Mike C.
----- Original Message -----
From: "Ed Anderson" <eanderson@carolina.rr.com>
To: "Rotary motors in aircraft" <flyrotary@lancaironline.net>
Sent: Monday, October 20, 2003 9:45 PM
Subject: [FlyRotary] Sigh! Another engine out Glide!


> I truly appreciate all the supporting e mails consoling me about no longer
> being on the rotaryeng list, don't know what I would have done without it
> {:>).  Actually, I was so concerned I went flying today, beautiful day
with
> clear skies and moderate temperatures.  Also wanted to check out that the
> gearbox Tracy had shipped back was properly installed with no oil leaks,
> etc., before I flew down to Shady Bend this coming weekend.
>
> This was the first flight since Tracy fixed the gear box that my flaking
> nickel plating almost did in.  I had been thinking had I gotten airborne
and
> had that gearbox seize up - it would not have been nice.  So as you might
> imagine I was keenly attuned to anything unusual as I took off on this
first
> flight after reinstalling the gearbox. Also wanted to check that my 33%
> decrease in radiator duct inlet area was still cooling adequately.
>
> After flying approx 20 minutes I was turning over a small airport to head
> back home and check under the cowl to make certain no oil leaks, when
> suddenly there was a terrific racket and a
> vibration through the airframe.  I hastily scanned all my engine
> instruments - fuel pressure OK, Water oil temps OK, oil pressure OK, -
wait,
> was it  fluctuating a bit?.  The engine was still turning, but for how
long?
> Was there more nickel plating in some place I had failed to notice, was
the
> gear box seizing, was the engine fixing to seize.  Those and more thoughts
> took about 9/10ths of a second to race through my head (well, maybe a bit
> longer).
>
> My incisive conclusion was that "something" was wrong with the engine
and/or
> gearbox.   Since the only thing I had recently messed with was the gearbox
> and the oil supply they were the prime suspects - I had images of the
engine
> seizing (yeah I know the oil pressure said OK, but it appeared to be
> fluctuating a bit - you have to be there) and possibly throwing a prop.
> Also if an oil problem,  I really didn't want to fry the bearings of the
> engine.
>
> Releasing my grip on the seat cushion, I leaned over and flicked off the
> fuel injectors.  Well that did stop the noise and vibration, as well as
the
> prop which slowed down and stopped - no surprise there!  I've see that
> before!  Altitude was 4000 MSL.  Only the "whoosh" of air over the canopy
> and the zzzzzz of the fuel pump which I decided to leave on should I
decide
> to relight the fire.  So I raised the nose for best glide speed and
started
> down for the airport.  Hey, this is the second time and this time I even
> managed to get off a few radio calls to the airport Unicom.  Just advised
> them of some engine difficulties and that I would be ahem....making a
> "precautionary" landing on 17 in a few minutes {:>).
>
> Once again, I confirmed that best glide was 87 MPH which gave me 650-750
fpm
> rate of descent in my RV-6A.  Came over the down wind end (at least that
was
> different than the first time), checked my altimeter and confirmed what my
> eyeball said.  Dumped full flaps as I do come in a bit on the high side
> normally (and especially when the fan is stopped), did some slipping and
"S"
> turns to bleed off altitude and made a nice landing and rolled off the
> runway at the first taxi way.  A group of the local airport crowd came up
> and pulled me back to the FBO area.
>
> Well, to make a long story shorter, nothing wrong with the engine or gear
> box.  My *&#^% pilot side muffler pipe (I have one on each side
underneath)
> had backed out of its header tube and the terrific noise I heard was
simply
> 120 DB exhaust right under my feet.  Can actually feel the exhaust impulse
> on the floor board which accounted for the vibration I had felt.
>
>  But, I was so attuned to a gearbox/engine scenario that it never occurred
> to me that it was simple the exhaust - so again a bit embarrassing, but
not
> as much as the failure to switch fuel tanks that first time.  Besides, I
> don't think I really wanted that hot exhaust blowing straight out of the
> header back on that thin aluminum bottom.
>
> So, found out that a pin that I use to keep the two tubes together had
> apparently failed and the clamp itself couldn't hold the tubes together.
The
> FBO was serving free hamburgers, so enjoy meeting another group of hangar
> bums and had a great lunch.  Fixed the exhaust and had an uneventful
flight
> home.
>
> So my "glider" time is now up to about 15 minutes and it was a bit less
> thrilling (if you believe that {:>)) than the first time over broken
> overcast.
>
> Like I say, if its going to happen - it WILL happen to me - well, I
admit -
> I did intentionally shut off the engine this time to preclude damage and
to
> keep it ready should I find my gliding eyeball was inaccurate and needed a
> power boost toward the end of the glide.
>
> Just another day of adventure in rotary land with Ed Anderson.
>
> Ed Anderson
> RV-6A N494BW Rotary Powered
> Matthews, NC
> eanderson@carolina.rr.com
>
>
>
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