From: "Steve Brooks" <steve@tsisp.com>
To: "'Rotary motors in aircraft'" <flyrotary@lancaironline.net>
Subject: RE: [FlyRotary] Sigh!  Another engine out Glide!
Date: Tue, 21 Oct 2003 07:44:17 -0400
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Ed,
A very well written account.  I'm sure that you probably used up a few =
weeks
supply of adrenalin when that happened.
By the way, I fired up my engine last weekend.  I was thrilled that it
started after only 3-4 seconds of cranking.

I'm a long ways from flying yet, but at least I'm a step closer.  Thanks =
for
all of your help.

Steve Brooks
Cozy MKIV CH 23&24=20
13BT rotary=20


-----Original Message-----
From: Rotary motors in aircraft [mailto:flyrotary@lancaironline.net] On
Behalf Of Ed Anderson
Sent: Monday, October 20, 2003 10:46 PM
To: Rotary motors in aircraft

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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