Return-Path: Sender: (Marvin Kaye) To: lml Date: Sun, 02 Feb 2003 21:41:58 -0500 Message-ID: X-Original-Return-Path: Received: from tomts22-srv.bellnexxia.net ([209.226.175.184] verified) by logan.com (CommuniGate Pro SMTP 4.0.5) with ESMTP id 2007284 for lml@lancaironline.net; Sun, 02 Feb 2003 20:51:36 -0500 Received: from a ([67.69.52.141]) by tomts22-srv.bellnexxia.net (InterMail vM.5.01.04.19 201-253-122-122-119-20020516) with SMTP id <20030203015134.ZQZK7091.tomts22-srv.bellnexxia.net@a> for ; Sun, 2 Feb 2003 20:51:34 -0500 X-Original-Message-ID: <007f01c2cb27$8693ee40$8d344543@a> From: "Ian B. Crowe" X-Original-To: "Lancair Mailing List" Subject: LNC2 Hydraulic system/flight notes. X-Original-Date: Sun, 2 Feb 2003 20:56:53 -0500 Organization: Corvi Trade Consultants Inc MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: multipart/alternative; boundary="----=_NextPart_000_007C_01C2CAFD.9D69F9E0" X-Priority: 3 X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express 6.00.2600.0000 X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V6.00.2600.0000 This is a multi-part message in MIME format. ------=_NextPart_000_007C_01C2CAFD.9D69F9E0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="Windows-1252" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable In the continuing saga of the baffling events taking place in my = hydraulic system here is what I think is a LuLu. Went to the hangar today to change out a fitting on the up side hose of = the nose gear cylinder. The down side pressure gauge showed a pressure = of 700psi. Upside zero. Opened the emergency extension cock and the = pressure vented from the low side apparently into the high side until = the pressures balanced at approximately 200psi. At this point nothing = further happened even with the cock open and in order to get rid of the = pressure I had to crack open a union nut on one side of the cock to vent = the pressure down to zero. This is not the first time this has happened = to me. I will put the plane up on the jacks tomorrow to test the free fall, = which has always worked. But it begs the question as to what might = happen if you selected gear down and it failed to operate. If you then = opened the emergency extension cock and all that happened was that the = pressures equalised then you would really be up the creek. I will = include a 9/16 wrench as an essential cockpit tool until I understand = what is going on. Any wise men got any ideas as to why the pressure will not bleed to = zero. Is it the fact that the gear is already down and locked? There = must be some valve somewhere preventing the freeflow of the pressure to = atmospheric pressure. On Friday I flew the aircraft on a long series of touch and gos and = upper air work.. Whoopee! I love it. It handles as if it is on rails = in steep turns. 60 degree turns are easy with your feet on the floor and = little or no back pressure, depending on the speed. Power off stalls = are a total non event clean or dirty, enough warning and no wing drop, = relax the pressure and it is flying again. Even in a 45degree turn at = 85K no problem. The stall speed at 1900lb IAS is clean 65K and dirty = 60K. . This at least gives us some target for our landing speeds. At = 1900lb we are using 80K over the fence which is 1.3 x V/s. Clean there is a robust buffet and dirty it is not so pronounced. Landings are not difficult after practicing flying down the runway at 5 = to 10 feet. It is very tender in pitch and the first landing or two = were a little interesting. 15" MP give me a smooth final down to the = touchdown point with a gradual reduction to idle once over the runway = and a hold off to match the power reduction. Anticipating the pitch = over onto the nose wheel is harder but once I got the hang of it I can = hold the nose wheel off longer. The trailing link gear with Ong's = debongers make an average landing smooth. Worth every dollar I paid for = them The one thing I find more difficult is the tendency of the aircraft to = head left on both take off and landing, it seems to need good solid = applications of right boot and even a little brake to keep it on the = centre line. Overshoots, even with 40 degrees of flap initially, go well with 200 hp = dragging it. Once cleaned up you had better get the gear up before you = are through the gear speed. It is not hard to get behind this machine. I do not know what I thought I was getting when I bought the kit but I = can see that this is going to be a lot more fun than anything I have = ever flown before. My check and test pilot who has instructed on jets in the Canadian = Airforce drools every time he gets in the plane. He flies it a little = differently than I do, as you might imagine, but to say the least of it = is exhilarating with him doing the flying. I still have to be signed of and get my high performance rating endorsed = on my licence but that should be fairly smooth sailng from here. I am = very encouraged by the relative ease with which I have started to master = this aircraft. It is over 30 years since I last regularly flew = reasonably sophisticated aircraft and I wondered how well I would do. = As you get older your level of confidence changes!! I hope I do not start the stall controversy again but slow flight at = just above the point of stall tells you a lot about the way your plane = will handle and it is our experience that you would have to really work = to make this particular aircraft quit flying on you. Also having done = the stalls you at least know the best and the worst that can or will = happen to you. Maybe the quick build kit with its factory installed = fastener locations for the main spar assures the essential symetrical = geometry which helps to keep the the beast level at the stall. I hope that I do not get jumped upon by my more professional brethren, = but I would like to hear if anyone sees anything downright dangerous in = what I have said. I would not wish to misinform others. Please go easy = guys, I am all wound up over this machine!!! Regards Ian Crowe ------=_NextPart_000_007C_01C2CAFD.9D69F9E0 Content-Type: text/html; charset="Windows-1252" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable
In the continuing saga of the baffling events taking = place in=20 my hydraulic system here is what I think is a LuLu.
 
Went to the hangar today to change out a fitting on = the up=20 side hose of the nose gear cylinder. The down side pressure gauge showed = a=20 pressure of 700psi.  Upside zero.  Opened the emergency = extension cock=20 and the pressure vented from the low side apparently into the high side = until=20 the pressures balanced at approximately 200psi.  At this point = nothing=20 further happened even with the cock open and in order to get rid of the = pressure=20 I had to crack open a union nut on one side of the cock to vent the = pressure=20 down to zero.  This is not the first time this has happened to=20 me.
 
I will put the plane up on the jacks tomorrow to = test the free=20 fall, which has always worked.  But it begs the question as to what = might=20 happen if you selected gear down and it failed to operate.  If you = then=20 opened the emergency extension cock and all that happened was that = the=20 pressures equalised then you would really be up the creek. I will = include a 9/16=20 wrench as an essential cockpit tool until I understand what is going=20 on.
 
Any wise men got any ideas as to why the pressure = will not=20 bleed to zero.  Is it the fact that the gear is already down and=20 locked?  There must be some valve somewhere preventing the freeflow = of the=20 pressure to atmospheric pressure.
 
On Friday I flew the aircraft on a long series of = touch and=20 gos and upper air work..  Whoopee!  I love it.  It = handles as if=20 it is on rails in steep turns. 60 degree turns are easy with your = feet on=20 the floor and little or no back pressure, depending on the speed.  = Power=20 off stalls are a total non event clean or dirty, enough warning and no = wing=20 drop, relax the pressure and it is flying again.  Even in a = 45degree turn=20 at 85K no problem.  The stall speed at 1900lb IAS is clean 65K and = dirty=20 60K.  .  This at least gives us some target for our landing=20 speeds.  At 1900lb we are using 80K over the fence which is 1.3 x=20 V/s.
 
Clean there is a robust buffet and dirty it is not = so=20 pronounced.
 
Landings are not difficult after practicing  = flying down=20 the runway at 5 to 10 feet.  It is very tender in pitch and the = first=20 landing or two were a little interesting. 15" MP give me a smooth final = down to=20 the touchdown point  with a gradual reduction to idle once over the = runway=20 and a hold off to match the power reduction.  Anticipating the = pitch over=20 onto the nose wheel is harder but once I got the hang of it I can hold = the nose=20 wheel off longer.  The trailing link gear with Ong's debongers make = an=20 average landing smooth. Worth every dollar I paid for them
 
The one thing I find more difficult is the tendency = of the=20 aircraft to head left on both take off and landing, it seems to need = good solid=20 applications of right boot and even a little brake to keep it on the = centre=20 line.
 
Overshoots, even with 40 degrees of flap=20 initially, go well with 200 hp dragging it.  Once cleaned up = you had=20 better get the gear up before you are through the gear speed. It is not = hard to=20 get behind this machine.
 
I do not know what I thought I was getting when I = bought the=20 kit but I can see that this is going to be a lot more fun than anything = I have=20 ever flown before.
 
My check and test pilot who has instructed on jets = in the=20 Canadian Airforce drools every time he gets in the plane.  He flies = it a=20 little differently than I do, as you might imagine, but to say the = least of=20 it is exhilarating with him doing the flying.
 
I still have to be signed of and get my high = performance=20 rating endorsed on my licence but that should be fairly smooth sailng = from=20 here.  I am very encouraged by the relative ease with which I have = started=20 to master this aircraft.  It is over 30 years since I last = regularly flew=20 reasonably sophisticated aircraft and I wondered how well I would = do.  As=20 you get older your level of confidence changes!!
 
I hope I do not start the stall controversy again = but slow=20 flight at just above the point of stall tells you a lot about the way = your plane=20 will handle and it is our experience that you would have to really work = to make=20 this particular aircraft quit flying on you.  Also having done the = stalls=20 you at least know the best and the worst that can or will happen to = you. =20 Maybe the quick build kit with its factory installed fastener locations = for the=20 main spar assures the essential symetrical geometry which helps to keep = the the=20 beast level at the stall.
 
I hope that I do not get jumped upon by my more = professional=20 brethren, but I would like to hear if anyone sees anything downright = dangerous=20 in what I have said.  I would not wish to misinform others.  = Please go=20 easy guys,  I am all wound up over this machine!!!
 
Regards
 
Ian Crowe
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