X-Virus-Scanned: clean according to Sophos on Logan.com Return-Path: <13brv3@bellsouth.net> Received: from imf24aec.mail.bellsouth.net ([205.152.59.72] verified) by logan.com (CommuniGate Pro SMTP 5.0c1) with ESMTP id 678778 for flyrotary@lancaironline.net; Tue, 23 Aug 2005 09:00:55 -0400 Received-SPF: pass receiver=logan.com; client-ip=205.152.59.72; envelope-from=13brv3@bellsouth.net Received: from ibm70aec.bellsouth.net ([65.6.194.9]) by imf24aec.mail.bellsouth.net with ESMTP id <20050823130010.SVSX13200.imf24aec.mail.bellsouth.net@ibm70aec.bellsouth.net> for ; Tue, 23 Aug 2005 09:00:10 -0400 Received: from rd ([65.6.194.9]) by ibm70aec.bellsouth.net with ESMTP id <20050823130009.JQXS3503.ibm70aec.bellsouth.net@rd> for ; Tue, 23 Aug 2005 09:00:09 -0400 From: "Russell Duffy" <13brv3@bellsouth.net> To: "'Rotary motors in aircraft'" Subject: RE: [FlyRotary] Re: Fire extinguishers Date: Tue, 23 Aug 2005 08:00:09 -0500 Message-ID: <001101c5a7e2$97a5a530$6101a8c0@rd> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: multipart/alternative; boundary="----=_NextPart_000_0012_01C5A7B8.AECF9D30" X-Priority: 3 (Normal) X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook, Build 10.0.6626 X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V6.00.2900.2527 Importance: Normal In-Reply-To: This is a multi-part message in MIME format. ------=_NextPart_000_0012_01C5A7B8.AECF9D30 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Thinking of fire makes me glad I built a pusher. John Hi John, =20 There is certainly some benefit to having the fire behind you, but it's = also been mentioned that you will have less warning. As always, it's a = tradeoff. =20 I have to believe that there are in-flight fire suppression systems that would probably work, but I'm not sure how feasible it is for us to = install them. They would certainly work on the ground, and in flight, you could limit your airspeed prior to firing it, though I'm not sure that's in = the overall best interest of flight safety unless you're sure it will put = the fire out. =20 As others have mentioned, you need to be able to shut down all the = flammable stuff. You also need to take care and not use materials that will = support combustion. It's too bad that fiberglass makes such a good cowling, = because it's the number one source of combustible material on the other side of = the firewall. =20 =20 Next, you need to make your firewall as good as it can be. It would = also be wise to extend the stainless to other areas that might be subject to = flames. In my case, I'm VERY glad I put stainless on the belly, over the = muffler, because that's where the fire was when my oil cooler blew. Even as I = added the material, I remembered an RV-8 guy who blew a jug, and had flames = burn through the floor of the plane just behind the firewall. =20 =20 My plan for a major fire is the parachute. Unfortunately, I don't = always wear it, as was the case when my oil cooler burst. The second plan is = to get down NOW. I was probably high enough to have made it back to my = home airfield, but as soon as I saw the smoke, and smelled the oil burning, I pulled the throttle to idle, and nosed it over to near Vne descent. I "should" have also turned off the fuel at that point, but I didn't want = to shut down the engine when it was still running. That was a mistake that = I will hopefully never repeat, because as long as the engine was still running, the oil was still pumping out onto the exhaust. In my case, = the fire seemed to go out either from the cooling effect of 200 mph of wind, = or from the oil running out, and having nothing else to burn. =20 =20 Being trapped temporarily in an overturned plane is what worries me more than in-flight fire, and that's what I recently purchased a small Halon extinguisher for. I hope I never get to use it.=20 =20 Gotta go to a conf call zzzzzz. =20 Cheers, Rusty (may have a buyer for the RV-3 in it's entirety) =20 ------=_NextPart_000_0012_01C5A7B8.AECF9D30 Content-Type: text/html; charset="us-ascii" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Message

Thinking of fire makes me glad I built a=20 pusher.
John

Hi=20 John,
 
There is = certainly some=20 benefit to having the fire behind you, but it's also been mentioned that = you=20 will have less warning.  As always, it's a = tradeoff.
 
I have = to believe that=20 there are in-flight fire suppression systems that would probably work, = but I'm=20 not sure how feasible it is for us to install them.  They would = certainly=20 work on the ground, and in flight, you could limit your airspeed prior = to firing=20 it, though I'm not sure that's in the overall best interest of flight = safety=20 unless you're sure it will put the fire out.
 
As = others have=20 mentioned, you need to be able to shut down all the flammable = stuff. =20 You also need to take care and not use materials that will support=20 combustion.  It's too bad that fiberglass makes such a good = cowling,=20 because it's the number one source of combustible material on the other=20 side of the firewall.  
 
Next, = you need to make=20 your firewall as good as it can be.  It would also be wise to = extend=20 the stainless to other areas that might be subject to flames.  In = my case,=20 I'm VERY glad I put stainless on the belly, over the muffler, because = that's=20 where the fire was when my oil cooler blew.  Even as I added = the=20 material, I remembered an RV-8 guy who blew a jug, and had flames burn = through=20 the floor of the plane just behind the=20 firewall.  
 
My plan = for a major fire=20 is the parachute.  Unfortunately, I don't always wear it, as = was the=20 case when my oil cooler burst.  The second plan is to get down = NOW.  I was probably high enough to have made it back to my home = airfield,=20 but as soon as I saw the smoke, and smelled the oil burning, I pulled = the=20 throttle to idle, and nosed it over to near Vne descent.  I = "should" have=20 also turned off the fuel at that point, but I didn't want to shut down = the=20 engine when it was still running.  That was a mistake that I will = hopefully=20 never repeat, because as long as the engine was still running, = the oil=20 was still pumping out onto the exhaust.  In my case, the fire = seemed to go=20 out either from the cooling effect of 200 mph of wind, or from the = oil=20 running out, and having nothing else to = burn.  
 
Being = trapped=20 temporarily in an overturned plane is what worries me more than = in-flight fire,=20 and that's what I recently purchased a small Halon extinguisher=20 for.  I hope I never get to use it. 
 
Gotta go = to a conf call=20 zzzzzz.
 
Cheers,
Rusty = (may have a buyer=20 for the RV-3 in it's entirety)   



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