X-Virus-Scanned: clean according to Sophos on Logan.com Return-Path: Received: from S4.cableone.net ([24.116.0.230] verified) by logan.com (CommuniGate Pro SMTP 5.0.8) with ESMTP id 981565 for flyrotary@lancaironline.net; Sun, 12 Feb 2006 00:27:14 -0500 Received-SPF: pass receiver=logan.com; client-ip=24.116.0.230; envelope-from=crayd@cableone.net Received: from chuckathlon (unverified [69.92.218.28]) by S4.cableone.net (CableOne SMTP Service S4) with ESMTP id 46036099 for multiple; Sat, 11 Feb 2006 22:59:36 -0700 Return-Path: From: "Chuck Dunlap" To: "ACRE NL" , "Rotary motors in aircraft" Subject: Another rotary failure Date: Sat, 11 Feb 2006 22:26:29 -0700 Message-ID: <000001c62f94$e0fc1540$6e01a8c0@chuckathlon> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: multipart/alternative; boundary="----=_NextPart_000_0001_01C62F5A.349D3D40" X-Priority: 3 (Normal) X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook, Build 10.0.3416 Importance: Normal X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V6.00.2727.1300 X-NotAscii: charset=us-ascii X-IP-stats: No info recorded yet X-External-IP: 69.92.218.28 X-Abuse-Info: Send abuse complaints to abuse@cableone.net This is a multi-part message in MIME format. ------=_NextPart_000_0001_01C62F5A.349D3D40 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable 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. =20 Regards Chuck Dunlap RV-6 13B 535 hours ------=_NextPart_000_0001_01C62F5A.349D3D40 Content-Type: text/html; charset="us-ascii" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Message
Sorry = I didn't make=20 to Bill Eslick's for the Rotorfest, I missed by about one hour. About 30 = miles=20 north of San Angelo TX the RPM suddenly dropped and I could not restore = it with=20 any of my emergency procedures. GPS told me nearest airport was Robert = Lee about=20 15 miles away. I headed there and landed without = incident.
Turning the prop by=20 hand shows almost zero compression in one rotor, indicating bad/broken = apex=20 seals, quite similar to my engine-out experience 2 1/2 years ago which = caused a=20 forced landing near the Grand Canyon. This time the vibration was not = quite as=20 bad, and the RPM dropped to around 4300 which was still not enough to = maintain=20 altitude.  I called my friend with a Glasair and he cam got me and = took me=20 home. I will have to find some time to build another motor and drive 12 = hours=20 back there and swap motors. Or I might drive there, remove the wings and = trailer=20 it back, have not decided yet.
My = good=20 friend/mentor/flight instructor is trying to talk me into going back to = a=20 Lycosaurus, and I have to think of some good reasons not to. Until I get = the=20 motor back and torn apart, I wont know what caused the failure, but = I will=20 post anything that I find.
 
Regards
Chuck=20 Dunlap
RV-6 = 13B 535=20 hours
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