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Date: Mon, 19 Sep 2011 11:50:33 -0700
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Subject: Reno, RD-B failure, fix, and sad times
From: David Leonard <wdleonard@gmail.com>
To: Rotary motors in aircraft <flyrotary@lancaironline.net>
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Hi All,

I just got back from the Reno Air races last night.  I was having quite a
week until the Tragedy occurred on Friday.

I qualified for the race on Tuesday at 229.3 mph pulling up to 2.5-g's at
times around the course.  I was pretty happy with that, because I was not
last...  I beat a glassair 1 with a "250 hp" 4-cyl lyc, and I beat an RV-8
with a 6-cylinder "310 hp." IO-540 engine.  The rockets were solidly ahead,
especially Mark Fredrick and his F1 Rocket with his new wings - that look
more like the wings on the fast glass.

At the end of the qualifying heat I found that my prop would barely turn,
and after some cooling, it would not turn at all.  Inspection showed that
the RD-1B prop shaft had seized and some of the planets had overheated.
 Fortunately, by some fluke of good luck, Larry Childs and "EJ" had a RD-1B
sitting on a work bench a couple hundred miles away that they would lend.
 Long story short, everyone pitched in, including EJ who made 2 round trips
to Heilsburg airport from Santa Rosa and Steve Senagal (winner of the F1
class and also pilot of the super-8 that I edged out in quals) flew me in
his super-8 to Heilsburg and I had a replacement gear box back at the
airport by dark.  I worked into the night to re-install it, and was ready to
race the next day.

The failure may have been partly my fault.  The gear box was sharing an AN-4
oil line with the turbo so it is possible that it may not have been seeing
full engine oil pressure for most of its life (it had 600 hrs).  Also, it
turns out that my oil temps have probably always been higher than I thought.
 When replacing the gear box I gave it a dedicated oil line from a take-off
closer to the pump with a shorter AN-4 line.  That process required me to
move my oil temp sensor from near the gear box into the line that goes to
the turbo.  There is probably more flow going to the turbo as now the oil
temp seems to be much more responsive and climbs higher that it ever had.  I
almost pulled out of my race on Wed because the oil temp climbed to 210.
That egged me to install a spray bar on the oil cooler before Friday's race
(which worked very well until I ran out of water on the last lap and
throttled way back).  On the ride home, I again saw oil temp much higher
that I had previously noticed under similar conditions (hot, high, and doing
touch and go's),  I was seeing up to 220 that would quickly cool upon
descent and reduction in power (consistent with what many others have
reported) were I used to see a max of 190 in similar conditions cooling that
occurred much more slowly on descent or transition to level flight.

Then of course there was the tragedy.  The plane arched right over my head
as my step dad and I watched the unlimited race from a 1/4mi away from the
impact site.  Being a physician, I went to help with the casualties.  The
site was pretty bad.  As bad as anything I saw in Iraq (less the burns -
thank goodness the fuel never caught fire).  Besides the fatalities, there
are a number of very severe life-changing injuries.  Very somber and surreal
atmosphere.

-- 
David Leonard

Turbo Rotary RV-6 N4VY
http://N4VY.RotaryRoster.net <http://n4vy.rotaryroster.net/>
http://RotaryRoster.net <http://rotaryroster.net/>

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Hi All,=20
<div><br></div>
<div>I just got back from the Reno Air races last night. =A0I was having qu=
ite a week until the Tragedy=A0occurred=A0on Friday. =A0</div>
<div><br></div>
<div>I qualified for the race on Tuesday at 229.3 mph pulling up to 2.5-g&#=
39;s at times around the course. =A0I was pretty happy with that, because I=
 was not last... =A0I beat a glassair 1 with a &quot;250 hp&quot; 4-cyl lyc=
, and I beat an RV-8 with a 6-cylinder &quot;310 hp.&quot; IO-540 engine. =
=A0The rockets were solidly ahead, especially Mark Fredrick and his F1 Rock=
et with his new wings - that look more like the wings on the fast glass.</d=
iv>

<div><br></div>
<div>At the end of the qualifying heat I found that my prop would barely tu=
rn, and after some cooling, it would not turn at all. =A0Inspection showed =
that the RD-1B prop shaft had=A0seized=A0and some of the planets had overhe=
ated. =A0Fortunately, by some fluke of good luck, Larry Childs and &quot;EJ=
&quot; had a RD-1B sitting on a work bench a couple hundred miles away that=
 they would lend. =A0Long story short, everyone pitched in, including EJ wh=
o made 2 round trips to Heilsburg airport from Santa Rosa and Steve Senagal=
 (winner of the F1 class and also pilot of the super-8 that I edged out in =
quals) flew me in his super-8 to Heilsburg and I had a replacement gear box=
 back at the airport by dark. =A0I worked into the night to re-install it, =
and was ready to race the next day.</div>

<div><br></div>
<div>The failure may have been partly my fault. =A0The gear box was sharing=
 an AN-4 oil line with the turbo so it is possible that it may not have bee=
n seeing full engine oil pressure for most of its life (it had 600 hrs). =
=A0Also, it turns out that my oil temps have probably always been higher th=
an I thought. =A0When replacing the gear box I gave it a=A0dedicated=A0oil =
line from a take-off closer to the pump with a shorter AN-4 line. =A0That p=
rocess required me to move my oil temp sensor=A0from near the gear box into=
 the line that goes to the turbo.=A0 There is probably more flow going to t=
he turbo as now the oil temp seems to be much more responsive and climbs hi=
gher that it ever had.=A0 I almost pulled out of my race on Wed because the=
 oil temp climbed to 210.=A0 That egged me to install a spray bar=A0on the =
oil cooler=A0before Friday&#39;s race (which worked very well until I ran o=
ut of water on the last lap and throttled way back).=A0 On the ride home, I=
 again saw oil temp much higher that I had previously noticed under similar=
 conditions (hot, high, and doing touch and go&#39;s),=A0 I was seeing up t=
o 220 that would quickly cool upon descent and reduction in power (consiste=
nt with what many others have reported) were I used to see a max of 190 in =
similar conditions cooling that occurred much more slowly on descent or tra=
nsition to level flight.</div>

<div>=A0</div>
<div>Then of course there was the tragedy.=A0 The plane arched right over m=
y head as my step dad and I watched the unlimited race from a 1/4mi away fr=
om the impact site.=A0 Being a physician, I went to help with the casualtie=
s.=A0 The site was pretty bad.=A0 As bad as anything I saw in Iraq (less th=
e burns - thank goodness the fuel never caught fire).=A0 Besides the fatali=
ties, there are a number of very severe life-changing injuries.=A0 Very som=
ber and surreal atmosphere.</div>

<div><br></div>
<div>-- <br>David Leonard<br><br>Turbo Rotary RV-6 N4VY<br><a href=3D"http:=
//n4vy.rotaryroster.net/" target=3D"_blank">http://N4VY.RotaryRoster.net</a=
><br><a href=3D"http://rotaryroster.net/" target=3D"_blank">http://RotaryRo=
ster.net</a><br>
</div>

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