X-Virus-Scanned: clean according to Sophos on Logan.com Return-Path: Sender: To: lml@lancaironline.net Date: Tue, 27 Nov 2007 17:25:03 -0500 Message-ID: X-Original-Return-Path: Received: from imo-d20.mx.aol.com ([205.188.139.136] verified) by logan.com (CommuniGate Pro SMTP 5.2c1) with ESMTP id 2506294 for lml@lancaironline.net; Mon, 26 Nov 2007 19:36:37 -0500 Received-SPF: pass receiver=logan.com; client-ip=205.188.139.136; envelope-from=Sky2high@aol.com Received: from Sky2high@aol.com by imo-d20.mx.aol.com (mail_out_v38_r9.3.) id q.d06.1ee8dcfc (30740) for ; Mon, 26 Nov 2007 19:36:00 -0500 (EST) From: Sky2high@aol.com X-Original-Message-ID: X-Original-Date: Mon, 26 Nov 2007 19:35:59 EST Subject: Re: [LML] Flying in Rain X-Original-To: lml@lancaironline.net MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: multipart/alternative; boundary="-----------------------------1196123759" X-Mailer: AOL 9.0 VR sub 5006 X-Spam-Flag: NO -------------------------------1196123759 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit In a message dated 11/26/2007 1:49:06 P.M. Central Standard Time, pinetownd@volcano.net writes: The bad news is that a few days after returning home, while doing a normal post-trip inspection, I discovered some water on the floor behind the pilot's seat, in the baggage area. The more I looked, the more water I found. It was behind the aft wing spar in the baggage area, in the tunnel in the baggage area, at the aft baggage bulkhead, and at the autopilot pitch servo bulkhead. I soaked up the water with a towel and wrung it out into a bucket. I collected about a gallon of water! So where did all that water come from? I think it came from the tail and moved forward. I have heard that the cockpit and aft fuselage are at low pressure during flight, so it's possible that the water was sucked into the tail through openings in the aft spar for the vertical stabilizer and the elevator bellcrank. (I don't understand how that could be, but it's a possibility.) The water would have collected behind a bulkhead until the water level got higher than the lowest opening in the bulkhead. At that point, additional water would flow downhill to the next bulkhead, where the process would be repeated. That's certainly what it looked like when I was bailing it out. It could also have entered through those same holes in the aft vertical stabilizer spar while the airplane was sitting on the ground in the rain for 48 hours. If so, it would have traveled forwards in the same manner as described in the previous paragraph. It's hard to imagine that a gallon of water could have dripped into the airplane, though. If the water is entering the tail while the plane is parked in the rain, then drilling a drain hole in the bottom of the fuselage, at the first place the water will collect, would be one solution. If it's sucking in during flight, that's a harder problem to solve. I suppose I could put a drain in the bottom of the fuselage, with an opening fabricated so that it would suck air and water out of the fuselage, but I'm not sure. Anybody else had this problem? Anybody else solved this problem? Dennis, I don't remember the exact layout of the tail cone bulkheads in the Legacy, but I suspect they are similar to those in the 320/360 series. The most crucial drain is aft of the aft vertical bulkhead located about mid chord of the horizontal stabilizer. I remember watching my Lancair parked outside of a friend's house in FL during a wind whipped rain storm and the steady flow of water coming from that drain in the tail. The obvious culprit is the opening thru the vertical stab for elevator movement. I never noticed any water pickup during a flight through rain because the incoming vent air has to leave some how and that is thru the same opening in the tail, cockpit low pressure notwithstanding. I did seal a drain in the forward belly low spot, between the seats, because it did allow exhaust to be drawn in during flight. I think the twist of fuselage air is "cleaner" at the base of the tail cone. This can be checked with a digital CO detector. The best wing leading edge preparation is by using straight epoxy (as many wet lay up builders have done) over the glass and sanding that. Lancair 300 series builders were lucky in that the leading edge was part of the molded pieces - no skin joint and consequent filling to be concerned about. Scott Krueger AKA Grayhawk Lancair N92EX IO320 SB 89/96 Aurora, IL (KARR) Darwinian culling phrase: Watch This! **************************************Check out AOL's list of 2007's hottest products. (http://money.aol.com/special/hot-products-2007?NCID=aoltop00030000000001) -------------------------------1196123759 Content-Type: text/html; charset="US-ASCII" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable
In a message dated 11/26/2007 1:49:06 P.M. Central Standard Time,=20 pinetownd@volcano.net writes:
<= FONT=20 style=3D"BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" face=3DArial color=3D#000000 size= =3D2>
The bad news is that a few days after returning home, while doing a=20 normal post-trip inspection, I discovered some water on the floor behind=20 the pilot's seat, in the baggage area.  The more I looked,=20= the=20 more water I found.  It was behind the aft wing spar in the baggage a= rea,=20 in the tunnel in the baggage area, at the aft baggage bulkhead, and=20 at the autopilot pitch servo bulkhead.  I soaked up th= e=20 water with a towel and wrung it out into a bucket.  I collected about= a=20 gallon of water! 
 
So where did all that water come from?  I think it came fro= m=20 the tail and moved forward.
 
I have heard that the cockpit and aft fuselage are at low=20 pressure during flight, so it's possible that the water was sucked in= to=20 the tail through openings in the aft spar for the vertical stabilizer and=20= the=20 elevator bellcrank.  (I don't understand how that could be, but = it's=20 a possibility.)  The water would have collected behind a bulkhead unt= il=20 the water level got higher than the lowest opening in the=20 bulkhead.  At that point, additional water would flow downhill t= o=20 the next bulkhead, where the process would be repeated.  That's certa= inly=20 what it looked like when I was bailing it out.
 
It could also have entered through those same holes in the aft=20 vertical stabilizer spar while the airplane was sitting on the=20 ground in the rain for 48 hours.  If so, it would have traveled forwa= rds=20 in the same manner as described in the previous paragraph.  It's hard= to=20 imagine that a gallon of water could have dripped into the airplane,=20 though. 
 
If the water is entering the tail while the plane is parked in the ra= in,=20 then drilling a drain hole in the bottom of the fuselage, at the first pla= ce=20 the water will collect, would be one solution.  If it's sucking=20= in=20 during flight, that's a harder problem to solve.  I suppose I could p= ut a=20 drain in the bottom of the fuselage, with an opening fabricated so th= at=20 it would suck air and water out of the fuselage, but I'm not sure.
 
Anybody else had this problem?  Anybody else solved this=20 problem?
Dennis,
 
I don't remember the exact layout of the tail cone bulkheads in th= e=20 Legacy, but I suspect they are similar to those in the 320/360 series. = The=20 most crucial drain is aft of the aft vertical bulkhead located about mi= d=20 chord of the horizontal stabilizer.  I remember watching my Lancair par= ked=20 outside of a friend's house in FL during a wind whipped rain storm and the=20 steady flow of water coming from that drain in the tail.  The= =20 obvious culprit is the opening thru the vertical stab for elevator=20 movement.
 
I never noticed any water pickup during a flight through=20 rain because the incoming vent air has to leave some how and that is th= ru=20 the same opening in the tail, cockpit low pressure notwithstanding.
 
I did seal a drain in the forward belly low spot, between the seats,=20 because it did allow exhaust to be drawn in during flight.  I think the= =20 twist of fuselage air is "cleaner" at the base of the tail cone.  This=20= can=20 be checked with a digital CO detector.
 
The best wing leading edge preparation is by using straight e= poxy=20 (as many wet lay up builders have done) over the glass and sanding that.&nbs= p;=20 Lancair 300 series builders were lucky in that the leading edge was part of=20= the=20 molded pieces - no skin joint and consequent filling to be concerned about.=20
 
Scott Krueger=20 AKA Grayhawk
Lancair N92EX IO320 SB 89/96
Aurora, IL=20 (KARR)

Darwinian culling phrase: Watch=20 This!



Check o= ut AOL Money & Finance's list of the h= ottest products and top money wasters of 2007.
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