Reply-To: <steve@tsisp.com>
From: "Steve Brooks" <steve@tsisp.com>
To: "Fly Rotary \(E-mail\)" <flyrotary@lancaironline.net>
Subject: 3rd flight
Date: Tue, 1 Jun 2004 18:58:38 -0400
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This evening I made my 3rd flight in my Cozy IV, with less than ideal
results.  First of all, on my initial take off run, I couldn't get an
airspeed indication.  I continued up to where it was feeling like it could
rotate, and still no IAS.  I aborted and taxied back to the hanger.  I
discovered that some big dummy (me) had left the pitot tube cover off, and a
mud wasp had built a nest in the pitot.  Luckily the Cozy uses an AN tube
fitting for a pitot, so it was pretty easy to take it off and clean it out.

After the high speed run, and taxi of over a mile back, I was pretty happy
with the temps 170 coolant and 177 oil which remained steady through the
taxi.

When I taxied out for the 2nd attempt, my coolant was up to 190 and oil
showing 183.  Apparently while sitting the heat massed in the turbo must
warm up the entire engine compartment.  Actually when I lined up on the
runway, coolant was approaching 200/  I considered aborting, but really
didn't think that it would be a problem.  To help the situation, I only
climbed out at about 90 knots for most of the climb, which really boosted
the temps up.  By the time I got to pattern I was showing almost 220 on
coolant and about 240 on the oil.  I throttled back, and leveled off with
high hopes of seeing the temperatures stabilize.  They did, but at 210
coolant, and 233 oil.  Even though it was cooler out than previous flights,
they just didn't want to drop any lower.  I was concerned most about the
oil, because I have my red line set at 240, and 233 isn't that far below.  I
had considered retracting the front gear to what improvement that would
show, but decided it was too hot to continue, so I landed.

I know that I compounded the problem with the slow climb, but what is
considered normal temperatures in a climb, and what is the maximum
temperatures for coolant and oil before I should get concerned and land ?  I
thought that oil at 233 warranted landing, but maybe not.

On my previous flight my coolant stabilized at 200, and the OAT was about 8
degrees warmer.  I don't know about oil, because I was measuring coolant
twice and oil not at all, due to stupidity.

I'm looking for any feedback.

Steve Brooks