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I
got up for awhile today and able to get a little more info. With engine running
and cooling system pressurized I found that with a single pump running in the
series configuration flow was only ~15% reduced from previous flows without the
spare pump. However use of both pumps increased flow by ~30% over a single pump.
In an extended climb I found that temps began to climb faster than previous, but
turning on the second pump reduced the temps.
Unfortunately while I was out flying in the blue skies south of the airport, a
thunderstorm moved in over the airport. I decided to wait it out while remaining
in the clear area, however while I wasn't critically low on fuel, I only had
about another hour on board, when I became aware that the clear area was moving
further out into uninhabited mountainous area with no roads to set down on. It
didn't look good to go around and approach from another direction, so I went
under the cloud and straight into what turned out to be one heck of a hailstorm.
I was somewhat prepared for it as I'd heard a PIREP, but I could also hear a
student pilot in the circuit still doing T&G's, so I didn't think it could
be that bad. Shortly before I arrived in the zone he went in. Well, it was
rather nasty, hailstones the size of cherries. Very loud on the canopy, but the
aircraft handled it and the turbulence very well and while I would have rather
been on the ground I did feel threatened at all. The RV-9 is a very stable
airframe. The runway was over an inch deep with hail, but landing was uneventful
and it subsided shortly afterwards. I taxied over to my new home, a tie-down
with all the other common airplanes:-(, where I found another builder agonizing
over his new Murphy Rebel which just passed inspection yesterday and has not
flown yet. All of his control surfaces were dented. I checked mine over and
found a single hole in the cowl through to the honeycomb layer, with no other
dents on the skin, so it looks like I avoided the worst of it by staying up.
Then I looked through the air inlets and found that my rads looked like I took a
ball peen hammer to them. All of the cooling fins are pounded in. However the
oil cooler is fine with no dents at all. I'm certain that the coolers can be
salvaged with a few hours and a pair of needle nose pliers, however I'm not
certain if they will ever be as efficient again. I will attempt to straighten
them but am prepared to weld up a new set if necessary.
At least I finally got to fly again today and gained some valuable experience as
well.
S. Todd Bartrim
Turbo 13B RV-9Endurance
C-FSTB
http://www3.telus.net/haywire/RV-9/C-FSTB.htm
"Whatever you vividly imagine, Ardently desire, Sincerely believe in,
Enthusiastically act upon, Must inevitably come to pass".
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