Return-Path: Received: from [24.25.9.101] (HELO ms-smtp-02-eri0.southeast.rr.com) by logan.com (CommuniGate Pro SMTP 4.2b3) with ESMTP id 3230220 for flyrotary@lancaironline.net; Thu, 13 May 2004 07:31:20 -0400 Received: from EDWARD (clt25-78-058.carolina.rr.com [24.25.78.58]) by ms-smtp-02-eri0.southeast.rr.com (8.12.10/8.12.7) with SMTP id i4DBVHkG013743 for ; Thu, 13 May 2004 07:31:18 -0400 (EDT) Message-ID: <002901c438dd$d062cbc0$2402a8c0@EDWARD> From: "Ed Anderson" To: "Rotary motors in aircraft" References: Subject: Re: [FlyRotary] Detonated! :-( Date: Thu, 13 May 2004 07:31:20 -0400 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: multipart/alternative; boundary="----=_NextPart_000_0026_01C438BC.49026F80" X-Priority: 3 X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express 6.00.2800.1409 X-MIMEOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V6.00.2800.1409 X-Virus-Scanned: Symantec AntiVirus Scan Engine This is a multi-part message in MIME format. ------=_NextPart_000_0026_01C438BC.49026F80 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Todd, thanks for the Good news Bad News report. Particularly good to = hear the good news side. Again the robustness and graceful degradation, = even with damage, shows the viability of the rotary as an aircraft = engine. Sorry, to hear about the detonation, but Tracy's seals should = assist greatly in protecting from seal breakage should it occur again. = Naturally, we want to know what you figure cause the detonation in the = first place - boost?. =20 Ed Anderson RV-6A N494BW Rotary Powered Matthews, NC ----- Original Message -----=20 From: Haywire=20 To: Rotary motors in aircraft=20 Sent: Thursday, May 13, 2004 1:03 AM Subject: [FlyRotary] Detonated! :-( Hi Guys; Got some good news and bad news. Bad news first. During a flight = on Monday, during climb-out I inadvertently over-boosted and detonated = the engine (more on why later), destroying 1 apex seal in each rotor. It = also caused some damage at the rotor tip. At first inspection I thought = I had no damage to the rest of the engine, but I just discovered a small = scuff mark on the rear end housing. The attached picture shows it rather = poorly, but due to the shiny reflective surface is it hard to take a pic = to show it clearly. I'm uncertain if this means the rotor is now NFG. = The apex of the #2 rotor is where the worst detonation occurred and = there is a small notch in the rotor at this location. Again, I don't = know yet if this is any good. The pic of the seals pretty much says it = all. It also shows one of the side seals that broke. There was another = side seal broken as well, but with only a small 2mm piece cleanly broken = off the end, would have been easy to miss. The pic of the rotor apex also clearly shows remnants of the = ceramic coating that was applied to the rotor faces. So if anything at = least this shows that don't waste your money on this mod. Oh yeah, the good news (hey it's my attempt at finding a silver = lining). While I knew something was definitely amiss, the engine = continued to run and produce good power while I made a circuit (called = tower for a precautionary landing... didn't want to see them damn fire = trucks come out to meet me) and continued to run until I was on the = ground at which time it quietly died. This is one of the aspects of the = rotary that initially attracted me to this engine. I just didn't expect = to find out first-hand. I really don't doubt that it would have lasted = at least a little while longer. It actually ran so good that I really didn't believe that there = was much if any damage and tried everything yesterday trying to start it = in an effort to avoid removing the engine. After no success and a call = to Tracy, I finally pulled it and took it home. Tore it down this = morning. Viewing the apex seals through the exhaust ports, everything = looked fine. The damage was just past the edge of the port. Surprisingly = they actually still felt solid and had spring in them with no indication = of the true amount of damage. I was beginning to second guess my = decision to teardown. I'll be using Tracy's new apex seals in the rebuild and am now = just trying to decide which other parts I need. S. Todd Bartrim (now into beer drinking mode... lots of beer :-( 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".=20 -------------------------------------------------------------------------= ----- >> Homepage: http://www.flyrotary.com/ >> Archive: http://lancaironline.net/lists/flyrotary/List.html ------=_NextPart_000_0026_01C438BC.49026F80 Content-Type: text/html; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable
Todd, thanks for the Good news Bad News = report.  Particularly good to hear the good news side.  = Again the robustness and graceful degradation, = even with=20 damage, shows the viability of the rotary as an aircraft engine.  = Sorry, to=20 hear about the detonation, but Tracy's seals should assist greatly in = protecting=20 from seal breakage should it occur again.  Naturally, we want to = know what=20 you figure cause the detonation in the first place - boost?.  =
 
 
Ed Anderson
RV-6A N494BW Rotary Powered
Matthews, NC
----- Original Message -----
From:=20 Haywire
Sent: Thursday, May 13, 2004 = 1:03=20 AM
Subject: [FlyRotary] Detonated! = :-(

Hi=20 Guys;
    Got some good news and bad news. Bad news first. During a = flight on=20 Monday, during climb-out I inadvertently over-boosted and detonated = the engine=20 (more on why later), destroying 1 apex seal in each rotor. It also = caused some=20 damage at the rotor tip. At first inspection I thought I had no damage = to the=20 rest of the engine, but I just discovered a small scuff mark on the = rear end=20 housing. The attached picture shows it rather poorly, but due to the = shiny=20 reflective surface is it hard to take a pic to show it clearly. I'm = uncertain=20 if this means the rotor is now NFG. The apex of the #2 rotor is where = the=20 worst detonation occurred and there is a small notch in the rotor at = this=20 location. Again, I don't know yet if this is any good. The pic of the = seals=20 pretty much says it all. It also shows one of the side seals that = broke. There=20 was another side seal broken as well, but with only a small 2mm piece = cleanly=20 broken off the end, would have been easy to miss.
    The pic of the rotor apex also clearly shows remnants of the = ceramic=20 coating that was applied to the rotor faces. So if anything at least = this=20 shows that don't waste your money on this mod.
    Oh yeah, the good news (hey it's my attempt at finding a = silver=20 lining). While I knew something was definitely amiss, the engine = continued to=20 run and produce good power while I made a circuit (called tower for a=20 precautionary landing... didn't want to see them damn fire trucks come = out to=20 meet me) and continued to run until I was on the ground at which time = it=20 quietly died. This is one of the aspects of the rotary that initially=20 attracted me to this engine. I just didn't expect to find out = first-hand. I=20 really don't doubt that it would have lasted at least a little while=20 longer.
     It actually ran so good that I = really=20 didn't believe that there was much if any damage and tried everything=20 yesterday trying to start it in an effort to avoid removing the = engine. After=20 no success and a call to Tracy, I finally pulled it and took it home. = Tore it=20 down this morning. Viewing the apex seals through the exhaust ports,=20 everything looked fine. The damage was just past the edge of the port. = Surprisingly they actually still felt solid and had spring in them = with no=20 indication of the true amount of damage. I was beginning to second = guess my=20 decision to teardown.
    I'll be using Tracy's new apex seals in the rebuild and am = now just=20 trying to decide which other parts I need.

S. Todd Bartrim    (now into beer drinking = mode...=20 lots of beer :-(
Turbo 13B = RV-9Endurance
C-FSTB
http://www3.telus.net/haywire/RV-9/C-FSTB.htm

=    "Whatever you vividly imagine, Ardently desire, = Sincerely=20 believe in, Enthusiastically act upon, Must inevitably come to pass".=20

 

>>  Homepage: =20 http://www.flyrotary.com/
>>  Archive:  =20 = http://lancaironline.net/lists/flyrotary/List.html
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