----- Original Message -----
Sent: Monday, February 07, 2005 8:25
PM
Subject: [FlyRotary] Re: Bad day at the
airport
I don't care to have this much fun
again anytime soon. I'm torn between a carburetor and a Cessna.
Paul Conner
Excellent job, Paul. The worst
nightmare scenario, and you just "taxied back to the hangar".
:)
So..... what caused it?
John
Hi, John....not exactly sure....most likely it
was my attempts at programming the WOT mixture levels. I just purchased
the external mixture knob from Dave Atkins, but it only changes the mixture by
plus and minus 10 percent, (so you don't have to go into the programming mode
to make minor mixture adjustments). I tried that, but I suspect the mixture
ratios were too far off for the external mixture knob to compensate for.
Obviously, not enough time to start programming on the handheld ECU programmer
during the flare. Sh** happened very
fast.
One thing I keep
wondering about, however....Initially, I ran it up with the bigger prop and
tried to get more rpm's. Just wouldn't happen with a prop made for 200
horsepower, and a Turbo engine without a turbo that was probably capable of
140 horsepower. I tried for quite some time, and the water temps finally
hit 230 degrees, so I shut her down, and exchanged props. It only took
10 minutes to change the prop, and when I turned on the ingintion to check
temps, the water temp was still 210. I started the engine. and while
taxiing to the runway, the temps came down to 200. That's what the water temp
was when I locked the brakes and checked my static rpm with the smaller prop.
Temps of course started climbing, so I released the brakes to get some airflow
to cool the radiator. I have always been able to cool the engine in the
climb, so I wanted to get airborne as soon as possible. I assume the
water temps were probably around 210 to 220 by the time I rotated. I
have never taken off with temps this high. I'm thinking it might be possible
that the higher temps inside the cowling caused a vapor lock, or boiled the
fuel out of the intake, or I ingested one of the many birds nests that the
birds just constructed inside my cowling last night, or it was just the
boogey-man. Unfortunately, I was unable to get to 110 knots in the
attempted climb, so I'm pretty sure I got no cooling assistance from incoming
air. For some reason, I failed to watch all the gages while trying to avoid
the windsock, so I didn't note just how high the water temp got. I
DO know that after I restarted the engine to get out of the mud, it had
sufficient power to pull me out and back onto the taxiway, and back to the
hangar. I haven't run it since. I may fire it up tomorrow and just
take it up for one trip around the pattern (only kidding, Rusty). I may fire
it up just to see if it runs OK and to see if there is any obvious
problem.
We did an oil
change, but I don't remember putting any oil back in after draining it...think
that would make any difference? (kidding). Will keep you
posted. Paul, not flying now, Conner
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