Return-Path: Received: from [24.25.9.102] (HELO ms-smtp-03-eri0.southeast.rr.com) by logan.com (CommuniGate Pro SMTP 4.3c2) with ESMTP id 755379 for flyrotary@lancaironline.net; Tue, 22 Feb 2005 22:11:53 -0500 Received-SPF: pass receiver=logan.com; client-ip=24.25.9.102; envelope-from=eanderson@carolina.rr.com Received: from edward2 (cpe-024-074-185-127.carolina.rr.com [24.74.185.127]) by ms-smtp-03-eri0.southeast.rr.com (8.12.10/8.12.7) with SMTP id j1N3B5kd015660 for ; Tue, 22 Feb 2005 22:11:06 -0500 (EST) Message-ID: <003701c51955$5076ba80$2402a8c0@edward2> From: "Ed Anderson" To: "Rotary motors in aircraft" References: Subject: Almost a Prop chop job was [FlyRotary] John's prop shop Date: Tue, 22 Feb 2005 22:11:05 -0500 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: multipart/alternative; boundary="----=_NextPart_000_0034_01C5192B.6756D840" X-Priority: 3 X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express 6.00.2800.1106 X-MIMEOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V6.00.2800.1106 X-Virus-Scanned: Symantec AntiVirus Scan Engine This is a multi-part message in MIME format. ------=_NextPart_000_0034_01C5192B.6756D840 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable MessageHi John, Sorry to hear about that 1/8" of expensive material remaining on the = runway. Perhaps this will make you feel less alone. A weekend or so = ago,Saturday, Feb 12, I was flying back from a flyin up in Northern NC. = The FBO advertised he would reduce the price of fuel by the highest wind = gust recorded by the AWOS before noon. Well, after filling up on 19 = cents/gallon cheaper fuel, I headed back to the air patch. Back at the home airpatch, everything was "A OK" landing on runway 22. = Had just crossed a line of small trees sitting down in a gully about 100 = ft from the end of the runway with 80 MPH IAS which is plenty for an RV. = Well within the 100 ft it took me to past that line of trees until I = smashed down onto the runway marker - I very suddenly lost 20 MPH of = airspeed. AND they are correct! without airspeed its just a rock. I = estimate I fell from approx 10-12 feet in a stalled condition - I KNEW = it was going to hurt - but fortunately had the presence of mind of haul = back on the stick to the stop. I don't think it slowed the descent a = bit - but it kept the nose gear AND my new $$ prop up in the air. After = the first impact (yes, john there was more than one), the aircraft = rebounded to what felt like about 6 - 8 feet (witnesses of which = fortunately there was only one other than myself) concurred with the = estimate. Recalling several RV nose gear aircraft which have flipped due to the = nose gear hitting first and folding under, I kept the stick fully to the = rear and gritted my teeth for the second impact. Wham! As the = aircraft rebounded this time I felt/hear the rudder drag the asphalt due = to my keeping the nose high. The remaining bounces were minor and I = rolled another approx 100 ft and turned around at the 300ft point sort = of amazed that the aircraft was still on an even keel. Damage inspection revealed that I had indeed scrapped the rear tie down = eyebolt backwards into the rudder bottom (fiberglass fairing) and the = rear 1/3 of the bottom of the rudder had the fiberglass abraded. After = my nerves settled a bit, I notice that the rudder while it had no = damage(other than to the fiberglass fairing) it was harder than normal = to move. Close inspection revealed that when the rudder was moved = instead of the eyebolt hinge pivoting around the attachment bolt - the = bolt was turning. Not good. No other damage was evident. I took off the rudder today and confirmed that the bearing races in the = three eyebolts used as the hinges were all three frozen. So today I = replaced all three and the rudder is freely swinging again. The repair = of the rudder bottom is going to take a bit more time. =20 But, I did manage to keep my $$ prop untouched and more importantly = didn't flip the aircraft on its back.=20 So sorry to hear about you trimming your prop - sounds like you had the = nose a bit high also -but not necessarily a good thing in your canard - = but just remember things could have always ended worst. My conclusion was that I : 1. Had not allowed sufficient margin for the gusty wind conditions 2. Trees and hangers that were on the upwind side of my touch down = point may have perturbed or blocked the flow so that when I got within = their shadow (leeward side),where I lost considerable airspeed very = quickly=20 3. I should have paid more attention to other pilots who have reported = "down drafts" in that area (including one who reminded me today, that = he had touched down 20 ft short of the runway on that same approach with = his wife on board (for her first flight with him) and he claimed he = still had above stall airspeed when he hit the grass. But, hey I had = been flying out that airport for 4 years and never had encountered one = (well, until Feb 12 that is {:>)) 4. Every once in a while everything stacks up NOT-IN-YOUR-FAVOR! Remember if you can walk away "its a good landing", if the aircraft = will fly again "its a great landing", if it will fly again without = repair "its an Outstanding Landing"! Best Regards Ed A ----- Original Message -----=20 From: Russell Duffy=20 To: Rotary motors in aircraft=20 Sent: Tuesday, February 22, 2005 9:11 PM Subject: [FlyRotary] John's prop shop John (cut my prop back 1/8 inch today using the runway as a grinding = tool) ------=_NextPart_000_0034_01C5192B.6756D840 Content-Type: text/html; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Message
Hi John,
 
Sorry to hear about that 1/8" of = expensive material=20 remaining on the runway.  Perhaps this will make you feel less=20 alone.    A weekend or so ago,Saturday, Feb 12, I was = flying back=20 from a flyin up in Northern NC.  The FBO advertised he would reduce = the=20 price of fuel by the highest wind gust recorded by the AWOS before = noon. =20 Well, after filling up on 19 cents/gallon cheaper fuel, I headed back to = the air=20 patch.
 
Back at the home airpatch, everything = was "A OK"=20 landing on runway 22.  Had just crossed a line of small trees = sitting down=20 in a gully about 100 ft from the end of the runway with 80 MPH IAS which = is=20 plenty for an RV.  Well within the 100 ft it took me to past that = line of=20 trees until I smashed down onto the runway marker - I very suddenly = lost 20=20 MPH of airspeed.  AND they are correct!   without = airspeed its=20 just a rock.  I estimate I fell from approx 10-12 feet in a stalled = condition - I KNEW it was going to hurt - but fortunately had the = presence of=20 mind of haul back on the stick to the stop.  I don't think it=20 slowed the descent a bit - but it kept the nose gear AND my = new $$=20 prop up in the air.  After the first impact (yes, john there was = more than=20 one), the aircraft rebounded to what felt like about 6 - 8 =  feet=20 (witnesses of which fortunately there was only one other than myself) = concurred=20 with the estimate.
 
Recalling several RV nose gear aircraft = which have=20 flipped due to the nose gear hitting first and folding under, I kept the = stick=20 fully to the rear and gritted my teeth for the second impact. =20 Wham!   As the aircraft rebounded this time I felt/hear the = rudder=20 drag the asphalt due to my keeping the nose high.  The remaining = bounces=20 were minor and I rolled another approx 100 ft and turned around at the = 300ft=20 point sort of amazed that the aircraft was still on an even = keel.
 
Damage inspection revealed that I had = indeed=20 scrapped the rear tie down eyebolt backwards into the rudder bottom = (fiberglass=20 fairing) and the rear 1/3 of the bottom of the rudder had the fiberglass = abraded.   After my = nerves settled=20 a bit, I notice that the rudder while it had no damage(other than to the = fiberglass fairing) it was harder than normal to move.  Close = inspection=20 revealed that when the rudder was moved instead of the eyebolt hinge = pivoting=20 around the attachment bolt - the bolt was turning.  Not good.  = No=20 other damage was evident.
 
I took off the rudder today and confirmed that the bearing races in = the=20 three eyebolts used as the hinges were all three frozen.  So today = I=20 replaced all three and the rudder is freely swinging again.  The = repair of=20 the rudder bottom is going to take a bit more time. 
 
But, I did manage to keep my $$ prop untouched and more importantly = didn't=20 flip the aircraft on its back. 
 
So sorry to hear about you trimming your prop - sounds like you had = the=20 nose a bit high also -but not necessarily a good thing in your = canard -=20  but just remember things could have always ended worst.
 
My conclusion was that I :
 
1.  Had not allowed sufficient margin for the gusty wind=20 conditions
 
2.  Trees and hangers that were on the upwind side of = my touch=20 down point may have perturbed or blocked the flow so that when = I got=20 within  their shadow (leeward side),where I lost=20 considerable airspeed very quickly 
 
3.  I should have paid more attention to other pilots who have = reported "down drafts" in that area (including one who reminded me = today,=20  that he had touched down 20 ft short of the runway on that same = approach=20 with his wife on board (for her first flight with him) and he claimed he = still=20 had above stall airspeed when he hit the grass.  But, hey I had = been flying=20 out that airport for 4 years and never had encountered one (well, until = Feb 12=20 that is {:>))
 
4.  Every once in a while = everything stacks up=20 NOT-IN-YOUR-FAVOR!
 
Remember if you can walk away "its a = good=20  landing", if the aircraft will fly again "its a great landing", if = it will=20 fly again  without repair "its an Outstanding = Landing"!
 
Best Regards
 
Ed A
 
 
 
 ----- Original Message -----
From:=20 Russell=20 Duffy
Sent: Tuesday, February 22, = 2005 9:11=20 PM
Subject: [FlyRotary] John's = prop=20 shop

John (cut my prop back 1/8 inch today using the = runway as a=20 grinding tool)

 
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