X-Virus-Scanned: clean according to Sophos on Logan.com X-SpamCatcher-Score: 1 [X] Return-Path: Received: from ms-smtp-02.southeast.rr.com ([24.25.9.101] verified) by logan.com (CommuniGate Pro SMTP 5.1.4) with ESMTP id 1711193 for flyrotary@lancaironline.net; Sun, 24 Dec 2006 08:41:28 -0500 Received-SPF: pass receiver=logan.com; client-ip=24.25.9.101; envelope-from=eanderson@carolina.rr.com Received: from edward2 (cpe-024-074-100-190.carolina.res.rr.com [24.74.100.190]) by ms-smtp-02.southeast.rr.com (8.13.6/8.13.6) with SMTP id kBODeOCM009617 for ; Sun, 24 Dec 2006 08:40:24 -0500 (EST) Message-ID: <000f01c72761$15b6c900$2402a8c0@edward2> From: "Ed Anderson" To: "Rotary motors in aircraft" References: Subject: Single Rotor Operation was Re: Dead Rotor at 3000ft Date: Sun, 24 Dec 2006 08:40:32 -0500 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: multipart/alternative; boundary="----=_NextPart_000_000C_01C72737.2C7CA800" X-Priority: 3 X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express 6.00.2900.3028 X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V6.00.2900.3028 X-Virus-Scanned: Symantec AntiVirus Scan Engine This is a multi-part message in MIME format. ------=_NextPart_000_000C_01C72737.2C7CA800 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Seeing as how one rotor operation CAN happen, I thought I might mention = my experience with one rotor flight. =20 When I lost the apex seal (and compression) on my front rotor in April = 2004, three things immediately happened. The engine started vibrating = (noticeable but not severe), the rpm started to drop, and the EGT on the = affected rotor went to minimum of the gage (1200F). I was at max gross weight at 7000 ft when this happened. Well, having = nothing better to do, I experimented trying to find some combination of = setting that would maximize power with the remaining rotor. =20 I found that if I cranked up the mixture to maximum rich, which at that = point gave me 14.5 GPH burn rate, that I could keep the rpm above 4000 = rpm. Naturally all that fuel going through the bad rotor was not = producing any meaningful power and I might have been leaving a = "afterburner" flame (don't know),but the engine rpm stayed around = 4200-4400 rpm. Besides, I was fully loaded with fuel, so did not mind = get rid of some of that stuff prior to landing.=20 I suspect that quickly increasing the mixture before the engine has had = time to unwind in rpm may be crucial. I don't think you would likely = gain back rpm lost, so taking this action immediately may make a = difference in how much rpm you can maintain. =20 I flew approx 60 miles in the one rotor condition maintaining 6500 MSL = and could have probably made it back to my 2200 ft strip. But, the = sight of a 6000 ft runway just off my left wing was too tempting - = besides, I did not know what had caused the failure (but at the time I = thought it was the different spark plugs I had just put in the day = before) so decided setting it down while I still had power was the wiser = thing to do. After making a safe landing - on the taxi back to the parking area, the = one thing I notice was how much more throttle it took to taxi.{:>) Just thought I would pass my experience on. Turning up the mixture was = not the first thing that occurred to me, it was just the only thing that = seemed to help. FWIW Ed ----- Original Message -----=20 From: Steve Brooks=20 To: Rotary motors in aircraft=20 Sent: Sunday, December 24, 2006 8:23 AM Subject: [FlyRotary] Re: Dead Rotor at 3000ft Joe, Sorry to hear about the problem. Good to hear though, that you can = lose a rotor, still make a safe landing, and taxi back to the hanger. = There are many problems that could have ended in a worse result. At = least you are OK, the plane is OK, and you're at your home field. =20 My spark plugs are BR9EQ-7's and 9's. What engine do you have ? =20 Steve Brooks =20 -----Original Message----- From: Rotary motors in aircraft [mailto:flyrotary@lancaironline.net]On = Behalf Of Joe Hull Sent: Saturday, December 23, 2006 11:16 PM To: Rotary motors in aircraft Subject: [FlyRotary] Dead Rotor at 3000ft =20 The weather today in the Seattle area was marginal for flying - but a = nice hole opened around my home airport (KAWO) and I was there tinkering = with the plane anyway (re-torqueing the prop)- so up I went. I did 4 = touch and goes just for a wee bit of practice and then departed the = pattern toward a bigger hole that would be legal to climb through VFR. I = flew about 30 miles northwest of the airport out to the edge of the = Puget Sound and enjoyed just being in the air. Power setting was about = 4400RPM and I was loping along at a lazy 135kts. I turned around and = headed back for Arlington and decided to ramp up the power to ramming = speed - errr I mean cruising speed. In a few minutes I was cruising = along at 170kts at about 5500RPM. Then all of a sudden BAM - the engine = stumbled and RPM's dropped to 2300RPM. I immediately throttled back and = switched tanks while turning toward the airport. Altitude was 3200FT = (about 3000AGL) and I was maybe 7 miles from the airport. The engine was = running real rough and wouldn't give me more than 2300RPM. Even with = that little bit of power I ended up entering the 45 to the pattern at = about 800 above pattern altitude. It was pretty slow at the airport so I = easily made a normal landing and was able to taxi back to the hanger = under power.=20 =20 At the hangar I double checked everything I could from the cockpit - = fuel pressure good at 36PSI, oil pressure good at 55PSI at 2300 RPM, = MicroTech ECM showed "OK" for the size major areas it monitors. So, I = shut it down and pulled the cowl. I pulled the prop through a number of = times and it seemed that there was a couple places where I should have = been hearing a "pop" in the exhaust but didn't. I also notice that there = is a nice ding in the prop that is about an inch long - that wasn't = there when I left (remember I'm a pusher). =20 I got the engine compression gage and proceeded to take the spark plug = out of the front rotor - top - BR9EQ-14. Hmmm - I don't remember there = being a casing around the electrode - and why is that casing sliding? = Apparently the casing around the electrode broke somewhere inside the = sparkplug and into two halves long ways down the electrode. Each half = slides freely up and down the electrode and even sticks out a little = from the end. =20 I put the compression gage on and it looks like I get 30-30-70 when I = turn the engine over. I tried this several times and there is definitely = a couple of places where it only goes to 30. So I double check the = location of that ding in the prop - hmmm it's exactly even with the = bottom of the exhaust - right about where an apex seal would come out. =20 I put two new BR9EQ-14's in both rotors and did a quick run - 2300RPM = rough is the best I could get. =20 Some time this week I'll go up and yank the exhaust so I can see the = apex seals - my guess is I'm missing at least one. Bummer.=20 =20 Joe Hull (getting tired of little surprises in the air). Redmond/Seattle WA, Cozy-Mazda Rotary 71hrs =20 ------=_NextPart_000_000C_01C72737.2C7CA800 Content-Type: text/html; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable
Seeing as how one rotor operation CAN happen, I = thought I=20 might mention my experience with one rotor flight. 
 
When I lost the apex seal (and compression) on = my front=20 rotor in April 2004, three things immediately happened.  The = engine=20 started vibrating (noticeable but not severe), the rpm started to drop, = and the=20 EGT on the affected rotor went to minimum of the gage = (1200F).
 
I was at max gross weight at 7000 ft when this=20 happened.  Well, having nothing better to do, I experimented trying = to find=20 some combination of setting that would maximize power with the remaining = rotor. 
 
I found that if I cranked up the mixture to = maximum rich,=20 which at that point gave me 14.5 GPH burn rate, that I could keep the = rpm above=20 4000 rpm.  Naturally all that fuel going through the bad rotor was = not=20 producing any meaningful power and I might have been leaving a = "afterburner"=20 flame (don't know),but the engine rpm stayed around 4200-4400 rpm.  = Besides, I was fully loaded with fuel, so did not mind get rid of some = of that=20 stuff prior to landing. 
 
I suspect that quickly increasing the mixture = before the=20 engine has had time to unwind in rpm may be crucial.  I don't think = you=20 would likely gain back rpm lost, so taking this action immediately may = make a=20 difference in how much rpm you can maintain. 
 
 I flew approx 60 miles in the one rotor = condition=20 maintaining 6500 MSL and could have probably made it back to my 2200 ft=20 strip.  But, the sight of a 6000 ft runway just off my left wing = was too=20 tempting - besides, I did not know what had caused the failure (but at = the time=20 I thought it was the different spark plugs I had just put in the day = before) so=20 decided setting it down while I still had power was the wiser thing to=20 do.
 
After making a safe landing - on the taxi = back to the=20 parking area, the one thing I notice was how much more throttle it took = to=20 taxi.{:>)
 
Just thought I would pass my experience = on.  Turning=20 up the mixture was not the first thing that occurred to me, it was just = the only=20 thing that seemed to help.
 
FWIW
 
Ed
----- Original Message -----
From:=20 Steve=20 Brooks
Sent: Sunday, December 24, 2006 = 8:23=20 AM
Subject: [FlyRotary] Re: Dead = Rotor at=20 3000ft

Joe,

Sorry=20 to hear about the problem.  = Good=20 to hear though, that you can lose a rotor, still make a safe landing, = and taxi=20 back to the hanger.  There are=20 many problems that could have ended in a worse result.  At least you are OK, the = plane is OK,=20 and you=92re at your home field.

 

My=20 spark plugs are BR9EQ-7=92s and 9=92s. =20 What engine do you have ?

 

Steve=20 Brooks

 

-----Original=20 Message-----
From: = Rotary=20 motors in aircraft [mailto:flyrotary@lancaironline.net]On Behalf Of Joe = Hull
Sent: Saturday, December 23, = 2006 11:16=20 PM
To: Rotary = motors in=20 aircraft
Subject: = [FlyRotary]=20 Dead Rotor at 3000ft

 

The=20 weather today in the Seattle area was marginal for flying =96 but a = nice hole=20 opened around my home airport (KAWO) and I was there tinkering with = the plane=20 anyway (re-torqueing the prop)=96 so up I went. I did 4 touch and goes = just for=20 a wee bit of practice and then departed the pattern toward a bigger = hole that=20 would be legal to climb through VFR. I flew about 30 miles northwest = of the=20 airport out to the edge of the Puget = Sound=20 and enjoyed just being in the air. Power setting was about 4400RPM and = I was=20 loping along at a lazy 135kts.  I turned around and headed back = for=20 Arlington and=20 decided to ramp up the power to ramming speed =96 errr I mean cruising = speed. In=20 a few minutes I was cruising along at 170kts at about 5500RPM. Then = all of a=20 sudden BAM =96 the engine stumbled and RPM=92s dropped to = 2300RPM.  I=20 immediately throttled back and switched tanks while turning toward the = airport. Altitude was 3200FT (about 3000AGL) and I was maybe 7 miles = from the=20 airport. The engine was running real rough and wouldn=92t give me more = than=20 2300RPM. Even with that little bit of power I ended up entering the 45 = to the=20 pattern at about 800 above pattern altitude. It was pretty slow at the = airport=20 so I easily made a normal landing and was able to taxi back to the = hanger=20 under power.

 

At the=20 hangar I double checked everything I could from the cockpit =96 fuel = pressure=20 good at 36PSI, oil pressure good at 55PSI at 2300 RPM, MicroTech ECM = showed=20 =93OK=94 for the size major areas it monitors. So, I shut it down and = pulled the=20 cowl. I pulled the prop through a number of times and it seemed that = there was=20 a couple places where I should have been hearing a =93pop=94 in the = exhaust but=20 didn=92t. I also notice that there is a nice ding in the prop that is = about an=20 inch long =96 that wasn=92t there when I left (remember I=92m a=20 pusher).

 

I got=20 the engine compression gage and proceeded to take the spark plug out = of the=20 front rotor =96 top =96 BR9EQ-14. Hmmm =96 I don=92t remember there = being a casing=20 around the electrode =96 and why is that casing sliding?  = Apparently the=20 casing around the electrode broke somewhere inside the sparkplug and = into two=20 halves long ways down the electrode. Each half slides freely up and = down the=20 electrode and even sticks out a little from the = end.

 

I put=20 the compression gage on and it looks like I get 30-30-70 when I turn = the=20 engine over. I tried this several times and there is definitely a = couple of=20 places where it only goes to 30. So I double check the location of = that ding=20 in the prop =96 hmmm it=92s exactly even with the bottom of the = exhaust =96 right=20 about where an apex seal would come out.

 

I put=20 two new BR9EQ-14=92s in both rotors and did a quick run =96 2300RPM = rough is the=20 best I could get.

 

Some=20 time this week I=92ll go up and yank the exhaust so I can see the apex = seals =96=20 my guess is I=92m missing at least one. Bummer.

 

Joe=20 Hull (getting tired of little surprises in the = air).

Redmond/Seattle WA,=20 Cozy-Mazda Rotary 71hrs

 

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