On Thu, 4 Jan 2007 13:49:13 -0500 "Tracy Crook" < lors01@msn.com> writes:
Paul has done a
lot to perpetuate the idea that my cooling system is "marginal at
best". I still can't figure out where he gets this from. You do
not fly an aircraft for 12 years and 1600+ hours in Florida, fly it to the
desert southwest over 10,000+ foot mountains and win air races with a
"marginal" cooling system. Much has been made of the 'spray bar'
cooling system I used when racing.
I don't know the details about your cooling system, so can't say if it's
marginal or not. A marginal cooling system is one that can be affected by
outside factors. It's a relatively new concept we learned from the Japanese. If
you find yourself throttling back on hot day, or watching your climb rate for
fear of overheating, then you have marginal system. The irony is that you can
fly for years with a marginal system and still live to tell about it. It's also
ironic that you can manage a marginal system and get by. So it's real easy to
discount the concept.
But when you look at crashes, sure enough, you will find that suddenly the
odds caught up to the pilot. Distracted by the marginal system, he didn't
notice.... That forced landing last year was excellent
example. Statistically, we want robust systems that handle uncontrollable
outside factors. This provides a measurable drop in risk. This is a new concept.
It has profound effect. But you can live your whole life and never appreciate
the significance.
My comment on spraybar was wrong. It can be an asset, particularly for
initial testing. It's highly effective method and can bring extra safety margin.
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