Thanks for the info, Mike. An unheated
O2 sensor could be a factor, but I have no experience with an unheated one , I
fly with a heated one and I find (as Tracy indicated) that a touch of richness
was in order during pattern work – else a sudden application of power on
a go-a-round could cause seat cushion pucker {:>)
But, every installation is a bit different
and if your O2 sensor is not giving you an accurate indication in that mode,
then you just learn how to compensate for it (as you are doing).
Ed
From: Rotary motors in
aircraft [mailto:flyrotary@lancaironline.net] On
Behalf Of Mike Wills
Sent: Saturday, January 02, 2010
11:03 AM
To: Rotary motors in aircraft
Subject: [FlyRotary] Re: first
flight of the new year
It’s a cheap narrow band 1 wire sensor from
Autozone, but this may be a good argument for a heated sensor.
Sent: Saturday,
January 02, 2010 5:30 AM
Subject:
[FlyRotary] Re: first flight of the new year
Happy New Year to you, Mike
Wow. I’ll bet you are glad to
be in a different year and glad the old one gone.
I noted your comment on the lean/rich
possible O2 cause. Do you have a heated (3-4 wire) O2 sensor or an
unheated one??
Ed
From: Rotary motors in aircraft
[mailto:flyrotary@lancaironline.net] On Behalf
Of Mike Wills
Sent: Friday, January 01, 2010
9:43 PM
To: Rotary
motors in aircraft
Subject: [FlyRotary] first flight
of the new year
Hope the holidays are treating you all well. Things are
kind of slow on the list this week. So figured I'd get things going.
I havent flown for almost 2 months. First my nephew's
accident (he's recovering amazingly well). Then travel for work. Then had to do
an annual on the airplane. Finally, had surgery to remove my appendix and gall
bladder. Been a busy couple of months.
But I'm feeling pretty good now, the airplane is ready for
its first flight after the annual, and today was a spectacular day here with
clear blue sky, unlimited visibility, light breeze, and temps in the mid 60s. I
resolved a number of minor issues during the annual, including the gas smell
that I've been living with for a while now. Found my left tank vent line
was loose where it penetrates the bottom of the fuselage so was venting into
the cockpit. The smell is now completely gone.
Also found a solution to a problem I've been noticing
since I've started flying further from the airport. I'd noted on previous
flights when returning to the airport with a long low power descent that the
engine runs quite lean as I enter the pattern requiring the mixture knob to be
turned full rich. On a couple of occasions I've had some misfiring as I turn
final - quite an attention getter! Today I realized the problem was a
non-problem, in other words operator error. While descending (and for that
matter, frequently at other times) I tweak the mixture based on the mixture
monitor reading. Today I ignored the monitor and just left the mixture alone
which worked just fine. I think during prolonged low power descents
the O2 sensor cools off and provides an inaccurate reading. The occasional
misfire was the result of running too rich (the mixture monitor indicated mid
range readings).
So todays flight was trouble free and gets me an hour
closer to the end of phase 1. 18 hours down, 22 to go.
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