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Date: Fri, 14 Jun 2013 21:27:08 -0500
Message-ID: <CAHh3jbPftUkfZL0xD3RvsAA-sg=Y9YDuxEBd4Y07nV0z2KsKng@mail.gmail.com>
Subject: Re: [FlyRotary] Airworthiness Cert issued....followed by blown enigne
From: Mark Steitle <msteitle@gmail.com>
To: Rotary motors in aircraft <flyrotary@lancaironline.net>
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Sorry for the bad news, but good thing it happened on the ground.

As for the possibility of detonation, it doesn't sound like it to me.  If
it was detonation, I would expect to find a broken apex seal or two.
 Sounds like maybe an o-ring blew.  It could have even been a defective
iron.  Pictures would help.

Mark


On Fri, Jun 14, 2013 at 7:38 PM, <shipchief@aol.com> wrote:

> N89SE received it's Airworthiness Certificate June 13, 2013! Yay!
> So I put the covers on it an pulled it out of the hangar for a start up
> and taxi test.
> I have not run it this year while finishing the airframe.
> So I started it up, a bit behind the curve on the EC-2, chasing the
> mixture around etc, then settled in to a nice smooth high idle and taxi'd
> down to the far end of the runway where I ran it up to 4400 +RPM, checked
> the water & oil temps, (158 & 167) pulled out on the runway, and fed the
> power to it for a 2 or 3 second burst, to be pulled off to prevent flight.
> Well the thing started well enough, I pushed the throttle slowly to about
> 2/3, and as the plane gained some speed, the CATTO 68x74 prop unloaded a
> bit and the RPMs went up. The acceleration was profound for about 2 seconds
> followed by a POP! as or just before I started to pull the throttle back.
> Then came the grey smoke as I shut down the fuel pump and glided off the
> runway to the taxiway.
> A few guys came running to help. One asked 'How ya doin'?" Medium I
> replied. (I'm OK and nothing is burning). Yada Yada, The plane is back @
> the hangar, and the oil leak (spew) is a cracked block at the last oil tap
> fitting on the top gallery, by the distributor pulse counter. (1986 type)
> Today I stripped the engine and pulled it off the airframe. Looking in the
> ports, all the tip seals move and are springy, but I think I detonated it,
> some damage is visible. Maybe in a previous tethered run (to 40" manifold
> press), and this time it let go. compression was down (prop pull method) I
> wonder if detonation under boost will crack the block (end irons)?
>

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<div dir=3D"ltr">Sorry for the bad news, but good thing it happened on the =
ground. =A0<div><br></div><div style>As for the possibility of detonation, =
it doesn&#39;t sound like it to me. =A0If it was detonation, I would expect=
 to find a broken apex seal or two. =A0Sounds like maybe an o-ring blew. =
=A0It could have even been a defective iron. =A0Pictures would help. =A0</d=
iv>
<div style><br></div><div style>Mark</div></div><div class=3D"gmail_extra">=
<br><br><div class=3D"gmail_quote">On Fri, Jun 14, 2013 at 7:38 PM,  <span =
dir=3D"ltr">&lt;<a href=3D"mailto:shipchief@aol.com" target=3D"_blank">ship=
chief@aol.com</a>&gt;</span> wrote:<br>
<blockquote class=3D"gmail_quote" style=3D"margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1p=
x #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex"><font color=3D"black" face=3D"arial">
<div><font face=3D"Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style=3D"background-color:=
transparent">N89SE received it&#39;s Airworthiness Certificate June 13, 201=
3! Yay!</font></div>

<div>So I put the covers on it an pulled it out of the hangar for a start u=
p and taxi test.</div>

<div>I have not run it this year while finishing the airframe.</div>

<div>So I started it up, a bit behind the curve on the EC-2, chasing the mi=
xture around etc, then settled in to a nice smooth high idle and taxi&#39;d=
 down to the far end of the runway where I ran it up to 4400 +RPM, checked =
the water &amp; oil temps, (158 &amp; 167) pulled out on the runway, and fe=
d the power to it for a 2 or 3 second burst, to be pulled off to prevent fl=
ight.</div>


<div>Well the thing started well enough, I pushed the throttle slowly to ab=
out 2/3, and as the plane gained some speed, the CATTO 68x74 prop unloaded =
a bit and the RPMs went up. The acceleration was profound for about 2 secon=
ds followed by a POP! as or just before I started to pull the throttle back=
.</div>


<div>Then came the grey smoke as I shut down the fuel pump and glided off t=
he runway to the taxiway.</div>

<div>A few guys came running to help. One asked &#39;How ya doin&#39;?&quot=
; Medium I replied. (I&#39;m OK and nothing is burning). Yada Yada, The pla=
ne is back @ the hangar, and the oil leak (spew) is a cracked block at the =
last oil tap fitting on the top gallery, by the distributor pulse counter. =
(1986 type)</div>


<div>Today I stripped the engine and pulled it off the airframe. Looking in=
 the ports, all the tip seals move and are springy, but I think I detonated=
 it, some damage is visible.=A0Maybe in a previous tethered run (to 40&quot=
; manifold press), and this time it let go. compression was down (prop pull=
 method) I wonder if detonation under boost will crack the block (end irons=
)?</div>

</font></blockquote></div><br></div>

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