wanabigaplane

I'm planning on camping Saturday night. Jack.

Yea, backing on thread

Flew Ross to Taree to pick up Cheetah on weekend.

Talking to Garry Morgan while fuelling.

Look at that art ! (Pylon 500 emporium in background)

Arriving in Goulburn.

Jack.:yuk::yuk:

beware the expectation

Bigglesworth - You are getting yourself into a silly situation.

By getting everyone there around you spending a few hours getting the plane ready you'll be in a situation where you know there are one or two wrinkles not quite ironed out, something that really needs checking for the last time, there will be talking and joking around, and urging on, a self built up obligation to carry it through. This is just the wrong situation to be in.

On the day, when everyone is there, don't to do any more than an engine test for a time exceeding the first circuit, and a few engine runs up and down the strip. From the start, promise the helpers, bystanders, and spectators no more.

Jack.

apologies

Another one falls at the starting gate.

Sorry. The weather and the rare absolute need to back at work in time precludes my flying. I was considering the very long drive with Starti, but he's pulled out too !

Hope you have a great weekend and the farmers are pleased with the rain !

Jack. :confused::confused:

giving up accommodation

If you have booked accommodation, and now you are not going, I suggest you give Ian the details.

Because of the rain, some of us might drive instead, and want to sleep in a dry bed.

Jack.

601 corvair

Allan Barton of Cummins Spinners in Ballarat (advertises in RAAus) is putting a Corvair in his Zenith 601XL. He imported the motor, but he would be the one to help you with all the information and experience.

His web log - http://mykitlog.com/allan

Should see site - http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Oz-Zacs/

The Corvair is cheaper, but the extra weight cuts into your fuel reserve under the MTOW

Jack . :):)

Thanks, it sounds great, and I am looking forward to the event. If the weather is appropriate I will fly in. Otherwise I will drive.

Jack. :):)

What's there ?

I'm really flying blind - to book accommodation or not book it?

What facilities are already there that are available to us?

Is there a suitable area for camping?

Are we planning on supplying all support ourselves, or is the aero club offering some support facilities?

If I don't take camping gear I can take a passenger.

I plan to stop at the Holbrook rag and tube weekend on the way there and back.

I've looked up my tattered 2004 AOPA and googled Echuca, but it doesn't tell me much about the potential arrangements at the airfield.

Has anyone inspected the locale for our point of view?

Jack. :;)2::;)2::;)5:

Any progress Paul ? Long time no post. Jack.:;)5:

http://www.ulpower.com/ European 4 cylinder 4 stroke flat four, direct drive. Interesting new engine, first batch has just been shipped. By the time I have built my Zenith 601XL they might have a six cylinder out !

Jack. :):)

I am planning on attending.

Use the principal of user pays to amortize costs.

Bring back "spend a penny"

Jack. :):)

To be another pedantic pedant I will be looking for a small pocketable unit with GPS unless the cost difference makes me choose a bigger unit with GPS.

Jack. :):)

Failed regulator ?

These symptoms would be an indicator of your voltage regulator having failed. The most common type of regulator seems to fail in a mode where full voltage is applied from the alternator, and the voltages can be very destructive indeed !

Normally the battery will protect your electronics from any high voltage excursions. If the regulator fails, the equipment will survive until the battery electrolyte boils off. Higher than normal battery voltages, or electrolyte boiling off more quickly than usual is the first sign of regulator failure. For this reason, a battery electrolyte level inspection should always be a part of you pre-flight inspection.

Jack. :):)

connecting radios.

If you want to add a filter you can get a ready made filter in a shiny can at most cheap automotive stores. The instructions with it will show you how to wire it in.

If you have an ignition system connect the radio after the switch for your ancillaries. Most wiring systems allow you to switch the radio and instruments off while you are starting the engine.

If you do not have an ignition system, connect the radio as close as possible to the battery. In case of a wiring failure or poor connection, the battery will protect your radio from any high voltage excursions. If the regulator fails, the radio will survive until the electrolyte boils off. Higher than normal battery voltages, or electrolyte boiling off more quickly than usual is the first sign of regulator failure. For this reason, a battery electrolyte level inspection should always be a part of you pre-flight inspection.

Jack. :):)

slosh slosh

The tanks in the Sapphire wing are wet wing tanks. I swilled the tank out with raw petrol first, then one wash with acetone, then blew air in for a day. I don't know if this was necessary, but since the tank is normally filled with a two stroke mix, I was concerned with adhesion. I suspended the wing at one end from a high point by rope, tipped the stuff in, and rotated the wing the wing in all directions for a time that I guessed would far exceed the healing time. I also had a small compressor blowing air into the tank all the time, and for about three days afterwards. The stuff had a consistency of and looked like honey, and has a very potent smell similar to acetone.

Waving a Sapphire wing around takes up a lot of space, but the fumes alone would cause you to want to do it outside anyway.

PS - See you are at Jamestown. I dropped in there once a few years ago. Caught up with Tony Witlox there on our trip around Australia in Sapphires.

Jack.:yuk::;)6::;)2:

Sloshing compound

Had great success with fibreglass wing tank in my Sapphire which leaked internally to the wing on purchase. Used 3m EC-776 "Fuel Resistant Coating"

It even blocked the air inlet tube.

Horrible stuff. Depends on evaporation of solvents to cure. I blew air into the tank for days until the smell was minimal.

On inquiry the 3m rep sent me a sample. The sample was 1 quart which was twice what I needed to do the job !

Jack. :)

but what was in the bottle when the pilot threw it out? Was it thrown out because it just been filled?

Jack. :;)6::ah_oh:

Wow ! interesting what you read in this Recreational Aviation forum !

I knew nothing about the Aero Club, and I've only heard a few rumours about the disposal of the airfield. I have my 'plane at Goulburn, and I fly regularly from there, generally on a Saturday. They must be very quiet.

Jack.:;)2::;)2:

Hi Paul,

I would be surprised if your battery was only 8 amp hour! That's ridiculously small for this application. If the battery is too small, or the leads are too thin, the engine should find it hard to crank over. But it would be unlikely to cause it to kick back violently as you are suggesting as a result.

If something is faulty in your present setup, and you overcome it by adding a bigger battery or bigger starter, the original fault will still exist and rear its ugly head again as it gets worse. I suggest you leave changing the system till after the fault is found.

(unless the battery really is only 8 amp hours)

Jack.

The tendency to fire, then lurch and not make it to the next firing position is interesting, and it is with this characteristic in mind that I make the following suggestions. However, now that you have a consistent symptom to describe, the first thing to do is ring Bert Flood. I have found them to be very helpful - they may know straight off what it is.

In reading your post I get the impression this problem started one morning when you tried to start the engine, versus a problem that just got worse over time. When my engine is very cold, or has a low battery, it eventually fails to wind over. It has never thrown a tantrum as you describe. Also, the symptom is consistent, and now occurs every time. I am also assuming you have not just modified, or changed something between when it was working, and now when it is not.

If this is so, I would be looking for something that is actually broken, failed, or disconnected, rather than something that is loose, or out of adjustment, or marginal in its operation. In this case continuing to try to start it, or getting a bigger battery is not the answer: you might be doing damage.

Since it is firing, I would rule out fuel, choke, coil, spark plugs, carburetor, etc for the moment. No doubt you would have turned it over all compressions by hand (with the ignition off) in your pre-flight to see that there is nothing obviously untoward.

I can think of two reasons the motor could be failing to turn over after firing - the ignition system is firing at full advance, or there is a failure of the clutch to impart enough torque to the propeller for the propeller to carry the engine through to the next firing.

The Rotax engine has a dual ignition system, and I think the modules incorporate the automatic advance. There do not seem to be any parts in common between the two systems, although I don’t know how or where the trigger sensors are mounted. (if this mounting has become loose and moved, you would have had an exciting last flight). It is unlikely both modules would have failed in the same way at the same time. To confirm that he failure to start is not caused by one of the ignition modules firing at full advance, try them one at a time. If you have a select key and a start button, this is easy. On my engine, this is not the case. Both modules are supplied with 12 volts by their own red supply wire right at the module, and it is easy to unplug these one at a time there.

In the Rotax Line Maintenance manual (which I downloaded from Rotax site on the internet) there is a procedure for checking the setting of the overload clutch, that does not involve disassembly of the gearbox. It does, however, require some work, so get your overalls on.

If that fails, rip some more pages out of ERSA, and call Adrian.

Jack. :):)

I think a dormancy of six weeks causing erasure is too short. My job requires me to be away at sea for longer periods where the internet is not available. My survey at the end of the year will be 10 weeks. I am not the only seafarer in this community either!

Jack.

What a great weekend !

Thanks Ian. Great to meet the crowd in person.

What a great spot to have a fly in !

The venue on Saturday night at the Port Macquarie flying club just hit the spot too.

Looks like a few of us didn't get home.

Ian took one look at the weather and made the right choice.

Stablartifast - well no doubt he will post his own story.

I overnighted in Bathurst, then got to within 9NM of Goulburn before I had to call it a day.

Yes, Darren, you should have gone !

Jack.

Quite a while ago, I stopped in at Camden Haven to look at an aircraft on offer. See some of the facilities in the background. Another person in my office at work bought it!

Jack.:)

Thanks for the info.

Wot, me cold ?

This was at 11am !

So then, if flying from Mudgee and down the valley, why not turn North at Muswellbrook and bypass the lot? Tiger country, perennial weather problems?

Jack. :;)5::;)5: