alextstone

Tom, What happened to the turboprop?

Oil screen Sent from my Pixel 5a using Tapatalk

I think there is a way to update your speed brakes to the electric ones.....buuttttt.....it's going to cost more than a little....

I would like to pause for a moment and thank all who have participated in this thread and on this forum in general. I have and continue to rely on your collective expertise to guide me to become a better, safer pilot and maintainer of my aircraft. Your input is greatly appreciated. I feel sometimes like I will be judged negatively from some of the information I share but each time I have those reservations, the responses are largely thoughtful, respectful and very helpful. Thanks again.

Yeah, trust me, I'm not flying it again until we do just that or a compete overhaul. I'm researching my options as to whether and to which carrier a claim should be submitted.

Thanks to all of you who have posted such thoughtful experiences and advice. Last night I filtered the oil and cut open the filter after one hour of run time. I did not have time yet to pull the oil screen. Here are some photos of the metal flakes I found. Sorry about the poor quality of the photos. I'm certainly no expert but impression from looking at them is that they look like the same alloy as that of main bearings. In total, there were perhaps 5-6 flakes in the filter and the same number captured in the filtered oil. i

Agreed... Now, for the rest of the story....I own the maintenance shop and it is owned by the same LLC as the aircraft. I can only imagine the finger pointing that's going to go on between the two insurance companies and I worry what my premium will be next year...ugh I work alongside the A&P and therefore I know intimately how careful and thorough he is. He performed the install in this case because it was the first time and there is a 337 required.

I'm just in denial... You're right. I've been down for four months due to rotator cuff surgery and this was my third flight since then. I have trips scheduled and 5 days of refresher training scheduled also until the end of the year. I'm sick to my stomach.

Please explain further. The engine was without oil pressure for 2 minutes and for the last minute it was at idle. I am not questioning your expertise, rather asking you to educate me as to the decision.

For those who are interested, here's some flight data: Flight track: 8:15:22 am local, Manifold Pressure and Oil Pressure begin to drop: 8:15:36 Manifold Pressure at 32.5 inches and I first recognize the problem 8:15:54 Turn back initiated and Oil Pressure near zero 8:16:10 Power Reduced to Idle in the decent 08:17:58 Shutdown of engine

Thanks, I am interested in how yours compares...

I've been refecting on that very thing... Would I have been able to navigate back in IMC? I practice that scenario and I never want to try it for real

I have an extra seal that came with the filter. I placed it on the filter and it it also slightly larger in diameter, FWIW

As you are aware, parts availability has been an issue lately. With that in mind, I decided to install a Challenger reusable oil filter on my 1995 Bravo. Actually, an A&P who works at my shop did it for me. I flew the airplane about an hour last weekend with no issues. This morning, as I departed my home field climbing through about 600 ft AGL, my manifold pressure dropped from 36" to 32". I immediately looked over my left shoulder and started a turn back to the field. When I looked back at the MP, it had dropped to 25" and was continuing to fall. I declared an emergency and landed. The engine ran smoothly the entire time. As I was rolling to the taxiway, I noted that the oil pressure had dropped to zero. I shut the engine down and I was towed back to the shop.... In that span of time, I lost virtually all of the engine oil. The instructions for installation of the filter state that one should spin it on until resistance is felt and then turn 1/4 turn, which the A&P was confident he did. As you can see from the photos, the seal seems to be slightly larger in diameter than the slot that is machined into the filter that houses it. What is your opinion? Is the seal a poor design, are the instructions incorrect (more tightening required)? Was the filter simply installed incorrectly? A combination? Does this rise to the level of an FAA service difficulty report? Thanks for your input. Alex Touchstone

Thank you, Rich.

What valve spring compressor do you prefer?

Interesting! Please keep posting updates. I've registered for the same next May. Sent from my Pixel 5a using Tapatalk

Way to go, Pinecone. You've managed to drop that you are an engineer and an ex military jet pilot. Bravo.

https://www.aircraftspruce.com/catalog/lgpages/hydfluid5606qt.php?clickkey=43943

Here's another trick....rename the Excel worksheet as a .csv file...lie to the software essentially. Then notify the receiver to rename it as a .xls....

Try converting it to a .csv file...

And this, gentlemen and ladies, is the internet equivalent of a mic drop. Don, you are such a wealth of experience and knowledge. Thank you for being such an active contributor to this forum. Respectfully, Alex

I'll chime in...I've owned a J an Ovation, an Acclaim and now a Bravo. Of the four, my favorite to fly was the Acclaim although now that I have a GFC500 installed, the difference is diminished considerably. As Don Kaye stated though, the acquisition cost, maintenance and insurance were significantly higher for the Acclaim than the Bravo. The Bravo offers me similar performance while keeping my costs down to some degree relatively speaking. My wife and I routinely fly 5.5 hour legs over most weather, etc. We trust the aircraft. That's saying a lot. Having FIKI is essential for the places we go. Yes, it's an expensive engine to maintain. However, it's half to 2/3 as expensive as a twin. As an aside, sadly, I read an accident report of a brand new Cirrus SR22 that crashed, killing several on board last week. Engine failure. All planes are dangerous to some degree. Having one that has stood the test of time and has been well maintained to me is in some ways safer than the "shiny new penny" and it is orders of magnitude less expensive. Just ramblings from a guy who loves Mooney, loves aviation and it always trying to learn more.

Call BAS Air Parts or Texas Air Salvage. There are others too... Try Google "Aircraft Salvage Parts"

I'm not saying it's a bad autopilot but the Garmin is more capable albeit at a higher cost. Plus we are moving toward avionics parity in our two planes so that we both are more familiar with each.