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Skyland

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Everything posted by Skyland

  1. Thanks for the Pirep on the Death Valley airports. Seems the conditions haven't improved since I landed at Stove Pipe two years ago and drove to Furnace Creek and walked that runway a while back as well. The Park Service used to have a Cessna based at Furnace Creek years ago for patrolling the Park. Seems they're no longer interested in keeping up the airport. Too bad, both locations are well suited for fly in business. The hundreds of miles of paved roads in DV are generally in excellent condition, and they get repaired quickly after flood damage. Can't see why a mile of runway pavement is so difficult. There must be $$ available somewhere for some maintenance rather than just closing them. It's a huge Park, the size of Connecticut. The airports were there long before becoming a NP. Emergency usage comes to mind as well. Thanks again for the report.
  2. @AndreiC So how's the Furnace Creek runway? It was closed last month for over a week and was hoping it was for surface reconditioning to improve the terrible bumps and pavement upheavals. I telephoned the Park for info but nobody returned the call. Looking to fly out there again this spring. Maybe a West Coast Mooney get-together?
  3. I paid around 35 for the Jazzy motor/gearbox from eBay. Plenty of power and well built.
  4. Search for Kobalt 24V battery adapter. I'm impressed by how much power that battery puts out. My original goal was to make a lightweight tug to bring along in the plane. This motor/gearbox is very well built and it all turned out to be a bit heavy and awkward with the protruding bits so it stays in the hangar. I really only use it when the ramp is wet and slippery. Otherwise I find it easier to push the plane the old fashioned way.
  5. Here's my CB tug I cobbled together. Used a powered wheelchair motor and gearbox off eBay. Started out with a rubber capstan but it slipped too much on the tire when wet. Now use a HF abrasive sanding wheel that works well. The larger diameter of the new wheel raised the geometry so had to bend the handle for clearance. End of the handle is not in the picture but extends out like the hand tow bar. The switch plus fwd/rev is in the handle. All told only a little over a hundred bucks in the project and some home machine shop fun.
  6. Any updates to gathering in Kerrville for the April 8 eclipse?
  7. Antenna length is inversely proportional to frequency. The higher the frequency, the shorter the wavelength, the shorter the antenna. That's why I can't understand why a 406 antenna can't be offered in a short version. A quarter wavelength 121.5 antenna computes to about 62cm (24"). Could be it's wire wound and can be 1/4 that length (as I understand it) which is probably the length of the antennas under the tail fin. All the 406 antennas I've seen are straight wire whips and computes to about 36cm (14") 1/2 wave. That seems to be about the length of those. Additionally, don't the new ELTs transmit both frequencies? Maybe the 121.5 antenna is in the base while the 406 antenna is the wire whip. Any antenna gurus in the group?
  8. I'd like to replace my 121.5 ELT with a 406 but reluctant to install a long whip antenna outside the fuselage somewhere. I like that the old antenna is hidden underneath the fiberglass dorsal fin. Any solutions to this dilemma?
  9. As you may recall, last year on May 9, 2022, I experienced a complete flame out and off-field landing just short of Double Eagle (KAEG) in Albuquerque. The root cause of the D-3000 dual mag failure has haunted me - until now. The mag failed at 209 hours after the overhauled exchange. Mags checked good upon departure but both point gaps closed to zero during cruise 1.5 hours after takeoff. The FAA sent an IA the next morning to remove the mag. The inspector found that both point gaps were at zero. Also, inside the cap was a condenser wire with melted insulation where it had been rubbing on the cam. The common thinking seemed to be that the burned and shorted condenser wire would have simply grounded out one mag leaving the other unaffected. The glaring evidence that everyone seemed to ignore was the burned and shorted wire was causing a much bigger problem. With the help of my local IA and his mag tester stand, we mounted up a dual mag and shorted out a wire from one point connection to the rotating cam. Sparks flew and temperatures rose quickly on the cam. So, what happened in my mag turned out to be an installation error with a condenser wire touching the cam that took 200 hours to finally wear through the insulation. The cam heated up softening both point rubbing blocks nearly simultaneously to the point of closure. It does baffle me that the mag is designed that it is even possible for this wire to be routed to cause such a problem. At least there's some satisfaction in knowing that the mag itself is rather robust as long as precautions are taken not to misroute the condenser wires in the path of moving parts.
  10. Regarding the Dukes, back in 2003 in our 1977J partnership, I had the actuator fail on take off - at night, nonetheless. It resulted in failure of the gear to retract and the inability of the emergency extension system to operate. Here's what led up to this event. Mooney SB M20-190B calls for checking the backlash of the actuator worm and pinion gears every 100 hours. In our IA's estimation he felt there was excessive play, and since a new pinion gear was available we sent the actuator to a well known West Coast facility who specializes in actuator repairs. A new gear was installed and after installation back into the plane, the gear swing operated at twice the speed. Wham up, wham down. Didn't feel right at all. Come to find out there are 40:1 and 20:1 gears. Apparently, a new 20:1 gear was installed and the shop insisted all is fine. Well, slow forward a mere one month later and the system failed. Upon selecting gear up, a terrible grinding sound was heard. Immediately put the gear switch to the down position and more continuous grinding. I know, instantly reversing the motor is no doubt a big no no but it was somewhat instinctual trying to save the actuator. Pulled the gear motor C/B this time to stop the grinding. Continued climbing to a safe altitude and reported to the tower my issue. Circled in the area attempting to troubleshoot. Fortunately, the gear indicator in the floor was lined up indicating it failed in the down position. Don't recall the annunciator light status. Upon activating the emergency extension system, the handle just freewheeled. Oh oh, couldn't confirm gear was actually locked. Tower didn't seem too concerned and no equipment was called. Came in and made a nice soft landing and gently taxied to the hanger. Looking at the gear over center mechanism the next morning it was floppy loose. Couldn't believe the gear held. Called that shop to report what happened and their response was they received replacement gears that were not heat treated. Ya, thanks for letting us know. Probably explains the stripped teeth on the new gear. The original pinion gear was reinstalled and to my knowledge it still in the plane to this day, knowing the current owner.
  11. This may help. It's for the Anderson Brass fuel selector but the process may be similar with different valves.
  12. Maybe you just offered an explanation for my dual mag failure last year. The follower blocks on both points wore or melted down simultaneously causing both point gaps to go to zero. Turns out the A&P who installed the mag unknowingly had a condenser wire touching the cam or shaft.
  13. As long as we're waiting to hear back from the trim motor resolution... Lucas - "Inventor of the intermittent wiper"
  14. Similar problem on a 77 J trim motor a while back. Removed the cover and discovered the brush ring had come loose. After reinstalling the brush ring the trim motor functioned normally again. Sometimes you get lucky. I like the electrical engineer's mantra in that most electrical problems are really mechanical problems - a broken wire, bad connection, cold solder joint, etc. The components themselves on a properly designed circuit are usually quite robust.
  15. The fuel selector in my 1979 J also was very stiff. Mine is an Anderson Brass unit located in the center of the floor just aft of the center console. The parts manual says serial numbers 24-0378 to 24-1176 could be Airight or Anderson Brass. That's in the 78-79 time frame. It was an easy fix. If the Airight is similarly constructed maybe it can be serviced as follows. Lower the fuel levels (of course) then unscrew the selector nut that surrounds the shaft. Lift the selector nut over the shaft along with a spring that applies downward pressure to the diverter cone. Lift the one piece selector shaft and conical diverter cone out of the fuel selector body. Apply a VERY thin coating of EZ Turn Lube (Aircraft Spruce) to the cone and reassemble using new orings. MS9388-016 (1/16x5/8x3/4) for the nut and M83248-1-011 (1/16x5/16x7/16) for the shaft. Use oring lube on the rings, not EZ Lube. All this can be performed from inside the cabin without removing the fuel selector body or fuel lines. Hope this helps.
  16. Mine is doing something similar. Flew to the east coast a few months ago and all was perfect until about an hour from my destination. Just flying along and the engine started fluctuating a bit as you describe. Analyzed engine data best I could, saw some RPM variance, oil pressure solid, fuel pressure slight variation but I don't know how solid it should be, CHTs, EGTs all normal. So is it the prop governor or is the engine power changing and the governor is doing its job to keep the RPMs constant? The return flights to the west coast were mostly fine with the issue only occasionally occurring. Just returned from another coast to coast trip and the engine ran perfect. So I'm still in the watch and see mode but it would be nice to know what's up on those rare occasions.
  17. If the Amphicar had wings I wouldn't want to fly in it. But it's a piece of transportation history and always draws a crowd. The fun factor needle is way up there.
  18. Nice day yesterday in Hollister. Cal Fire tour, glider introduction and a nice lunch. Look forward to the next Mooney west coast fly-in.
  19. Hollister Mooney fly-in tomorrow - Saturday, May 27. Yes, the all too common IFR in the morning but forecast to burn off around 10 with VFR after that. Show up when you can, parking near the fuel island. Glider introduction, Cal Fire aircraft tour and lunch. Hope to see you. Ken 408-605-9702
  20. Hollister in a week - May 27. I confirmed with the Cal Fire folks for our aircraft tour as well as Hollister Soaring Center. I’d like to give the restaurant a heads-up on the number so if you think you may be coming send me a quick note (if you haven’t already) and I’ll let them know beforehand. Thanks and looking forward to seeing you all. kenchambers2 at “gee”mail dot com
  21. Hollister is in a big open valley clear all the way to San Jose. A low mountain range to the west between it and Salinas helps keep the summertime coastal fog away. All the California valleys can be shrouded in morning fog at times but usually burns off by noon.
  22. Two weeks for the Hollister get-together. I’m out in Georgia now with my Mooney but returning in a week or so. I see several have expressed interest in attending. Kindly reply here or privately to me if you think you may come so I have some idea of the numbers. Thanks kenchambers2 at “gee”mail dot com
  23. Reminder for the Hollister fly-in three weeks from now. Look forward to seeing a friendly crowd.
  24. Weekly ping for the Hollister Mooney get-together May 27 Let's get together in Hollister (KCVH) for some fun. Hollister is one of CalFire's 14 air attack bases in California. https://calfire.blogspot.com/2012/05/cal-fire-hollister-air-attack-base-is.html The friendly CalFire folks look forward to giving a facilities and aircraft tour for us Mooney pilots. Their firefighting aircraft arrive beginning of May for the season along with ongoing training activities. Hollister Soaring Center is located next to CalFire and they'll also give us a tour of their glass ships. https://hollistersoaringcenter.com/ And what's a Mooney fly-in without food? Seabrisa's Eatery is very good and right there as well. (The restaurant doesn't appear to have their own web page. This link didn't seem to work last time but try it again or Google it). https://savorsanbenito.com/places/seabrisas-eatery/ Tentative schedule: 11am - arrive and tour the glider operation noon - CalFire tour 1pm - Seabrisa lunch Looking forward to seeing you all.
  25. Let's get together in Hollister (KCVH) for some fun. Hollister is one of CalFire's 14 air attack bases in California. https://calfire.blogspot.com/2012/05/cal-fire-hollister-air-attack-base-is.html Just visited the friendly CalFire folks there and they look forward to giving a facilities and aircraft tour for us Mooney pilots. Their firefighting aircraft arrive beginning of May for the season along with ongoing training activities. Hollister Soaring Center is located next to CalFire and they'll also give us a tour. https://hollistersoaringcenter.com/ And what's a Mooney fly-in without food? Seabrisa's Eatery is very good and right there as well. https://savorsanbenito.com/places/seabrisas-eatery/ Tentative schedule: 11am - arrive and tour the glider operation noon - CalFire tour 1pm - Seabrisa lunch So mark your calendars for May 27. As the date approaches it would be good to get a headcount so the venues can get a heads-up on our numbers. More later.
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