IslandPilot

Voltage drops below 28V when go below 1100 RPM. Time to change out the alternator?

Been tolerating this for too long without asking about it. After fully closing cowl flaps during cruise flight, the cowl flaps slowly move to about one fourth of the way open. How normal is this? I return the switch to the off position after closing. I don’t leave the switch in the close position hoping to avoid overworking or burning out the electric motor. Cowl flaps are working normal on the ground, and they stay closed with moderate manual tugging on the cowl flaps. I looked at all the linkage mechanisms under the cowling, and apparently the design does not use an over-center technique or any other technique to lock the cowl flaps fully closed. Maybe the air pressure pushing on the cowl flaps is causes the gearing and electric motor to rotate until that force is balanced by the resistance of the mechanical linkage. Clarification would be appreciated. Thanks.

Found a 7/16-20 hex nut on the floor about 6 inches aft of the rudder pedals on the copilot side of my 1988 M20J 205SE. The nut is 1/4 inch thick. Just a basic hex nut; not a locking nut. Brakes are only on the pilot side. I spent a good while looking up under the panel on the copilot side and at the center console area and around the copilot rudder pedals. All flight control linkages, control linkage mounting points and other hardware use substantially smaller nuts. This 7/16 inch hex nut is much larger than any others I saw being used in the cockpit area. Maybe it came off some part of the seat; I haven't checked that. Any idea where this nut fell from?

Thank you for the replies. Regarding the KAP-150 mode it was set to NAV. Regarding the HSI course setting I was only using the HSI OBS knob to set the HSI to the GPS's DTK; I was under the impression that the HSI heading bug is only used when the KAP-150 is in HDG mode; next time I fly I'll include setting the HDG bug too. Regarding documentation I have read the King KAP-150 guide, but this documentation is pre-GPS days. I also have Garmin 530 documentation and will revisit that in further depth. Again, thanks for the replies.

I have a still-new-to-me 1988 M20J 205SE with a legacy panel including King HSI, KAP-150, and Garmin 530W. No add-ons for GPSS. Approaching a flight plan dog leg en route the 530W gives a countdown signaling to adjust the HSI OBS knob to the new bearing. The plane responds accordingly but soon afterwards the plane is several degrees off the magenta line, and the HSI CDI according shows going off track. After experimenting with crosswinds from the left and then from the right, I’ve concluded that my setting of the OBS bearing is acting much like a heading bug. In other words if I want to get onto and stay on the magenta line, I have to play with the HSI OBS to zero in on a setting that will keep me on the magenta line and thus CDI showing centered. If the wind changes, a new OBS setting is needed to stay on the magenta line. And yes, this is with the 530W CDI mode set to GPS. I’ve looked at the 530W’s boot up settings pages, but I’m not sure if the settings are right. I haven’t changed any of it. For classic VOR and ILS navigation the plane tracks good. Shouldn’t my equipment be able to track the magenta line en route? If so, anyone got advice on which 530W boot up settings to check? Required configuration settings for 530W inputs and outputs?

Greetings! Assuming all goes well with the prebuy/annual I’ll be the proud owner of a M20J. Engine is still undergoing major overhaul, so a bit of waiting. Around mid October (current estimate) I’ll need a CFII that can accompany me for the flight from Atlanta, GA area to the M20J’s new home in Merritt Island, FL (or possibly Melbourne,FL). Subsequently, I’ll need a CFII (same or different CFII) that can provide me with transition training for the M20J. Insurance requires that I receive at least 5 hours of dual training. Insurance requires that the CFII have logged at least 500 hours total time with at least 100 hours of retract time. Additionally, the CFII is required to have logged at least 50 hours in a M20J. Please let me know if you or someone you know is able to help out. Thanks. Contact: BLeger201@gmail.com

Greetings! Assuming all goes well with the prebuy/annual I’ll be the proud owner of a M20J. Engine is still undergoing major overhaul, so a bit of waiting. Around mid October (current estimate) I’ll need a CFII that can accompany me for the flight from Atlanta, GA area to the M20J’s new home in Merritt Island, FL (or possibly Melbourne,FL). Subsequently, I’ll need a CFII (same or different CFII) that can provide me with transition training for the M20J. Insurance requires that I receive at least 5 hours of dual training. Insurance requires that the CFII have logged at least 500 hours total time with at least 100 hours of retract time. Additionally, the CFII is required to have logged at least 50 hours in a M20J. Please let me know if you or someone you know is able to help out. Thanks. Contact: BLeger201@gmail.com