A64Pilot

A 150 even with 40 degrees of flap at certification altitudes would go around with full flap, even if marginally. I believe the 152 had a increased gross weight and the higher gross weight took marginal to ain’t happening, so the flaps were reduced to 30 degrees or so I was told. Of course there are some airfields at an altitude that a 150 or 152 can’t take off regardless of flap setting. ‘But flap settings are sometimes other things too, for instance the piston engine Thrush crop duster has 40 degrees of flap, but the factory turbine only has 15 degrees, the reason for 15 degrees is the excessive attitude change on a full power go around was excessive so the flaps were reduced, but there are STC’s that put a turbine on a Thrush that keep the 40 degrees of flap. You don’t need flaps to slow down on a turbine, the prop min pitch can be set flat enough so that it’s a huge speed brake, much more effective to slow you than flaps, and 15 degrees on that airplane is about where you get the most lift without a lot of drag.

Yes that one. I didn’t even know of it’s existence and “found” it outside on the ramp at the museum, they also had a B-17 with horribly damaged leading edges. I asked about the damage and was told it was a fire bomber in the past, I’m not sure why fire bombing would cause so much damage? Anyway maybe because I was in a military flight suit, I got to go inside and climb around in the HE-111 They had a lot of neat stuff at the Museum, and what was really interesting was it wasn’t behind ropes and glass cases etc, I got a good look at a Gnome rotary engine for example and I’d never seen one before. It was really interesting, it had extremely weak valve springs for instance, I believe they were for starting only. the rocker arms had counter weights on them, I believe these weights provided the closing force for the valves, the faster it spun, the greater the force if I’m right, which is pretty darn smart, a lot of energy is lost through valve springs on a conventional engine, they knew that and came up with a better way, over 100 years ago. It’s astonishing how much was known way back in the day, My Wife’s Grandfather for instance was an aircraft mechanic I assume right after WWI, he got his license by a correspondence course, I have most of those books, the attached photo is from one of them where the average aircraft is shown to illustrate parts. It’s a Curtiss JN-4 Jenny. I never met him, he was gone before I came around, but his legacy if you will is still around. He later worked at Turner Air Force base in Albany Ga., and built a “drop tank” luggage carrier for some kind of aircraft there, the Col liked it and on one trip to Japan in a B-52 bought him a set of China as a gift, so now my Daughter’s set of China was smuggled into the US in the belly of a Nuclear bomber, how many can say that? Somewhere I have a Nose gland nut wrench for a YP-59 too, what surprises me about that is it’s a cast manufactured part or possibly forged, for a experimental airplane. On edit, what these books are particularly good at is wood repair as of course most aircraft were constructed from wood, it tells you how to make your own adhesives and all kinds of info that’s over my head actually as I have no experience with wood. ‘But anyway in school now we are told things like don’t use a non castellated nut on a drilled bolt, but not told why, his old books explained it was due to the drilled cavity being trapped under the nut could lead to corrosion and eventual failure of the bolt, they knew that over 100 years ago, and went to the trouble of explaining it, now we are just told not to.

I heard ATC tapes of a drunk in flight probably 50 years ago, ATC was asking things like what’s your heading and the slurred answer of west, no South etc would come back. ‘He didn’t survive, the autopsy didn’t show all that much alcohol, he shouldn’t have been that disoriented, what did it was altitude, I guess a little hypoxia and a little drunk combine to completely incapacitate you. This was back in the day when people would drive or fly after a drink or two, it wasn’t illegal or uncommon, the point was to try to show that you can be OK on the ground, but not at altitude. This was also when everyone smoked, one demonstration I remember vividly was someone on Oxygen exhaled though a lit cigarette, which promptly broke out into a serious flame of course. My Mother wasn’t happy, because my Father wouldn’t let her smoke on Oxygen anymore. You enter a different environment in flight, and physiology etc changes, and or effects different people differently

Maybe, but the FAA will disagree with you, the aircraft MM takes precedence, the aircraft manual is supposed to call out a different torque if for some reason it’s more correct in that application.

Ref cleaning off old cork gaskets, put a wire brush in one side of your bench grinder and the cork just disappears, takes about 30 sec per cover. I learned this on car valve covers 45 years ago, then we glued them on with 3M weather strip adhesive, so they were REALLY stuck on. Oh, obviously use a gasket scraper to remove most of it first, the wire brush is for the stuck on stuff. ‘Once you have that wire brush you’ll find many uses for it, for instance it will take rusty bolt threads and make them look new in just a few seconds, but be careful because it can also launch bolts and things with significant velocity

Need to fly my C-140, fly with the windows open, sticking an arm out will almost put it in a standard rate turn. Ref anti chafe tape, I use this as even putting it on both sides won’t require different lengths of Camlocs etc. I believe it’s 1/2 of a thousands thick yes, that’s .0005 https://www.aircraftspruce.com/catalog/cspages/tefloncoatedtape.php I believe that’s thinner than paper on average?

Glad you survived, this was IMC? IMC brings down the survival rate significantly, good job. The NTSB report was interesting, at first I thought they were going after the IA, but didn’t blame him, blamed the Government for not calling out interior furnishings condition. Interesting conclusion, not one I agree with as Airworthiness is to a great extent an opinion, there simply is no way every possible thing that can effect airworthiness can be called out, and trying to is how we end up with way over complex regulations.

Touch and go’s are just that, touch and go. A touch and go has the runway cleared faster than a full stop, cause your only on the ground for 2 sec or so. I don’t understand this reconfiguring and getting the checklist out. ‘Even in a 152 I was taught touch, full throttle, take off, retract flaps to half, then fully retract after climbing some, carb heat was pushed in on short final so all you had to do was add throttle. ‘If your trying to retrim, retract flaps and I don’t know but maybe open cowl flaps and other things before you go, you guys are right, with all these steps your likely to screw something up. Touch, then go, after you go, methodically clean up the cockpit, don’t get in a hurry though, it’s not a timed event, she climbs just fine at full flaps, even with the gear down, go out and try it and see.

Before the Mooney I flew without insurence, I figured if I broke it, I was going too fix it anyway, only aircraft with a higher insurence rate than a Maule is a Husky, seems people buy an airplane and think that makes them a bush pilot. ‘However the Mooney has retracts, and I don’t care how good you are, there exists a possibility of a gear malfunction, so I’m insuring it. ‘If you insure,just don’t under insure, I saw an old guy lose his Maule that way, He broke an Oleo strut, which is not even as bad as a gear up, but the insurence company showed up and wrote him a check, and turned around and sold it for about what it was insured for. He had the airplane for a long time and never increased its insured value ‘He bought it back from the buyer, but it cost him I think about 10K, but it was fixed then.

Any Certified aircraft can have a low wing lifted by the rudder, it’s the reason many aircraft have aileron to rudder interconnects, so check the interconnect but I’d be surprised if that’s it. ‘Once your sure fuel is balanced etc. you’ll most likely end up tweaking the trailing edge of an aileron, I’ve not read it, but I’m sure it’s in the manual. But if i cruise the ball is centered the odds of it being rudder are small

Been to Mesa picking up aircraft etc many times. ‘Did you go to the museum on the other side of the airfield? They had an HE-111 when I did.

I enlisted in 1982 as a 67V, OH-58 repairer, took me almost four years and three attempts to get picked up for flight school, a few towards the end of flight school got to select our aircraft, I picked the AH-64. ‘I Retired in 2002, since then somehow or another, I’ve lost most of my trinkets, that was actually another life it seems

It was I believe 1983, I had just completed my first phase inspection of an OH-58 helicopter. Phase is similar to an annual. These were Vietnam era helicopters, so pretty old. The test pilot got in after the pre flight of course and started pulling circuit breakers, there was one or two that couldn’t be pulled. There is no inspection to check if they can be pulled, it’s not in the book, but from then on when an aircraft got inducted into phase, one of the first things I did was to pull all of the breakers. Assumption is, given enough time they may corrode in place, maybe in an overload they will still trip. but if you can’t pull it, it’s bad. ‘So, ever since then whenever I annual, I pull all of the breakers, it’s one reason I dislike the flush breakers Cessna and others use

Clean plugs pretty much rule out excess fuel and or a broken ring consuming too much oil, which does seem to indicate a leaking valve guide seal, because what else is there? Cracked head is a disturbing thought, could be I guess. I don’t think push rod tube or valve cover myself, it seems to be coming from inside of the exhaust. ‘OEM gaskets are thin sheet steel, but the gasket isn’t the problem, meaning putting new ones in won’t fix the issue, maybe hide it. ‘Have you done a cylinder leak down test? Unless it shows something I believe I’d pull the cylinder and take it to a shop that overhauls them, and have them inspect.

What do the plugs look like?

I’ve never flown a Cirrus, but it’s my understanding that they are flown with trim, with the side stick, I would expect that. ‘I have flown a Lot of C-210 time, and the controls are so heavy many if not most are running the trim up on final. ‘Finally Ray Maule gave me my check out and however many hours dual insurence required, he taught on final, run the trim full up, that gives you neutral stick force in a slow approach. Landing slow in a three point attitude is the best way for a novice pilot to handle a Maule It was the Maule that taught me to not do that, on go-around when you slammed that IO-540 to full throttle. it literally took both hands pushing hard to keep the airplane from a zoom climb, and then of course a stall, and with full throttle probably a half turn spin before you impacted, I’m not sure a lightly built pilot could have held the nose down it was so bad, really a bad thing to teach in my opinion, Maule stick forces are nothing compared to the 210 so it was unnecessary

Hoppes #9 $15 a quart and of course it stays good, you reuse it over and over. Don’t buy the tiny bottles, I used to shoot a lot. https://www.walmart.com/ip/Hoppes-No-9-Gun-Bore-Cleaner-Powder-Solvent-1-Quart/23237549 Usually what’s used to de copper high velocity rifle barrels like 220 swift, 22-250 etc is a very high concentration of ammonia cleaning solutions, lead is usually mechanically cleaned out, I don’t think Hoppes is very aggressive on metals, not like ammonia is anyway. Hoppes goes after carbon from burnt powder really well I used an ultrasonic with stainless steel interior, buy an ultrasonic, you’ll use it for all kinds of things from cleaning jewelry to lawnmower carburetors. a 50/50 mix of Mr Clean and water works wonders for most stuff. ‘On edit I bought Gami’s for my IO-540, waste of money. My IO-360 runs smooth until it just loses so much power it pretty much dies, I don’t know what the “Gami spread” is but it will run smooth leaned to 5 GPH at 22 squared, won’t fly power is so low, but it’s still smooth.

The local expert on the field told me that, as I was an A&P prior to being a civilian pilot I’ve not really worried about what a pilot is or isn’t allowed to do Just looked it up. funny how Xponders and DME are disallowed? But you can R&R an ILS receiver, but not DME? Wonder why? AFCS I can see the justification there.

That’s standard Garmin, if they do like they do for boat electronics, next time you call they will tell you its no longer supported. you have to shell out big money for the new Garmin xxx. ‘Will they fix a 430 still? Seems honestly just like yesterday when it was the new greatest thing. I expect they may have stopped with it. ‘However it’s what I love about the old King stuff, even decades old, you can still get it fixed

This, either short flight or possibly high altitudes where it was really cold

Modern automobiles are in essence FADEC, and have significant software in the systems, and engine control software is very hard to get Certified. I would be interested to know what Cirrus went through with the Vision jet, if I hadn’t read it, I would have told you what they have done wasn’t possible. But aircraft engines won’t really respond or need nearly as much timing variation an automobile does as we operate in a narrow RPM band and load, where a car operates in a very wide RPM and load range. ‘Plus play much with timing and you can set up resonance frequencies that can wreck props, don’t believe me, call Hartzell Propellor. ‘Having said all of that, I would gladly swap my (D) mag for electronic ignition, real hot ignition among other things out to allow for wide electrode gaps, and that with the proper plug type will make things like starting much better, to say nothing of making lean mixtures initiate burn more reliably ‘If it were self generating, wouldn’t that make it a electronic magneto? I wonder how big that second battery has to be and how is it wired, can it be simply connected to the first via a diode bank? On edit, probably are going to hear it’s $10,000 or something, which for me makes it unobtanium

I use soapy water and a brush, or an eye dropper. Idea is to not have any bubbles, any bubbles means a leak, if you were careful with a spray bottle I’m sure that would work, just dribble the liquid out

If they are brass, definitely. If chrome sure, but I doubt it’s going to help, maybe chrome just clean with alcohol or whatever. ‘I can’t quote chapt and verse, but it’s my understanding a pilot can remove a radio, but can’t reinstall. As they are pretty much identical operations I don’t understand that. On installation I let the screw get started and screw it in until the radio begins to move, then pressing both sides evenly I seat the radio by hand. I do this in the hope by doing it by hand I’ll feel if it catches where the screw would continue to apply pressure until maybe something broke. but anyway turn the screw until it takes up the slack, then push the radio fully seated, take up slack, seat by hand again, it often takes twice, then tighten the screw until snug, not real tight, your not trying to hold it tight, just to keep the radio from loosening, but I have never seen one busted. ‘I’ve never had one catch on anything either, but with what radios cost, I hand seat just in case ‘Look at the holding device, prior to installation ensure it’s turned in reverse, then install and screw it in a little, pull gently on the radio, it shouldn’t come out of course,it is possible to have it not right, and then it won’t hold the radio in. Once in a blue moon removing a radio and using a pencil eraser to clean the contacts helps, but you really can’t clean the ones in the rack, maybe with contact cleaner. ‘Oh, and all I have ever seen were internal wrenching, takes an allen wrench not a screwdriver, and I haven’t seen one that took a metric wrench, but I bet that’s coming

As has been said, some grass is smoother and as firm as pavement, I prefer grass over pavement, it’s easier on the aircraft. Then there are gravel bars ‘I live on a grass strip, rougher than I’d like but it’s been OK so far. I keep the lower gear doors on, and in my case I think it’s the gear donuts if anything that won’t last as long as if I were on pavement as my strip is bumpy, I’m a J model but we have a TLS on the field too But if you want to fly the backcountry, get yourself a Super Cub or a Maule, an IO-540 Maule is pretty capable, although for pure back country a 360 with fixed prop could be argued to be better, but as airplanes go Maule’s are undervalued, meaning for an airplane pretty inexpensive, the SC on the other hand is just the opposite. ‘Don’t “wack” it and a couple of years later when you get it out of your system, you should be able to sell it and lose no money if you were careful buying. Lots of people buy and sell airplanes ever year or two and fly for pretty much nothing, they of course buy “right”, several even make not an insignificant amount of money doing it, same as the Stock Market, similar risks I guess. Off airport is fun, it’s something that every pilot should enjoy, but like everything else having the right equipment really helps.

There are inexpensive elastic nets used on motorcycles to secure stuff to the seat, they are made from bungee cord. ‘One of those would work well to secure stuff on the hat rack if you wanted, only light stuff of course Seems even harbor freight has one https://www.harborfreight.com/12-in-x-15-in-motorcycle-cargo-net-69621.html?cid=paid_google|||69621&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=&utm_content=&gclid=Cj0KCQjw38-DBhDpARIsADJ3kjmkXYxRG6AUY_qUdRzoREzYzw5iNHZTzVkojtpwqxMGOQ4hql8ETB8aArCcEALw_wcB