jetdriven

Here is our latest GAMI test. Notice all EGT peak at a FF of 9.0 GPH. This is stock injectors, 1 swapped for 4 and all cleaned with acetone. 10 GPH is 50 ROP, 9 GPH is peak, and 8 GPH is 50 LOP. It costs us 13 MPH but we save 2 GPH. Figuring in fixed costs, somewhere around 10-30 LOP is the most ECON cruise. This is around 65-70% power. CHTs are around 370 at 50 ROP, in the 330 range at 30-50 LOP. 70 LOP they are around 300.

Many more pilots run their engines ROP than LOP, and shops do many cylinder replacements and top overhauls. SO I'd say that more engines need cylinders that are run ROP than LOP. These are air-cooled engines and exceeding CHT of 400 dF will damage them. Most of this advice hanst been updated since the 1960s. However Lycoming recommends peak up to 75%, so if your engine can run smoothly past peak, why not? I do know that LOP is lower cylinder pressure, lower FF, lower CHT, and a slight speed loss, perhaps 5% of power, which can be recovered with 1-2" more manifold pressure. There is a place for ROP also, such as takeoff, final approach, full speed air races, and anytime you are so high you can't maintain acceptable airspeed LOP or at peak, because ROP does make more power. We save 10-12$ an hour running 65-70% at LOP. Its basically, "Free engine reserve when operated LOP".

clean them and swap them around. Ours peaked #1 at 8.8 GPH, #2 was 8.2, #3 was 8.3, #4 was 7.9. after they all peak at the same FF, in this case, 4K, 62% power, at 8.6 GPH.

Quote: sleepingsquirrel It turns out the Yak flew the whole race with his gear down and then when he came into land, he put the gear up. Yes, that confused.

G: there are two transistors that are sorta connected together in mine. Test the transistors individually, and you can replace them with a MOSFET transistor. there are also two ridiculously small fuses in there as well. And a rheostat.

Ours as delivered would start to shudder about peak. The GAMI spread was 2.5 GPH. we swapped #1 injector with #4, cleaned them all, and it would run smoothly to 10 LOP. Installing tempest fire wire plugs now it runs smooth to 70-90 LOP. GAMI spread is somewhere less than .1 GPH. This on stock injectors, now we can run WOT LOP at 4,000' and control airspeed with the mixture, around 8.4-9.0 GPH, 330-360 CHTs as well.

Quote: OR75 http://www.sensata.com/klixon/circuit-breaker-aircraft-20tc.htm what is wrong with these ?

Quote: Geoff Greg, If you need a new light dimmer box please contact Stacy Ellis at the factory. I have contacted the factory and they don't have any in stock, so they are currently thinking about whether they will build one for me. I suspect that if they have a couple of orders for the same part, they might build them and we will both get our much needed parts sooner. Sort of the opposite of field of dreams. Let them come and pehaps we will build it.

Yes the nose gear doors aren't closing all the way, the last shop that worked on it adjusted them a little, but now the nose gear hits the left door when towing it around. they operate on an eccentric along with the nose gear, and the whole gear system must be rerigged to change that. We will, though.

How many candlepower are these LED lights? Our XeVision is 750K CP.

Are you sure the FAA considers tehm a major alteration? If your Mooney had visors installed before, and the Rosen's are PMA (I think they are) its just a logbook signoff. We changed a Northstar GPS-60 GPS to King KLN-89B (VFR) and it was just a log signoff..

ours has the alcor EGT indicator and an MPI monitor its just a standard type K ungrounded thermocouple. 50$ from aircraft spruce.

Sorry, an old sailing and car racing term. Protest means to contest the results.

We have though of that and I am aware that strobes count as anti-collisiion lights just like a Cirrus. However, Houston has a large amount of traffic and that Whelen belly strobe is super bright. I like the red baron XP or something like that, but they are like 700$. That's the ultimate solution. We just bought the plane and spent around 5K fixing things and getting the aera, panel dock, and panel straightened up. I did remove an old LORAN antenna and that had to be one knot. I got two Comant shark fin antennas to replace the old "ball on a stick" transponder and DME antennas. I'd bet the belly strobe is another knot. If the LED collison lights come down much at all, we will likely get one. The final antenna hurdle is the cat whiskers, I hate them. We havent heard back from the protest committee except he noticed our speed was alarmingly low, and seeing as how they calculated we finished two minutes longer than a C182L and 1 minute faster than a Cherokee 180, its going to be re-figured. We have the track log from the Aera and it shows time over every waypoint. Our aera mounts above the audio panel front and center, check my photos to see. I think we are the first to do it that way. Its a poor-mans 430. We love it.

Quote: carusoam Becca, Nice work, must have been a busy 57 minutes. Best regards, -a-

We are protesting the results. There is an error somewhere, and we think it is exactly 10 minutes, which makes her speed 152 knots, and that is 179 MPH. Our declared index was 180, so there you have it. It indicates 183 MPH with two people, perhaps smooth air and one person, 185. That is about 180 MPH CAS. Mooney's dont like low level WOT flying, they go faster and with 1/2 the fuel burn at 6000'. We will enter the races again, and there are a couple drag mods we can do as well.

Quote: JimR

Frosty: I do it the same way, LOP, lean to keep it under 380-400. Usually our CHT is 350-360. And just as we land I have checked it several times, its around 330-350. Cant shock cool it if you aren't cooling it. Also, the mixrture is only ever full rich just before takeoff power to 1,000'. Also, run that tank dry! You got 8 gallons on board, legal 45 mins fuel. Do you switch tanks? Do you have 3 gallons in one side or 5? How do you know? You do if its all in one tank.

Our 1977 J weighs 1769 lbs. leaves a 971 lb useful load. This plane has dual 170B's, aera, KLN-89B, full VOR's, KN61 DME. etc the plane power alternator lost a few pounds. Also for the KR87 ADF.

FWIW my plane had bladders installed 19 years ago. No leaks, a 960 LB useful load, and no trapped water in wrinkles. If Willmar or Maxwell will warranty their resela for 20 years, go with them. 30 pounds is nothing.

Our #3 is like that, it is a 3/8" washer thermocouple under the factory bayonet probe. Works great.

Quote: sleepingsquirrel Cool your fuel with bags of ice around the fuel tubing from the tanks. Psych out your competitors by putting bags of ice on the wing to pre cool the fuel in the tanks. Hell ,just for fun bring in ten gallons of fuel that you have left in the freezer , be sure it is in insulated jackets and that your competition sees you pour it in just before the race! Don't tell them what you are doing, they will be so distracted trying to figure it out around the course they will give up time.

Great ideas, guys. Keep them coming. I did a test flight today with me only, full fuel (bigtime forward CG) and at full throttle, 2700 RPM, full rich and got 183 MPH IAS. Which is something like 178 MPH CAS. Interestingly the FF was 17 GPH and the CHT (cowl flaps closed) was 340 average. I think it can be leaned more. We just put in fine wire plugs and cleaned the injectors, our GAMI spread is .1 GPH. So everything is well balanced. I think lean to 380 CHT will be the limiting factor. We also removed the old LORAN antenna from the belly so that might be a couple MPH, and replaced an ACK ELT antenna with a Pointer unit, so there another MPH maybe. Cinder blocks in the bag compartment to get a reasonable aft CG too, our elevator is deflected up a few degrees in cruise. We have no step or ram air. Cowl flaps rigged tight up against the cowl. I figure 750-1000 feet altitude and smooth control deflections, bank angles of 45-60 degrees around turns. Tape baggage door shut. keep scoop vent tight closed. Probably should tape it too. @ Testwest, great idea about trying different RPM. We will do that. Also with the configuration and mixture settings. What kind of WOT low altitude IAS do you get? @ JimR. good idea with the tiedown rings, CG, and antennas. Just removed one today. here is the link to the race. http://lonestarairrally.blogspot.com/ We are "Team Chaos", as we are branded troublemakers around here.

My wife and I are planning to enter the Lone Star 150 air race this weekend in our 1977 201, and we are trying to determine what to do to prepare for the race, what to do to the plane beforehand, and looking for input as to flying technique. There are 7 waypoints that must be passed between 500-1000 AGL. Legs are about 15-30 miles. So far, the cowl flaps were rerigged, we plan to fly WOT (no ram air on this plane) and around 1000 AGL. I'd guess 180 MPH indicated is what it would do.