Warbird Information Exchange

I thought Air Canabis got rid of it's DC-8's

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Don't make me go get my flying monkeys-

Hah! You really get around, Inspector.

Yes, Robin and I were invited on board Seawolf, a 1957 ocean-going tug converted into a yacht, and went through the Panama Canal in her last week.

As we pulled out into the Caribbean, the skipper, a brave and courageous person, said, "Take her". And so I steered her out through the Limon Bay and the breakwater into the trade-wind sea. Our course from there was to the San Blas Islands. And as the caption in the photo says, a container ship passed us and then literally did a "Crazy Ivan", turning through 270 degrees initially, and forcing our skipper to return to the bridge and direct a radical alteration of course. It was a bizarre move by the other ship, and we were unable to account for it. Eventually, after another whifferdiddle, it completed the 360 and went back on course. Very weird, but no harm done.

Here's a photo of her in her working days, towing an oil rig.



I filmed a traditional Cuna family setting sail in their dugout canoe. I can't link up to it at the moment, but search Youtube for "Cuna Family Raising Spritsail San Blas" and you'll find it.

Dave

For those of you who can get CBC Canadian TV on your systems, 'The Nature of Things' a North of the border NOVA (but usually wiyh better content) is featuring Chris Hadfield on tonights program.

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Don't make me go get my flying monkeys-

Been very busy of late. There were many "Chris" events of course, and now that he's back on Earth with such a successful re-entry and landing, a big load is off. (Off me, anyway -- who knows what his life is going to become...)

On a more prosaic note, today Robin and I finally figured out what has been wrong with our RV6A. Since we bought it last June it has had high CHTs. I went through the logical checklist of things to do, many tasks, a lot of work, but never had a real fix.

Then when I flew it the other day I noticed something odd. The engine is an O-320A, modified so that the upper plugs are powered by a Lightspeed electronic ignition, and the lower ones by a magneto. So while airborne I shut off the Lightspeed. The CHT dropped by 10F, which I expected, and which seemed reasonable. Then I shut off the magneto, and noticed the CHT dropped by 50F.

Odd, I thought. Initially I wondered if it was a spark-plug-effect, since the sensor is a washer-type that fits under a plug. So I swapped the sensor from lower to upper and flew again. No change.

Today we had an AME look at the timing of the mag. IT WAS 20 DEGREES TOO MUCH ADVANCED. Bingo. Since the mag has an impulse coupling, it must have been initially timed with the coupling in the retarded position. That's 45 degrees before TDC! And the other ignition system being electronic covered it up.

Lycoming makes good engines. It must have been that way since the Lightspeed was added.

Anyway, re-timed, we went flying and sure enough we have almost 100 more RPM at takeoff, and she cruises 40-50F cooler, with much cooler oil.



A very troublesome item lifted off my mind....

Dave

Good to hear from you Dave. It's been a while. I watched your brother arrive home (planet Earth) last night. That must be a very bitter sweet that us mere mortals could never really understand. His youtube's and music videos were a huge hit. Great stuff.
Will you be bringing VWoC's hurricane to Geneseo?

Nice find on the R.V.

Andy Scott

Thanks, Andy.

Yes the Space Oddity rather obscured the first song he recorded from space, "Jewel in the Night". https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YufsbE4-jmY which was the first original song recorded by a human being off the Earth.

I don't think we're bringing anything to Geneseo. I don't know the details, but its probably a matter of cost. I would bring the Fairchild, but that weekend I believe I'm flying Air Cadets for the Yellow Wings program -- we plan to get 500 Air Cadets flying this summer in a WWII trainer.

Dave

And while Chris is glad to be landing after 6 months in space, I'm sure he'd rather be landing on Mars. (That's about how long it takes -- 6 months out, 6 months on the surface, 6 months back.)

Dave

I watched Chris' landing as well, glad to see that all went well.
It still amazes me that they drop them in on solid ground, but I guess it works they've been doing it for a long time.

Terry

http://www.1941hag.org/Geneseo-Airshow/aircraft.html

Check it out. HAG website shows VWoC Spitfire and Hurricane booked as well as Lanc and Mossie

Been working hard to get our Tiger ready in time. It will be close.

Andy Scott

Well that's good news.

And good for you, Andy. I hope you get that thing stuck back together smoothly.

Dropping into Edenvale in your own Moth will feel pretty good, won't it!

Dave

It's getting pretty exciting.
I might be looking for a little re currency flying when the time comes. Know anyone?

Andy

Very busy Spring so far. We've been up in the Fairchild a few times, to keep it exercised.





I hope to fly it on Sunday to support Robin's '99s Poker Run -- the date just got changed due to rain forecast, but Sunday should be CAVU.

And I've flown the P-40 4 times to test the new engine. The carb kept needing idle mixture adjustment (cough-cough-cough when the power was brought back and the pitch pushed up. And then the pilot really, really focuses...), so I kept taking it up. No hardship there...



Also flew the Finch helping to start our Yellow Wings program this year, in which we take 500 Air Cadets flying in RCAF trainers. Good fun! And the newly-overhauled Kinner doesn't leak and the flying wires don't vibrate in standing-wave patterns. Strange!

Robin and I have been flying the RV6A quite a bit. We solved the high CHT problem! This is a great load off our minds. What I did was go flying first thing this spring, and turn off the electronic ignition (which powers the upper 4 spark plugs on the O-320A). Thus the engine was running on the lower 4 plugs powered by a magneto. No problem. The CHT dropped by 10F, which is about what you'd expect. So then I turned it back on and turned the mag off. Holy Crap! An immediate 60F drop in temp!

I smacked my forehead, annoyed at myself for not having done this simple test last season. Obviously there was something wrong with the mag timing. My thoughts immediately turned to its Impulse mechanism. Could the mag have been timed with the Impulse not clicked to the Advance position?

We had an AME look at it. Yep. Instant fix. The thing was firing at 45 degrees before TDC. Less than an hour's work, test flight, and a perfect set of readings. Now, with all the extra work I did to encourage cooling last year, and with the mag properly timed, the CHTs at takeoff don't get above 400F, and in cruise sit at about 310F. Big, big relief.



So then I changed the oil and filter. I was concerned that with the mag trying to push the pistons the wrong way there might have been damage, and the engine might have been making metal. Nope. I cut apart the filter and pulled out the folds of cardboard, and nothing. Then ran a magnet across as well. Nothing.

Anyway, Robin and I have since then been flying every decent morning. The goal is to get her solo by early summer -- she is dusting off an old PPL. The RV6a is not a C-150, and needs more careful handling. There is wing-drop at the stall, and thus you don't mush it onto the ground. It's a snappy little thing and tends to go fast, requiring the pilot to always be thinking much farther ahead than the aircraft she has flown in the past. And the nosewheel is tender, especially on the grass strip we operate from.

Speaking of which, here's what I found this spring before the first flight. I had noticed a kernel of corn sitting on a cylinder top.



So I went hunting, and found this, a cozy little winter abode. It was tucked into the cowl where it rolls back, and therefore makes a snug little mouse-sized tunnel.



Obviously next year I need to put out more mouse-bait, tastier and earlier.

Dave

The Fairchild looks beautiful. There's just something about vintage GA planes. They have so much character.

My "dream" plane is the Cessna 190 / 195.

Rodents can't stand the smell of mint, so a few cloth bags of sawdust or some other absorbent material soaked in WINTERGREEN (ask your Pharmacist) tucked away should keep Mickey and Minnie from moving in. I use bars of IRISH SPRING bath soap on my THUNDERBIRD when I put it away for the Winter, one bar on the intake by the carb and two in the interior on old clean pot pie tins (they keep the soap from staining the carpets). Your NAPA parts store should carry an anti rodent compound that really smells odd but it works in my workshop to keep the critters outside.

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Don't make me go get my flying monkeys-