Dan, you need to start a post like that with "Me and the plane are just fine". My heart is still beating hard.
Did it seem like it was climbing O.K.? The Westach electronic tachs don't have a real good reputation (although I really do like Westach instruments and have found their support great, just the tachs tend to fail). Find someone with a handheld tach and check it on the ground. Engines never sound right when there is the slightest hint in your head of a problem with them. As you already know, pushing in the throttle too fast will cause the engine to almost die. Do you remember if you did it slowley or jammed it in? Brian Kraut Engineering Alternatives, Inc. www.engalt.com -----Original Message----- From: krnet-boun...@mylist.net [mailto:krnet-boun...@mylist.net]On Behalf Of Dan Heath Sent: Sunday, September 03, 2006 5:08 PM To: kr...@mylist.net Subject: KR> Todays flight It was almost noon before the ceiling lifted enough for me to feel safe to go flying today. I kept listening to ASOS and they were announcing that the density altitude was something like 1200 feet above what we normally are. I don't know why that seemed important to me, and am still not very sure. So, I cranked her up and taxied to the end of 13 and did my run-up. For some reason, I just could not get a good feeling about the way the engine was running but could not identify anything that could be wrong. I checked for full power, 3000 RPM, that is all I can depend on for static. Everything was technically OK, so I departed. The takeoff was textbook, except for the slight wing drop just after lift off, which is my signature move. The climb out seemed good and the trim tab that I added was working so good that I could take my hand off the stick and she would keep the nose at an 85 MPH climb. Then when I began my turn to downwind, I glanced at the RPM and noticed that it was only at 2500. I checked, and I had not changed it. So I decided that I better head for home. All other indications were that everything was OK. I was landing on 13, which I always chop off really short, and with my concern over the RPM, I think I cut it even shorter. The result of that was that I could not get down, for being too high and so went around. On climb out, it still would not get more than 2500 RPM, and I am thinking that the engine isn't sounding so good. All the other indications were that everything was good. I had gotten the attention of James and the others on the ground and he called to ask what the problem was. I told him that I was not developing full power. I came around and made another bad approach, too high. I had used up about 1/4 of the 5000 foot runway and decided that I had to go around again. This is not something you want to do when you think your engine is "limping" along. So I pushed in the power and the engine almost died. I quickly pulled back to idle an mentally told it, that it was going on the ground. I must have been 600 feet above the runway at that time, so I put in full left aileron and a lot of right rudder. James told me that since I had power, I should go around again. I am sure he was right, but now she is dropping like a rock and I was committed to this decision. I had to remind myself not to give too much forward stick, which I have a tendency to do when I am too high and when I am slipping. I had picked up a little speed and don't remember much from that point to the time I am getting the wheels on the pavement. Yes, pavement. Actually, I touched the pavement so smoothly that I don't even remember it, but I did know that I had to get the tail up or I would be flying again because I could sense that I was going quite fast. Now, the tail on this plane does not like to stay up, so I ended up flying again and having to land it again. The end of the runway was coming up very quickly, so I am working the rudder like mad and lightly working the brakes, with the tail up, to try to get her slowed down enough to get the tail down. Finally, just as I crossed the displaced threshhold, the tail came down, I stuck it, and applied full braking. Another landing without incident. Everything that went up, on and in the plane, came down it it's same relative place. I don't think that I will be flying again soon. I need to take some time to figure out why this engine ran perfectly on Sunday, and today it seemed sick. Where is my Corvair. I need to go find that thing and get it finished. See N64KR at http://KRBuilder.org - Then click on the pics See you at the 2007 - KR Gathering There is a time for building and a time for FLYING and the time for Flying has begun. Daniel R. Heath - Lexington, SC _______________________________________ Search the KRnet Archives at http://www.maddyhome.com/krsrch/index.jsp to UNsubscribe from KRnet, send a message to krnet-le...@mylist.net please see other KRnet info at http://www.krnet.org/info.html
