Turbo

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Everything posted by Turbo

  1. Turbo added a post in a topic Soggy Plugs   

    Just swapped out the paper filter in my fuel line for a screen.  I intend to test the new screen for pressure drop.  Burning pre-mix, that old filter had some water in it, yet was still flowing pre-mix with negligible pressure drop.  Maybe the oil in the pre-mix wetted the paper, trapping the water.  Maybe fuel alone would do the same.  I could see a scenario where that paper filter could be inundated with so much water that it could stop flowing, though. The very small pore size makes surface tension a much more powerful effect.  Without being able to wet the paper with water, I can see how the pressure drop required to push the water thru that filter could be large.
    Where I am contemplating using a paper filter is only in the oil line to the oil injection pump.  Went online looking for a screen filter in 5/16" line size, and couldn't find one.  I am going to locate that filter where it is easily inspected.  The much smaller OI tank should not suck in anywhere near the amount of water that a wing tank would.  I intend to keep the oil tank full when stored.  
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  2. Turbo added a post in a topic Soggy Plugs   

    I'll wager that the vapor pressure of any pure 2-stroke oil is way lower than that of gasoline, which means that the positive displacement oil pump can be expected to suck oil through that paper oil filter, even if it is partially wet.  However, once that paper element is soaked in oil, water's high surface tension will preclude it displacing the oil and wetting the paper.  The filter will in effect, become a water trap.  Visual inspection will tell if any water has thermally pumped its way into the oil tank, as it will show up as a harmless glob of water at the bottom of the filter, upstream of the paper.
    Before commiting to the paper oil fiter, however, I plan on conducting a flow test to validate acceptable oil flow without the oil pump, just gravity, and at a low ambient temperature.  I'm looking for an order-of-magnitude 1 floz/min flowrate. Piddly!
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  3. Turbo added a post in a topic Fuselage Reinforcement   

    Really, the only part of the seat truss that needs a gusset is way inboard, where the bungees wrap around it.  After a hard landing with old, weak bungees and too-tight limit cables, I found I had crimped the top tube of the seat truss, so had it cut out and replaced.  After this I put in plywood gussets, held in place with interference fit and zip ties, and have not put on new limit cables.  The so-called type-1 bungees sold by Aircraft Spruce & Specialty work well, and can withstand a 3-G landing.  Make up the ends near max stretch, though.  My testing revealed that they could stretch to 200% of their original length and could definitely tolerate 100+ lb forces.  With 7 wraps, that's 1400 lbs per side.  I was unable to test those bungees to failure with my limited, cobbled-up test rig..  
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  4. Turbo added a post in a topic Throttle cables   

    I bought a 1/4" brass rod, and found that the bike cable can be securely soldered to a small hole drilled perpendicular to the rod's axis.  This allows you to make up Bowden cables of any length.  I used a propane torch, then cut the slug to length, and cut & filed off the excess cable.  I would be tempted to use leadless solder next time.  I need to make up a double-ended Bowden for my OI pump.
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  5. Turbo added a post in a topic The unquenchable EGT   

    Thanks, Nick.  That's nice and clear, unlike some other sources. 
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  6. Turbo added a post in a topic Building New Wings   

    I've got to agree with Manu here.  It would be dangerous to go beyond the span of the STOL version without a stress analysis.  In my opinion, the STOL version's airfoil has too much camber, which conspires to limit top speed.  I'm not the greatest tailwheel pilot, and am thankful for the lower landing speed with the greater span and area of the STOL  Camber does not translate directly to max lift and low stall speed, but more wing sure does.  I think you're nicely set up to get the best of both wings, cruise speed closer to the smaller speedwing, and a lower stall speed for easier landings, and improved safety if you ever need to make an outlanding when the prop stops turning.  If you have the tri-gear config, or lots of tailwheel experience, and see your bird's primary mission as getting from A to B, and fly in a place where there are lots of good spots for emergency landings, maybe the speedwing is your ticket.  This is what's so great about experimentals!  Of course, we'd all love to see some pics!
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  7. Turbo added a post in a topic Building New Wings   

    Manu, that's what I thought.  Metric sizes!  Japowell, if you decide to extend the span, make sure your span extensions are 6061-T6,, 2024-T3, or 7075-T6.  The alloy of aluminum used is important, as some are much stronger than others.  The 3 listed here are among the best.  The original design uses the first one.  It is the weakest of the 3, but is very corrosion resistent, and is safe, as the wings will take a permanent set if overloaded long before they fail.  
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  8. Turbo added a post in a topic The unquenchable EGT   

    Wow! Another clear-as-mud discourse on where to drill the damn hole!  It'd be tempting to just get a new Y-manifold with the holes pre-drilled, but for the doubtless exhorbitant price!  Isn't EGT really only about keeping the plugs clean without melting a piston?  If mine read high due to the probes being too far downstream, i reckon it's conservatve if the probe tips are centered in the ducts.  I think I'll validate the latter, then call it good enough!   Thanks for digging into this, Vance!
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  9. Turbo added a post in a topic The unquenchable EGT   

    Just to muddy the waters even more, the 1990 build manual says to drill the holes for the EGT probes 4" away from the lower edge of each flange, measured along the bottom centerline of each branch of the "Y" (this is indicated in a sketch).  It also says, in a footnote: "Absolutely precise location of EGT probes is not critical.  The attaching bands will 'effect' {affect} exact location.".  Oh Boy!  It appears likely that new things have been learned since 1990!   My probes are certainly not 38mm out from the flange center, more like 50mm.  So Vance, where did that drawing come from?  Does anybody else want to chime in here?  I've been believing that my EGTs were significant.  I was even contemplating a T-compensated digital gauge to replace my analog ones.  If location of those probes is more critical than it says in my 1990 build manual, I at very least will be more careful about keeping my EGTs away from the 1200F limit.   My probes are about 3-1/8" out from flange bottom, measured along the bottom of the Y branches on centerline.  Any further out, and the bands wouldn't fit.  . 
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  10. Turbo added a post in a topic Manu's Avid C   

    Very well done!  I look forward to your flight testing, with your improved wings, and this excellent trim installation!  I suspect that the standard Avid trim tab is bigger than it needs to be, so it will be very interesting to see if your "add-on" tab approach works adequately.  I have only a stick-force mitigation setup, similar to JimChuk's, which almost works, but there's no substitute for a real trim system..
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  11. Turbo added a post in a topic Soggy Plugs   

    Manu,
    My starter allows about 20 cm of line to pay out before engaging the engine.  You may have to experiment with how much line you put on the starter reel, or where you tie the knot on the starter handle.  This improves the biomechanics of starting.  
    Vance,
    I have an unused fine mesh SS screen filter for the fuel, which I will test for pressure drop and leave in place if it passes muster.  I will also start looking for a similar screen filter in 5/16" for the oil line.  Thanks for the heads-up.  I gotta say, though, I was not too impressed with the plastic-element Pro-Line filter.  The possibility of clogging is why I chose such a large paper filter for the oil, plus pressure drop concerns since the oil is so viscous relative to gasoline.  The oil flowrates are very low, (2% of fuel flow) however, so I can't see there being much drop thru even a paper filter.  Maybe I'll do a simple test to validate its viability.  So what is the concern?  Water in the oil tank via thermal respiration, like in an airplane's fuel tank?
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  12. Turbo added a post in a topic Soggy Plugs   

    Vance,
    That big paper filter will filter oil for the OI pump.  Left upstream end of tubing open for a few days, and sure enough, a bug crawled in!  First big chunk to be filtered out, I guess!
    Oh, and on the fuel system, I also have a paper filter, the smaller kind.  Tested its pressure drop at max static RPM and found it negligibly small!  Flow speeds inside 1/4" fuel line at max power are less than 10 "/sec!
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  13. Turbo added a post in a topic The unquenchable EGT   

    I was mistaken.  the 1990 version of the 582 manual states, on page 15: "Cylinder head temperatures are measured at the spark plug seat.  Exhaust gas temperatures are measured at 100 mm (3.94 in.) from the cylinder sleeve."   It would seem logical to use the flange as the reference for these probes, but no!  I had now better check the locations of my EGT probes. Thanks for the correction.
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  14. Turbo added a post in a topic Soggy Plugs   

    Manu, 
    It occurred to me that your airframe may not have the pully and rope guide mounts welded on.  Here is a picture of mine.  They are welded on to the V-strut.
     

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  15. Turbo added a post in a topic Soggy Plugs   

    Hi Manu,
    My plane has a pulley allowing the pull-starter to be operated from inside.
    With this set-up it's easy to do the pull-start while seated inside the cabin.   At first I thought I had to do it from outside, but not so!  It's much easier with shoulder belt slipped down; usually I un-clip the seat belt for the start.  I push with my foot against those two slanted tubes in between the rudder pedal sets.  Effecting a re-start while flying could be challenging, though - not enough hands to fly the plane too.  Maybe if I had a better trim setup...  I'll be keen to find out how well your trim tab works.
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  16. Turbo added a post in a topic The unquenchable EGT   

    I thought the EGT probes were supposed to be 10cm out from the flange!  
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  17. Turbo added a post in a topic Building New Wings   

    Efil01 did a brilliant job combining the best of both wing types.  The problem is nesting the next smaller tubing inside the existing spars since typically this doesn't work with 1/8" diameter steps and wall thickness greater than 0.058".  However, by going to the next  larger tubing size, for the span extension, and 0.058" wall thickness,  you could extend the span out to that of the STOL version.  Bending moment at the joint would be well below that at the strut attachment, so it's safe structurally.
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  18. Turbo added a post in a topic Soggy Plugs   

    Flew the bird a couple of days ago, with a pair of the extended plugs in the aft-plug position.  Startup was a breeze!  Thanks again to all who shared the solution!
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  19. Turbo added a post in a topic OT: Garbage Pail Politics   

    Gauntlet thrown down.  Why no takers?  Is it because certain positions are idefensible via reason? 
    As a small-group animal for tens of millions of years, only trying to live in mega-society for a few thousand, our instincts are to try to scale the default small-group paradigm up to the larger scales.  Just as altruism works inside the implicit accountability of the small group, but seems to fail in the larger societal scales, so does the paradigm itself, as it leads to top-down forms, where corruption sets in, and abuses follow.  This does not optimize happiness & life satisfaction.  Want Big Daddy to take care of you cradle-to-grave?  Or do you see more possibility in watching out for yourself?  We all have the brains to pull this off; we just need to be prudent, i.e. exercise wisdom, either garnished from our own life experience, or learned from a trusted elder.  BTW, I define wisdom as the ability to avoid unforseen negative consequences.  
    So what I believe conservatives are saying is: Don't give up your all-important, God-given liberties for goodies like free healthcare or free education, which for their own reasons will rot on the vine.  Eschew the top-down nanny-state that will eventually turn us into dummies, then inevitably begin abusing us, and embrace instead your ability to make your own way as an individual!  In the end we will all be happier and more proud of our accomplishments in life.  The Founders developed something very special, and anyone who advocates ditching it is, in my mind, a damn fool.  But remember: It is a counterinstinctive intellectual construct.  As such it is like an arrow trying to fly backwards; unstable vis-a-vis our everpresent hard-wired instincts.  We all, by our reason and wisdom, bear responsibility for actively keeping it alive.
    It goes without saying that:  "When an optimum is reached, all change is negative."  
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  20. Turbo added a post in a topic Flying off paved runways   

    Yeah, that was my original thought: that toe-in would work to increase drag on the more forward tire relative to the direction of the plane's momentum, thus working to help align the plane with its direction of travel, so I couldn't understand how toe-out could be beneficial.  Now I get why this could be wrong, and could make a swerve worse.  Thanks for the explanation!  I think I'll keep it neutral just the same.  I imagine tires last a lot longer on grass - maybe forever! (Jk)  How many tarmac landings is a Carlisle good for anyways?
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  21. Turbo added a post in a topic Great Hangar Day   

    Cute dog in last pic.  Nice erect ears!  Congrats on your "graduation" & new career!
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  22. Turbo added a post in a topic ADSB - What are people using?   

    With gps nav, it should be easy to stay out of classes B & C airspace anyway, at least out here in the stix.  Real-time  weather is a good reason to consider ADSB-in, though.  Homebilder's Help describes a cheap kit for same.
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  23. Turbo added a post in a topic OT: Garbage Pail Politics   

    Doug, if I were half as eloquent as you, I'd be dangerous!  Well thought and expressed.
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  24. Turbo added a post in a topic OT: Garbage Pail Politics   

    De-facto progressive endgame:  Equality in misery.
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  25. Turbo added a post in a topic OT: Garbage Pail Politics   

    So the big mystery to me is: why more thoughtful liberals are so reluctant to eschew the anti-logic of their nutcase radical leftist "leaders"?  I recognize the raw power and pervasiveness of the left-wing propaganda machine, and understand the need for younger folks to fit in to some social context - have a "tribe" so-to-speak, which also tends to support homogeneity of opinion, but there's always the closet, if one lacks the boldness to be different.  The voting booth is a private place.
    I venture that most liberals just want bigger government & more services, and perhaps better protection of the environment, but  not the total destruction of our system of government, so why can't they see that they have much more in the way of shared values with us conservatives?  It seems they'd follow their insane lefty leaders off of a cliff!
    Maybe life in the city provides so much stimulation that people have no time to think things through.  In the country, it's mercifully different.   OMG, another frightening thought!  What if the only thing slowing down this seemingly inexorable march towards totalitarianism is the baby boomer bulge?
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