Bandit

You are a lot smarter than me Ed, but I think my way is more fun.

If you are replacing the tanks just cut it apart.

Lots of ice houses out now, but not many fish being caught.

Wanted to try my Bandit again to see how it started. It fired on the first pull after 3 pumps of the primer. Dispite the 20-25 mph gusts I decided to fly Anyway. While taxing across the road to the field I remembered that I wanted to repitch my prop to get more than 5900-6000 rpms during takeoff. Shut it down and took some pitch out. Started it back up and started my takeoff into a 20 mph wind.  The Tiny Tach read about 6400 rpms. Holy shit I didnt ever think I was going to get off the snow. I hit the go no go spot and finally broke loose of the snow. Good thing the trees were coming up. Hit the turbulance coming off the trees and really rocked me. My Bandit felt like it was spinning its wheels. It would not climb worth a crap. Flew away from the treelines and got over the fields where it was a little smother. I was getting 6500 rpms flat out, but I was only indicating about 70 mph. I was flying around like a dog dragging his ass across the lawn. I need at least 76 mph indicated to feel like my airplane is up on step. The hell with high rpm takeoffs. My Bandit gets off the best at around 5900-6000 rpms on takeoff. This setting also gives me the best cruise. It is a pretty fine line between the best takeoff rpm and cruise. 

My skis are rigged right, I just had bad bungees in super cold temps.

Ed, I had everything rigged right, just had weak bungees.

I have always wondered what if the springs or bungees let go on the front of my skis. Well last week when I took off with my SkyRaider I found out. I had to rig my skis to my taller landing gear before I could fly. The temp wasn't to bad so I figured it would be a good day to get them installed. I made all new riggings but used the same old bungees. With everything done I jacked the airplane up and checked to make sure the bungees pulled the front of the ski up and held it. Everything was a go. Taxied out to the grass and tried them out, looked good so away I went. In flight I had to retrim the airplane. After that it flew hands off. Great night of flying. A week or so later I went back over to the hanger to fly. This time the temp was much colder. Preflight looked good. Away I went. As soon as I broke ground I new something wasn't right. The airplane wanted to nose dive into the ground. I had it trimed after my last flight so I new exactly what was wrong. I looked down at my skis and both where pointing down. Hmmmm this should be interesting. I could rock the wings and the left one would come up but not the right one. After thinking about it for a couple of minutes I thought I might as well fly until dark to burn all the fuel off I could, beside it was a beautiful night. On the way back to the airport I had figured a plan out. If I slowed the airplane down enough the left ski would come up, that left me with only one problem,my right ski. I figured pavement would be better than snow and grass to land on because if the ski tip hit it would slide on pavement. I was light coming in, so I came in as slow as I could with no flaps to keep my nose up as much as I could. With a little power in a nose high attitude I put it down on the left ski first then settled it down on my right ski. My AOA was enough for the rear wheel on my right ski to contact the pavement first. Everything was cool. I am thinking the much colder weather affected the old bungee cords. Could have been a costly mistake to save $3. 

Yes , everything brand new. I worked on it yesterday. These are the things I changed.

1. Replaced primer that was pumping bubbles.

2. New plugs with gap reset to .016

3. Rebuilt recoil.

4. Changed main jet from 158 to 162.

 Three pumps of the primer, 3 pulls and it started. With a little tweaking of my mixture control away I went. A little more tweaking at cruise in ran purrrrfect. Again time will tell. Once the weather clears again I will try it again. Keeping my fingers crossed.

88 hrs on a major overhaul.

yes I was turning 5900-6000 on take off. If I flatten it out any more I have to run just about wot to get it to fly decent. I need the airspeed to read about 76 mph. If not it flies tail heavy.

I'm thinking I have the 158 in now. Tomorrow I will check. I have a set of 162. I'm going to try them. I have the Attic Sparrow mixture control also. I also do the same as you Leni , run it rich then lean it out until you get rid of the thumping. I am going to take some pitch put of my prop. Only turning 5900 on take off. At cruise I lean it out until it ran smooth.

Well I might still be chasing my problem. Went out tonight and could not get it to fire. Pulled the new plugs. Rear plug in rear cylinder was the only plug that was full of fuel. Had the gap set at .018 , changed the gap to .016. Then it started right away. Maybe I had the gap set to wide. I'll find out next time I fly. At idle the engine would speed up slow down until I richened the mixture. Then it ran good, but at cruise speed it was running rich. I could feel the thumping in my rudder pedals. Do I need a bigger main jet? I could then lean it out at cruise and idle would be richer. These are the Iridium plugs I replaced.

This is the difference between landing on sunny days versus cloudy days. These two pictures are the same field.

TJay I agree with you 100%. My 503 has been a great engine so far, but I have to run it pretty hard to make my Bandit fly nice. For the flying I do it works great. The installation is so simple. Not much to go wrong, overall a super engine. To bad the LSA movement killed them.

The weather finally broke today, it got up to 25 degrees so I worked on my airplane. I remembered I had a set of new plugs in the baggage compartment so I put them in.  Two shots of prime and three pulls it fired and started. The weather wasn't real good so I just flew around the neighborhood a couple of times then landed. It seemed to run good. I am Going to take your advice  Leni and change the plugs every 15 to 20 hrs like I used to do. Hopefully this cured my problem. Time will tell. Thanks for everyones help.

Both super nice guys!

Joey I have a cowling you can have if we figure out how to get it to you. It has never been fit to anything.

Ed I have those dimensions for you. Flaps are 70" long, ailerons are 72 1/2" long. Both are 11 wide.

My SkyRaider heater. The air is ducted into the cockpit from the engine.

Thermacell insole boot heaters work great. No cold feet anymore. I draw air off my cooling fins. Works good from 20 degrees on up. At seven to ten degrees you just dress warm.

He was always at the Avid picnic at the seaplane base. Yes he was short. He was good friend  with Jerry Matison. They camped together at the EAA grounds.

I just received a pbone call from the son of a close friend and super long time Avid, Airdale builder and flyer that his dad passed away. He was my go to person if I had any questions about my Avid or my engine. As a matter of fact I tried calling him last night to ask him about my hard starting 503, with no answer, now I know why. He has helped rebuild many bent Avids over the years. I met him over twenty years ago when I was building my Bandit. We became good friends after that. Ron was a super person as is his wife. He will be missed by the whole homebuilt community. 

God Speed Ron we will miss you,

Bandit

I know the plugs will not fire when they are full of fuel. Good advice about changing plugs. That will be the first thing I will try. What is the gap for Iridium plugs and the standard plugs? I agree plugs are cheap insurance. I have run them 50 hrs before. You are right Leni I will only run them around 20 hrs from now on. I don't think these have many hrs on them though.

It still will not fire after installing the new floats. Cleaned the plugs. After wearing myself out with the pull rope I pulled both rear plugs, both full of fuel.  I would think it should at least fire. Chris I will order new plugs and try that first. I will also unhook my on off switch and leave it hot then try to start it.

Well after 20 years and 1100hrs. My 503 will not fire. At first it kept flooding, took the carb bowls off. Rear float in the front carb was sunk. Replaced both floats. Yesturday I tried starting

it but it would not fire. Pulled the plugs, both rear plugs full of fuel. Tried starting it again, would not fire, pulled plugs, rear plugs full of fuel. Opened carb bowls, fuel level looked good, turned fuel on, pushed up on needle valve fuel shut off. I'm thinking ignition problems. How do you test the ignition system? I think I might be flooding it from pulling the rope so much trying to start it. That's what makes me think it is a ignition problem. In 20 years of flying my Avid I have only had to pull the plugs 2 or 3 times because of flooding.