Preflight Checks, What do you find?

[Sapphire]

No worries Louis. Your normal yellow (and black) fuel samplers have markings on the clear tube. Theres a line down the bottom about 3/4 of an inch up the tube. All you need to do is add water to the sampler up to this line. Then fill the sampler with the fuel you want to test. Theres a line at the top to tell you where to fill to. Once this is done, you shake the sampler for about 10 seconds. Inspect the line at the bottom. If there is ethanol in the fuel, the water absorbs it, and the level of water will increase. There is a gradiant scale on most samplers, i think its in 5% increments. So it will even tell you what % of ethanol is present in the fuel. :)cheers

 

I hear that ethanol is in auto fuel in the eastern states? They don't have it here yet as I have tested it as above. Used auto fuel in my aircraft which will probably raise a few eyebrows here. Happy to try to defend myself on that. BTW don't use fuel with ethanol in fibreglass tanks. Will dissolve them. Then your preflight check would involve plugging up leaks with wads of gum.

 

 

[Louis Moore]

No worries Louis. Your normal yellow (and black) fuel samplers have markings on the clear tube. Theres a line down the bottom about 3/4 of an inch up the tube. All you need to do is add water to the sampler up to this line. Then fill the sampler with the fuel you want to test. Theres a line at the top to tell you where to fill to. Once this is done, you shake the sampler for about 10 seconds. Inspect the line at the bottom. If there is ethanol in the fuel, the water absorbs it, and the level of water will increase. There is a gradiant scale on most samplers, i think its in 5% increments. So it will even tell you what % of ethanol is present in the fuel. :)cheers

Thanks Motz, will be checking my fuel sampler next time I am out at the aerodrome!

 

 

[Sapphire]

Mig with an argon mix for gas is the best for what your doing, I've tried gasless mig once and as a professional welder I find it to be messy and weak. If you get a mig and bottle for upside down welds turn the wire speed and amps down a bit from where you'd have it for easier jobs, the biggest thing with welding is to get the job clean, the cleaner the area the easier the welding will be.

Thanks metalman 2. Boat trailers are rusty, dirty and galvanized. Quite often you can't clean much. Are there welding rods that work better than the general purpose "on special" ones I am using?

 

 

[M61A1]

I have split a lot of alum prop-hubs, and generally I find some corrosion in them all, to some degree.Some serious, some just starting. The European and Russian ones are the worst, and the alum on them appears to be sub-standard at times, and particulary prone to corrosion, especially in coastal and inland dusty areas (minerals in dust reacting with the alum). The alum blade butts fitted to some blades, also corrode badly on some types. This is not an area you want corrosion on !...... Quoted from Maj Millard

 

I don't know how many are aware, but carbon fibre should always have a glass layer any time there is contact with aluminium, as dissimilar material corrosion will occur as son as it gets wet, and often quite quickly. I am not familiar with most of the props with a carbon blade and aluminium hub, but I would almost bet that you find some manufactured with carbon against alloy.

 

 

[turboplanner]

I nearly poisoned myself once after a day welding galvanised pipe. Couldn't get any air into my lungs in the middle of the night so these days I usually lightly grind the dirt, rust and gal in one operation, then sand, or out with the oxy and put in a new beam.

 

 

[M61A1]

Thanks metalman 2. Boat trailers are rusty, dirty and galvanized. Quite often you can't clean much. Are there welding rods that work better than the general purpose "on special" ones I am using?

If your welding job is too dirty for the MIG (MIGs like clean), WIA make a good GP (WIA 12P) rod (if your base metal is thick enough or you're good enough) , or if you want a low hydrogen (harder to weld with but less hydrogen embrittlement) WIA16TC's are good, get them in 2.5 mm. Still grind the galvanising away where possible.

 

 

[Compulsion]

Went flying today in a Jab 160 at my flying school. Due to cross winds we used the rough grass strip for circuits. I checked the aircraft prior to flying and all was good. When I started taxing on the grass the nose wheel steering became really heavy and I had to push very hard on the right pedal. I put it down to boggy ground and rough ride. I did 8 circuits before stopping for lunch. When I pulled up at the hangar and got out the left tire was dead flat. No wonder I was having trouble holding the aircraft on touch and go. I have never used that runway before and hope it is a long time before I use it again. LOL

 

 

[Guest turk182]

I nearly poisoned myself once after a day welding galvanised pipe. Couldn't get any air into my lungs in the middle of the night so these days I usually lightly grind the dirt, rust and gal in one operation, then sand, or out with the oxy and put in a new beam.

I hate use gal for jobs I usually quote to gal dip after its built

 

 

[turboplanner]

Went flying today in a Jab 160 at my flying school. Due to cross winds we used the rough grass strip for circuits. I checked the aircraft prior to flying and all was good. When I started taxing on the grass the nose wheel steering became really heavy and I had to push very hard on the right pedal. I put it down to boggy ground and rough ride. I did 8 circuits before stopping for lunch. When I pulled up at the hangar and got out the left tire was dead flat. No wonder I was having trouble holding the aircraft on touch and go. I have never used that runway before and hope it is a long time before I use it again. LOL

You're blaming the runway, not the tyre?

 

 

[Sapphire]

Went flying today in a Jab 160 at my flying school. Due to cross winds we used the rough grass strip for circuits. I checked the aircraft prior to flying and all was good. When I started taxing on the grass the nose wheel steering became really heavy and I had to push very hard on the right pedal. I put it down to boggy ground and rough ride. I did 8 circuits before stopping for lunch. When I pulled up at the hangar and got out the left tire was dead flat. No wonder I was having trouble holding the aircraft on touch and go. I have never used that runway before and hope it is a long time before I use it again. LOL

From what I read an aircraft is supposed to fly off the side of the runway into marker cones etc. Maybe that is more likely with wheel fairings and the tyre jams

 

 

[Compulsion]

Not blaming anything or anyone. Just making a statement of what happened. Tyre went flat causing the aircraft to pull to the left. I didn't realize the tyre was flat because the runway was rough and wet.

 

 

[motzartmerv]

No, in jabs it's difficult to feel the flat tyre on grass runways.. Most if the time you don't know until later that it was flat.

 

 

[Gnarly Gnu]

I hate use gal for jobs

I read that quickly and thought it said "I hate used gal's for jobs...." figured it out once I re-read more slowly. I'm not sure if it's my fault or your grammar turk!

 

On the jab I guess a really skilful pilot could theoretically do a touch and go with the flat tyre without touching the rim down by keeping the exact amount of pressure on the other wheel? But many of us are not Bob Hoover's unfortunately.

 

 

[pudestcon]

Not sure if this can be classed as a 'pre flight' but more likely 'daily check' see what you think.

 

On Sunday morning we (Pol and me) decided to go for a local flight, so Pol removed the wing covers and proceeded to have a good look around as the aircraft had not been moved for 3 weeks. I thought he was joking when he said there was some wing skin damage to the starboard wing tip top side, but it was no joke and I was certainly not laughing. On closer inspection there were a number of areas of damage but the wing tip upper surface area was the most concerning with a 25mm cut/tear right through the fabric. It appeared to be some sort of 'mechanical' damage - maybe a tree branch blowing in the wind, but the potential for that did not exist given the aircraft is housed in an open front hangar. Pol inspected the inside of the wing cover for the culprit and found a MOUSE NEST!!!!! The little.....varmints:bad_mood:

 

So as not to hijack this thread and take it off topic I'll create a new thread in "Recreational Aircraft General Discussion", along with photos to continue the story.

 

Pud

 

 

[RKW]

Not sure if this can be classed as a 'pre flight' but more likely 'daily check' see what you think.On Sunday morning we (Pol and me) decided to go for a local flight, so Pol removed the wing covers and proceeded to have a good look around as the aircraft had not been moved for 3 weeks. I thought he was joking when he said there was some wing skin damage to the starboard wing tip top side, but it was no joke and I was certainly not laughing. On closer inspection there were a number of areas of damage but the wing tip upper surface area was the most concerning with a 25mm cut/tear right through the fabric. It appeared to be some sort of 'mechanical' damage - maybe a tree branch blowing in the wind, but the potential for that did not exist given the aircraft is housed in an open front hangar. Pol inspected the inside of the wing cover for the culprit and found a MOUSE NEST!!!!! The little.....varmints:bad_mood:

So as not to hijack this thread and take it off topic I'll create a new thread in "Recreational Aircraft General Discussion", along with photos to continue the story.

 

Pud

Pud, I think you may need to invest in one of these!

 

 

[pudestcon]

Pol's already got one of those flea bitten moggies - bloody thing looks down it's nose at me every time I walk in!!

 

Pud

 

 

[Sapphire]

Pud, I think you may need to invest in one of these![ATTACH]18009[/ATTACH]

I have one in my house and never had any mice in the house-only dead mice in the back yard

 

 

[turboplanner]

Pud, I think you may need to invest in one of these![ATTACH]18009[/ATTACH]

Wouldn't you have to cut an even bigger hole to put the cat in?

 

 

[M61A1]

Wouldn't you have to cut an even bigger hole to put the cat in?

I was told a story some years ago, of a pilot flying a Grasshopper accompanied by other aircraft. Apparently the Grasshopper pilot began to fly erratically, and after a short while, was seen to hurl a dark object from the open cockpit, which went through the prop and made a bit of mess. According to this guy, the pilot failed to notice a cat in his cockpit, and when the aformentioned cat discovered how high it was, became very upset, and so it was jettisoned. It is fortunate that little or no damage occurred to the prop.

 

 

[Sapphire]

Cats are great-keeps the place free from mice and warms my feet at night. Another preflight true story. Regularily had a faint petrol smell in the cockpit and put it down to over priming the engine at times Though it eventually was happening too often and had a look at the fuel system in the hanger-good idea at any time. No leaks and the lines were flexible. Leaks mostly occur where the hose clamp is squishing down at the connection. The plane had a mechanical fuel guage at the back seat wall which poked into the fuel tank. Moving my finger around the perimeter produced a whisp of fuel. No problem-tightened down the mounting screws but immediately a steady stream of fuel came running out. It ran down to the cockpit floor melting newly applied paint along the way, and there was no hole there for it to escape. At least I could have put a bucket underneath to catch it all. This is where your past life flashes in front of you, but no time for that. Used rags to mop up the mess but I had two tanks three quarter full. Had to prop open the fuel drains with a stick and some wedges and collect in plactic ice cream containers. The drains did not hold themselves open. This went on for eternity-mopping and throwing out buckets of fuel and there was no one else at the airfield. Thought of making a 200 foot dash to a grassed area but that was near where the Royal Flying Doctor plane parked when it came around. There was one guy in the club who smoked, and if he came around, I would not be around [and the hanger]. Eventually got everything cleaned up. If this happened in the air, the fibreglass plane could turn into a flaming metorite. Seen that as well with another pilot, but did not catch fire and landed safely

 

 

[Guernsey]

I was told a story some years ago, of a pilot flying a Grasshopper accompanied by other aircraft. Apparently the Grasshopper pilot began to fly erratically, and after a short while, was seen to hurl a dark object from the open cockpit, which went through the prop and made a bit of mess. According to this guy, the pilot failed to notice a cat in his cockpit, and when the aformentioned cat discovered how high it was, became very upset, and so it was jettisoned. It is fortunate that little or no damage occurred to the prop.

WHAT A CAT ASTROPHY.

 

 

[Sapphire]

Pud, I think you may need to invest in one of these![ATTACH]18009[/ATTACH]

Very cute cats

 

 

[eightyknots]

Cats are great-keeps the place free from mice and warms my feet at night. Another preflight true story. Regularily had a faint petrol smell in the cockpit and put it down to over priming the engine at times Though it eventually was happening too often and had a look at the fuel system in the hanger-good idea at any time. No leaks and the lines were flexible. Leaks mostly occur where the hose clamp is squishing down at the connection. The plane had a mechanical fuel guage at the back seat wall which poked into the fuel tank. Moving my finger around the perimeter produced a whisp of fuel. No problem-tightened down the mounting screws but immediately a steady stream of fuel came running out. It ran down to the cockpit floor melting newly applied paint along the way, and there was no hole there for it to escape. At least I could have put a bucket underneath to catch it all. This is where your past life flashes in front of you, but no time for that. Used rags to mop up the mess but I had two tanks three quarter full. Had to prop open the fuel drains with a stick and some wedges and collect in plactic ice cream containers. The drains did not hold themselves open. This went on for eternity-mopping and throwing out buckets of fuel and there was no one else at the airfield. Thought of making a 200 foot dash to a grassed area but that was near where the Royal Flying Doctor plane parked when it came around. There was one guy in the club who smoked, and if he came around, I would not be around [and the hanger]. Eventually got everything cleaned up. If this happened in the air, the fibreglass plane could turn into a flaming metorite. Seen that as well with another pilot, but did not catch fire and landed safely

That sounds like a nightmare come alive. I'm glad no smoker walked in at that moment.

 

 

[Sapphire]

That sounds like a nightmare come alive. I'm glad no smoker walked in at that moment.

Ditto

 

 

[djpacro]

The use of cats as an aid to aviators has been known for many years but don't throw it out of the aeroplane - by all means throw it but keep it inside the "cabin" - cats always land on their feet when thrown so their feet will always point towards the ground - always good to know whuich way the ground is.