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Methusala

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Everything posted by Methusala

  1. Methusala
    Pud, reduction is 2.58:1 - no change to anything except the donk. I think it may be to do with friction between bores and rings. Like to know whether Maj Millard or Facthunter have any thoughts on this? BTW, fascinating that your prop is set at 12deg! Cheers, Don
  2. Methusala
    G'day Pud, I've just replaced my grey head with a blue head that I re-built. The grey head used to get 6,500 on climb out with a 68" Brolga set at 16 deg pitch. I'm using a Grand Rapids engine monitor instrument with limits set at the factory. The red warning light would flash if revs exceeded 6500. The new engine with identical jetting gives 6100 on climb out. I have re checked the timing but still no increase. I wonder whether it is a case of the new rings being tight and friction being the cause. I replaced the radiators with the new tall ones and have no temp problems but it does run up to 75 or 80 on climb. The plugs look ok with a light brown oil film. Egts are on the low side at 520-550 (650 is max). so I may get a size smaller main jet to try. I tried moving the needle circlip to lean the mid range but it went too high. If it doesn't change I may try 15 deg pitch blocks if they are available. I removed the oil pump and run 50:1 premix with Castrol Activ 2t. Don't know whether this is helpful but my 2 bobs worth. Cheers,Don
  3. Methusala
    Just discovered that the EIS instrument takes its info from the charge output rather than the dedicated tach wire. Now have tach readings from both mags. Perhaps one of the CDI boxes is a little sick. Will try substituting another box soon. At last some progress. Only myself to blame, of course! Don
  4. Methusala
    Hi Easty, I just saw your post July 12 then! Didn't know about this Message. Yeah, that's my Thruster. How does it look from the ground?
  5. Methusala
    Hi Easty, I just saw your post July 12 then! Didn't know about this Message. Yeah, that's my Thruster. How does it look from the ground?
  6. Methusala
    G'day all, today I substituted the cockpit mounted kill switch for another grounded directly to the engine block. No change! I think that the next (unavoidable) step is to replace the stator. Luckily I have 2 engines so I can substitute parts as required. Still you know how complicated this becomes when the engine is mounted on the plane and the fairly demanding ignition timing must be done again in situ. Stand by for any developments and thanx for your suggestions. It will probably be something that I have overlooked but what are hobbies for but to keep us thinking? Regards, Don
  7. Methusala
    I have now run the engine with the trigger wires swapped with no change to the situation. I checked the voltage running to each CDI unit from the alternator and they are the same. I will next check the grounding of the kill switches making sure that they give the best possible ground. Thanks Skyfox, I am also thinking that it most probably is an earthing issue. I will keep you posted. Don
  8. Methusala
    Yes to that FT. I want to try swapping the trigger wires from one mag to the other in case one of the trigger sensors is FUBAR. I was really hoping that someone might recognise this from a similar instance. Compression and fuel appear ok and no nasty noises. Rotary valve timing definitely not the issue either.
  9. Methusala
    I've just mounted my 582 on the Thruster and have a strange problem! With all electrical connections made it runs but when the left mag is grounded the tach reads zero and the egt's show lower (by about 100deg C on one side). Also it is sluggish to build revs above 4000 and peaks at about 5,700. The cht's and egt's are not high at full revs (cht 65-70 and egt 520-560). I have substituted a known working CDI on both sides and makes no difference. Will next swap trigger units to see if that transfers the problem to the other side mag. Any gurus out there wish to chuck their ideas into the ring? Don
  10. Methusala
    This is a real eye opener to me! I wonder what happened to all of those aircraft? Surely they are not all gathering dust in the back of a shed? Just sayin'. Don
  11. Methusala
    New "What personnel Methusala? You mean the Ops Manager and Assistant? Very little... very, very little." Thanks for your input Winsor68, but if it took half of the hours that these persons put in and if we suppose that each position costs the organisation $100,000 pa then the cost is not "very little" at all! I think that this is one area where costs could be levied on a commercial cost recovery basis. My other point regarding the costs of the very high production standard of what is really an in house publication has not attracted any comment so far. Don
  12. Methusala
    G'day again, I am just wondering whether anyone has information on how much it costs the membership to have personnel travelling around the place checking on flying schools. I suspect the cost would be significant but don't have any access to information. I think that this is an appropriate question in light of the discussion. Don
  13. Methusala
    I think that the elephant in the room here is the cost to revenue of the AUF...errr,sorry( I just hate the acronym) RAAus, involved in operations officers travelling around the countryside inspecting commercial training schools. By all means, if this is required, charge the costs (remember"user pays") directly to the schools. I also think that the quality and size of the magazine is a joke! Why not have a simple newsletter containing operational material and leave the entertainment/glamor media to some private entepreneur. Regards, Don
  14. Methusala
    http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-01-02/ultra-light-plane-crashes-into-lake/3755436
  15. Methusala
    I installed them on my VP-2 and I think they, 1) Looked good!; 2) Did nothing for airspeed in cruise ; 3) added weight, and ; 4) caused problems on the ground.
  16. Methusala
    It is almost impossible to mentally transport oneself into this situation with no experience of flying an airliner in these conditions. I reccomend to everyone Earnest Gann's classic novel "Fate is the Hunter". The premise of this book put very simply is that there are millions of ways to come unstuck in the air. His fascinating reminiscences of being a pioneering "line captain" are sprinkled with anecdotes of the untimely demise of many of his esteemed peers. Good reading and compliments of the season, Don
  17. Methusala
    Snowy Mountains Authority maintained a virtual airline of 5 or 6 beavers in the 60's. It is sad that no one has written a book about this piece of aviation history. Don
  18. Methusala
    Now, I spoke to a bloke once who worked on Mosquitos (by De Havilland of course!) They had an aeroplane that came back from gun trials with damage to the engine nacelles. It seems that when they fired their canons at low level off the Sydney coast the shells hit the waves and ricocheted upwards, losing velocity and the high speed plane caught up with them! No, this guy was not a b**s**t artist. Not much on topic actually but a damn interesting segue. Don
  19. Methusala
    I knew I'd be corrected....just knew it!
  20. Methusala
    Oh, No..... it took us years to get over the plane landing on a moving belt. Now look at what YOU'VE started Pud. Have you heard the one about turns downwind???? Don
  21. Methusala
    We had an arrangement like that at another airfield Guernsey, but it had chains swinging from the diff and it didn't work so well. Glad you had success with yours, Don
  22. Methusala
    Hey Maj, I don't think the spar would handle the extra load! Don
  23. Methusala
    Sorry Ultralights. I don't own this private strip and the owners are not very approachable, Don
  24. Methusala
    A small step for mankind...but a huge one for me, Don
  25. Methusala
    Hope these work!
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