onetrack

3 hours ago, Thruster88 said:

Seems like the problem of electric flight has been completely solved, fb post about a converted cessna 337 EEL flew 1600nm to oshkosh on a single charge. No mention of how much avgas was used. A C337 holds 128usgal.

 

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=pfbid0T7jHPQJS4tcXyLGmfv8oMDVPjFwHAceXn4duaboUS1m87JMiW3L3zquza68RvzjYl&id=104749899688689

That must have been some tailwind they had!!

You got it in one. If it's good enough for Robbies, it's good enough for any other aircraft.

http://www.writingbyvalerie.com/r22-helicopter-drive-system-worksheet/

Belt drive reduction would be the way to go for a high RPM electric motor. A good design belt drive will only lose about 2-3% of the available power - and a belt drive is light, compared to a gearbox.

A high RPM electric motor can get to 90% efficiency, even the best IC engine is only around 30% efficient. So the power/fuel energy losses of an IC engine need to be taken into account, when you're comparing electric power.

Textron throws a million bucks into support of the AOPA Foundations, "You Can Fly" initiative and its High School Aviation STEM Curriculum? So, tell me there's no self-interest in that move? A nice big tax deduction to boot, so no major cost to Textron, but the potential to greatly increase aviation engine sales, to fend off the electric power in aviation, advancing threat? Cynical? Moi?

RFguy, here's a start ...

https://pmaviation.com.au/aircraft-hardware/

https://www.aaestore.com.au/

https://www.skyshop.com.au/shopcontent.asp?type=SpecialOrderHardware

https://www.clearprop.com.au/for-aircraft/nuts-bolts-clamps/

There's an older Pommy bloke working with a friend who owns the workshop opposite mine. The Pommy bloke reckons Australia is too hot for him, and he wants to go back home to live.

I wonder if he's going to change his ideas anytime soon, now that Pommyland has Australia-like Summers!

He's put off going back, thanks to airfare prices tripling, now he's planning to go back to identical weather conditions as what he "endures" here!  

It's pretty much a standard de-bogging rule, that you're far better advised to be pulled back out of the bog, in the reverse direction that you went in. Only in rare cases does this rule not apply.

I often wonder how those rear-facing machine guns work, to avoid shooting off your own tail. Does anyone know?

She doesn't look at all amused!

I'm not sure that FlyBoy1960 has it right. It appears the Cessna was cleared to land on Runway 30R and was on short final for that runway, and the Piper was cleared  to land on Runway 30L. But it appears the PIC of the Piper lined up for Runway 30R. The worrying part is ATC saying, "I think I said". Doesn't sound like very professional ATC to me.

Quote

The tower acknowledged the Piper and advised it would be landing on Runway 30L. The instructions for the approach to 30L were acknowledged by the Piper, according to the LiveATC recording.

The Cessna was then cleared for the option to Runway 30R, and when the tower advised the Piper they were cleared to land on 30L, the pilot acknowledged the transmission: “30 left cleared to land, 9 Charlie X-ray.”

The tower then came back with: “9 Charlie X-ray I think I said 30 left, Runway 30 left.” and the Piper pilot replied, “30 left that’s what I heard, 9 Charlie X-ray.” 

A farmer friend had a rural single phase powerline running through one of his paddocks, supported by timber poles. When seeding or harvesting, he ploughed and operated equipment in line with the powerline. 

One day, he was tearing up the paddock with his big wide scarifier, swinging carefully around each pole in turn. But with a bit of tiredness and a lack of judgement creeping in, he ended up bumping one pole, with the outside of the scarifier frame!

To his utter amazement - the pole promptly fell over! To add even more to his initial amazement, he watched as the falling pole pulled down 7 more poles in the line!! 

Next thing, his wife is on the CB - "I've got no power! We've got a blackout!"

"Yeah, tell me about it!", he replied. "We've got more than just a simple electrical power problem!"

It turned out that the pole installers used a large diameter auger to bore the holes for the poles - and they didn't ram the dirt back in the hole, when the poles were installed - the dirt was just poured back in loosely.

As a result, there was little support for the poles, and once one went down, the whole lot in the line went down with it!

I guess if you were going to hit a powerline with your aircraft, you'd want to hope it was a line with a lot of those poorly-backfilled holes!

Yep, when there's live powerlines around you, you're better off to hang in your Faraday cage and wait it out, until the electricity authority turns off the power!

If he'd tried to get to the ground, he might have become toast, as he completed the circuit!

I knew a bloke who drove out of a construction yard with a long aluminium ladder strapped to the back of his ute, angled upwards. As he drove out the gate, the top end of the ladder snagged the major powerlines that ran across the gateway!

He said the first thing that happened, was the ute engine just stopped! The second thing he noticed, was smoke curling up from the edges of the bonnet!

He still didn't realise he'd tangled with the powerlines, he was just puzzled as to what was happening, and thought he simply had an under-bonnet electrical fault!

So he decided to open the ute door, and step out!

The blokes watching said they saw a big blue flash as his foot hit the ground, and this arcing blew off the big toe on his right foot, and knocked him unconscious on the spot!

Luckily, the arcing to ground blew the powerline fuses, cut the power, and the blokes in the yard were able to get him away from the ute, and to safety, where they carried out CPR on him. 

This bloke said he never even knew what happened to him, and only woke up in hospital a day later, with his foot all bandaged up! This would have been the '60's, when construction safety was a bit more lax than today.

.....desk, which was fitted with some of the best high-tech tracking devices known to Man, Elvis itched to get back to the dry desk, and lock onto this low-orbit unidentified flying object, which had previously just simply identified itself with a one-word transmission, as "SpaceDrifter" - to try and find out where it had come from, what it was doing, and why it had flown low over Area 51 - which had of course, triggered..........

There's a lot to be said in that photo, for a full 4 point harness, rather than just a lap belt! 

RFguy - Check the bolts you plan to use, for accuracy of shank dimensions. Most fasteners have quite a wide variation in allowable shank finished dimensions.

Many online auctions today usually have a bid extension time built in, to prevent people using automated bidding programmes, called "bid sniping" which enables them to drop a bid in, 1 or 2 seconds prior to a fixed-time auction closing.

This sniping is theoretically designed to stop "bidding wars" - but if allowed and used, it often means that the item sells for way below market value. Bid sniping was banned from some auction sites to ensure all bidders got a chance to bid the item up to their desired bid level. But the banning of automated auction sniping was declared illegal in some jurisdictions.

I've used bid-sniping programmes on the likes of eBay for fixed-ending-time auctions, it's useful when an auction ends at some ungodly hour on the other side of the world.

However, the main auction houses in Australia that specialise in machinery, equipment, vehicles, boats and aircraft, are fully intent on drawing as many bids out of the woodwork as possible, and ensuring the sale price is high.

There are many reasons for this - the auction house has a need to maximise their cut of the sale, they don't like seeing the market value of items declining, when they may have other items similar for sale, because that reduces the buyers bidding levels overall.

Most auction houses are dealers, they are intent on being price-setters if they possibly can. The corrupt part of their practices is deleting bidding information immediately after an auction ends, thus keeping other potential buyers from seeing what the previous bidding amounts went up to, when the auction house is intent on starting another auction for the same item.

At least Pickles does give some information about bidders identification and location, unlike some auction houses where the bidders identification and location is hidden.

Even though the sale ended at $170K top bid, Pickles auction webpage now says, "This item is no longer available for sale."

In Pickles-speak, this means that the aircraft was passed in - and the seller, or Pickles has decided that they can get a higher price for it. If the aircraft had been sold, the webpage would read, "this item has been sold".

You'd normally look for another auction for the aircraft, in about 3-4 weeks time. A lot of the time, this auction is just a trial run to see what they could get by way of bids.

However, in the meantime, Pickles will call the top bidder, and advise them they want $XXX,XXX for it.

The bidder may make a lower counter-offer than the requested figure, and the seller and Pickles may accept the counter-offer that is higher than the $170K, but below what the seller is seeking. 

In which case, the sale will proceed, Pickles will still get their 13.5% cut, and the aircraft will not turn up again in any auction. I think perhaps there'll be a deal done on this basis, as the number of possible buyers across Australia would be low.

But ... if the top bidder simply tells them their pricing is too high, look for another auction with the aircraft in it, in about 3-4 weeks time.

Every other threaded fastener of importance is either lockwired or secured with some other form of fastening, so why would you leave an important item such as the engine oil filter on a unsecured thread?

The first Pickles auction link no longer works, because Pickles moved it. Thruster88's link works, the bidding is currently at $169K, and still going fast and furious at 1:16 WST, with 7 mins currently left until finalisation.

Each bid moves the auction end time back by 10 mins, to allow bidders time to place their bid, in case they're having connectivity problems or for any other reasons.

Wait until the last 10 mins, then you'll see the serious bidding from the genuine, keen buyers, start.

.....gear from the cluster, which gear, although only small, posed a real threat to life and limb if it had struck any soft bodily part. Fortunately, Cappys heavy leather flying coat (which he always wore, even if it was 40°C in the waterbag), took the brunt of the gear's impact - and this coupled with the fact that everyone always reckoned that anything nasty that ever headed for Cappy, would simply bounce off - as he was regularly called "Mr Teflon", such was his toughness.

Accordingly, the gear simply bounced off Cappy, and in the re-orientation of its trajectory, it then commenced a low earth orbit, whereby it was......

It can't be too hard to install a mechanical lock to prevent screw-on oil filters from unscrewing. As I understand it, all certified engines have safety-wired, screw-on filter canisters.

Perhaps the problem is, not enough owners approach an oil and filter change with the right attitude. It is a crucial maintenance procedure that must be treated with the maximum consideration as to the risks incurred by playing with the engines lubricating system. 

Checking the new filter for transit/manufacturing damage that may cause it to loosen, should be part of the oil change process. Oil filter manufacturing is an automated process, and not every "dodgy" filter is found in the QC process.

Look for dents or buckles. Discard any filter that displays dents or buckles. The oil filter fitment area and surfaces must be thoroughly cleaned and examined for damage.

As Thruster88 points out, filter threads and any filter adaptors must be carefully examined, to ensure all is in order. 

Changes in engineering design can often create problems if there have been changes in threads, dimensions, or part numbers. Ensure you're familiar with all these.

The new oil filter gasket must be examined for flaws that may cause leaks or loosening. A coating of new lube oil on the gasket ensures a smooth tightening process - and the oil coating serves as a retention mechanism - as the oil coating on the gasket becomes heated and loses it volatile ingredients, and it thereby becomes stickier, and acts as a filter retention aid.

And of course, recommended oil filter tightening procedures must be adhered to religiously. As a general rule, tightening to at least 3/4 turn, after gasket contact, using both hands is recommended.

I would be particularly adverse to using a filter strap wrench for tightening, as strap wrenches invariably buckle the filter canister - and a new, buckled filter canister is a candidate for splitting under pressure.

Below is a Avweb article on oil and filter changes for certified aircraft. It contains a lot of very useful advice. Only some of the directions may apply to your aircraft, but all the safety procedures certainly would.

https://www.avweb.com/ownership/no-muss-no-fuss-oil-changing/

Pics ... https://www.facebook.com/cqplanespotting/

"Compliancy" with procedures?  Predictive text error? Surely you meant "complacency"?

That's interesting, the Japanese safety check system. Japanese train wrecks are virtually non-existent, and I believe the Japanese Bullet train has never had a crash.

One Bullet train stopped very rapidly when an aluminium plate fell off the train at 285kmh and the plate hit the power cable for the trains and cut the power, forcing a sudden stop.

https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/pointing-and-calling-japan-trains

Nev - Kunz lift aircraft with slings, so it's entirely feasible. Maybe slings around the wing roots, I'm sure some aircraft engineering expert would be able to supervise the lift.

https://kunz-aircraft.com/aircraft-lifting/