We have had a little niggle with our SkyRanger for since the beginning of the year and it is really making us scratch our heads! After 15 minutes of flight, we have noticed a vibration if we throttle back between 3,800 and 4,200rpm; outside those RPMs the aircraft is smooth.
So, we went about replacing the spark plugs, balancing the carburettors, etc., balancing the propeller, but the vibration still remains. We had a Rotax technician over to check the engine and I took him for a flight to demonstrate the issue. He dropped each magneto in turn, but it didn't make any difference. His suggestions was that the needles in the carbs may have been slightly worn making the mixture slight rich when throttling back, so we went about replacing the needles.
Another test flight followed, but the vibration was still there!! Our engineer has double checked everything on the engine and is convinced that the vibration is airframe related and not caused by the engine!
Our next step was to check the engine mounting so see if they were worn allowing too much movement. The lower mounts seem to have more movement in them than the top mounts, so we replaced them. There is very little movement in the mounts now. Unfortunately, we have not had flyable weather since that work, so we will have to wait to see if that has cured it!
If you have any ideas, let me know!!
Wednesday, 7 September 2011
Saturday, 6 August 2011
Another shake, rattle and roll!
I had plans to get to Stoke Golding for their annual stakeout - a great event with a BBQ, beer tent and live band with overnight camping. Unfortunately, I couldn't stay over, but planned to visit for the day and leave in the late afternoon.
The Met Office forecast was OK, although it did forecast heavy showers developing in the afternoon. Winds were to be 10knots up to 2,000' from 260deg. so I planned a route - Stoney to Studley South, to Draycot Water to Stoke Golding. It mean't keeping below 1,500' under Birmingham's stub to the south east until clear neer Coventry.
Lewis was to be P1 on the outward leg and I would fly the return, so my job was radio and navigation.
The take off was bumpy on the climbout and when we turned on track, it didn't get much better. Lewis had his hands full keeping the altimeter at 1,000' as the thermals would give us a big kick in the seat upwards, so Lewis had to keep the throttle moving to counter the thermal climb and the downdraft as we flew out of it.
We decided that the conditions weren't get any better so we diverted to Shotteswell to swap seats, turning south at Warwick and following the M40 south. Within a few minutes Shotteswell was in sight and the windsock was showing a stiff westerley as the airstrip is on the top of a ridge. Lewis decided to land on the westerley runway and did a great job getting us down.
We chatted to a resident pilot about the conditions and decided that I would take off on the much longer northerly runway. The idea was to get airborne early, but to keep in ground effect and accelerate to 70 knts before climbing our from below the trees, in the hope of getting through the worst of the effects of the crosswind and the rotor turbulence off the trees. Well the plan sounded good, but the rotor had the aircraft rolling left to right quite drastically and that is not good about 20' up, so I punched over the tree tops.
We climbed up to 1,500' and turned on track. The trip home took 40 minutes (usually 30) and the conditions didn't improve. As we approached Redditch, the usual bumps were more lively and the final approach to 26 was interesting. The aircraft was being flipped about as we decended on 'final', but the wind was straight down the runway, and as we got below the leve of the tree tops it wall went smooth and I made a 'greaser' of a landing, kissing the grass 20m in. Perfect!
Within a 20 minutes of landing the dark clouds approached over the field and within another 10 minutes it chucked it down!
Aircraft safely in the hangar, two pilots shaken but not stirred, and off home we go for tea and medals!
The Met Office forecast was OK, although it did forecast heavy showers developing in the afternoon. Winds were to be 10knots up to 2,000' from 260deg. so I planned a route - Stoney to Studley South, to Draycot Water to Stoke Golding. It mean't keeping below 1,500' under Birmingham's stub to the south east until clear neer Coventry.
Lewis was to be P1 on the outward leg and I would fly the return, so my job was radio and navigation.
The take off was bumpy on the climbout and when we turned on track, it didn't get much better. Lewis had his hands full keeping the altimeter at 1,000' as the thermals would give us a big kick in the seat upwards, so Lewis had to keep the throttle moving to counter the thermal climb and the downdraft as we flew out of it.
We decided that the conditions weren't get any better so we diverted to Shotteswell to swap seats, turning south at Warwick and following the M40 south. Within a few minutes Shotteswell was in sight and the windsock was showing a stiff westerley as the airstrip is on the top of a ridge. Lewis decided to land on the westerley runway and did a great job getting us down.
We chatted to a resident pilot about the conditions and decided that I would take off on the much longer northerly runway. The idea was to get airborne early, but to keep in ground effect and accelerate to 70 knts before climbing our from below the trees, in the hope of getting through the worst of the effects of the crosswind and the rotor turbulence off the trees. Well the plan sounded good, but the rotor had the aircraft rolling left to right quite drastically and that is not good about 20' up, so I punched over the tree tops.
We climbed up to 1,500' and turned on track. The trip home took 40 minutes (usually 30) and the conditions didn't improve. As we approached Redditch, the usual bumps were more lively and the final approach to 26 was interesting. The aircraft was being flipped about as we decended on 'final', but the wind was straight down the runway, and as we got below the leve of the tree tops it wall went smooth and I made a 'greaser' of a landing, kissing the grass 20m in. Perfect!
Within a 20 minutes of landing the dark clouds approached over the field and within another 10 minutes it chucked it down!
Aircraft safely in the hangar, two pilots shaken but not stirred, and off home we go for tea and medals!
Tuesday, 19 July 2011
Bad weather!
This month is turning out to be a bit of a wet squid for flying. Earlier it was too thermic, now it is too breezy and the rest of the week a risk of thunderstorms. I spend more time cutting the grass at the strip than flying!
Perhaps the weekend will be better!
Perhaps the weekend will be better!
Sunday, 10 July 2011
Better conditions
I had a nice flight today, still a little bumpy and enough to spill the Pims (if I had one!), but good visibility and not many aircraft in the sky.
The take off was longer than usual due to the hot temprature (air less dense so the wings generate less lift).but we were sill airborne in less than 200m. I throttled back at 300ft to save wear on the engine and make it a little less noisy for those living below the climbout path.
I continued the climb on the western edge of Redditch and then turned on course to Shottewsell when clear. We climbed to 1,500ft and had a good view of Coughton Court as we tracked south west toward Stratford on Avon. I turned south a little more to take us close to Long Marston so we could see what was going on, b ut needn't have bothered. There was one flexwing in the circuit and that was it! I remember when microlights used to swarm around Long Marston like bees in a honeypot, but that was fifteen years ago!
We soon had Shotteswell in our sights, although it usually takes a thorough search to identify it from all the other fields around it. There are some noise sensitive areas around there so you need to make sure that you don't overfly the villages and farms. I came in quite high on the approach, but a nice sideslip soon has us dropping at a rate of knots. I kicked in left rudder to straighten just as we got over the hedge and then rounded out over the runway and held off until about halfway down, as I remembered the first bit being a bit bumpy. We touched down halfway and taxied to the hangar to see who was around, unfortunately, being a Sunday evening, there was no one!
After half an hour of enjoyng the peace and quiet in the sunshine, we made off for our retun journey. This time Lewis was flying and I could enjoy the view. 30 minutes later we landed back in our home strip. Another enjoyable flight!
The take off was longer than usual due to the hot temprature (air less dense so the wings generate less lift).but we were sill airborne in less than 200m. I throttled back at 300ft to save wear on the engine and make it a little less noisy for those living below the climbout path.
I continued the climb on the western edge of Redditch and then turned on course to Shottewsell when clear. We climbed to 1,500ft and had a good view of Coughton Court as we tracked south west toward Stratford on Avon. I turned south a little more to take us close to Long Marston so we could see what was going on, b ut needn't have bothered. There was one flexwing in the circuit and that was it! I remember when microlights used to swarm around Long Marston like bees in a honeypot, but that was fifteen years ago!
We soon had Shotteswell in our sights, although it usually takes a thorough search to identify it from all the other fields around it. There are some noise sensitive areas around there so you need to make sure that you don't overfly the villages and farms. I came in quite high on the approach, but a nice sideslip soon has us dropping at a rate of knots. I kicked in left rudder to straighten just as we got over the hedge and then rounded out over the runway and held off until about halfway down, as I remembered the first bit being a bit bumpy. We touched down halfway and taxied to the hangar to see who was around, unfortunately, being a Sunday evening, there was no one!
After half an hour of enjoyng the peace and quiet in the sunshine, we made off for our retun journey. This time Lewis was flying and I could enjoy the view. 30 minutes later we landed back in our home strip. Another enjoyable flight!
Monday, 4 July 2011
Up here, wishing I was down there!
There are some times when you are flying when you wish you were down on the ground. Well Saturday was one of those times! The forecast was excellent ... a ridge of high pressure building light winds from 0 to 5,000 feet, visibility 30km plus ... just perfect!
Unfortunately, it wasn't. The temperature on the ground was 24C at 11:00am and that should have been a warning sign. Anyway, after the usual thorough pre-flight, I took off from the small grass strip and before I got to 500ft, I was pushed up in the air by a thermal and climbing at over 1,500ft per minute. As I got to 300ft, I started to throttle back, but I was still going up like a rocket. I levelled off at 1,000 ft and that is when it all started to happen.
All of a sudden the starboard wing lifted the aircraft into a roll of 45 degrees: a quick snatch of the aileron brought it back to level, but within a few seconds it did it again, and then without any warning, the microlight dropped 200ft as I was lifted out of my seat and hit my head on the crossbar in the roof of the cockpit. That was it, I'd had enough and wanted to be back on the ground.
I had to endure another five minutes of the invisible hand throwing me around the sky, until I had flown around the circuit into the final approach to land. And then I saw a jogger running along the middle of the runway about half way down its length! I had no choice, but to do a low pass over the strip to get their attention and go around for another landing attempt! Another five minutes riding the Big One!!
I finally made it down on the ground and breathed a long sigh of relief as I shutdown the engine. On the ground it was a beautiful summers day, but in the air in a microlight weighing less than 380 kilograms, I was thrown around like a feather in a thunderstorm!
The culprits? Thermals!
Unfortunately, it wasn't. The temperature on the ground was 24C at 11:00am and that should have been a warning sign. Anyway, after the usual thorough pre-flight, I took off from the small grass strip and before I got to 500ft, I was pushed up in the air by a thermal and climbing at over 1,500ft per minute. As I got to 300ft, I started to throttle back, but I was still going up like a rocket. I levelled off at 1,000 ft and that is when it all started to happen.
All of a sudden the starboard wing lifted the aircraft into a roll of 45 degrees: a quick snatch of the aileron brought it back to level, but within a few seconds it did it again, and then without any warning, the microlight dropped 200ft as I was lifted out of my seat and hit my head on the crossbar in the roof of the cockpit. That was it, I'd had enough and wanted to be back on the ground.
I had to endure another five minutes of the invisible hand throwing me around the sky, until I had flown around the circuit into the final approach to land. And then I saw a jogger running along the middle of the runway about half way down its length! I had no choice, but to do a low pass over the strip to get their attention and go around for another landing attempt! Another five minutes riding the Big One!!
I finally made it down on the ground and breathed a long sigh of relief as I shutdown the engine. On the ground it was a beautiful summers day, but in the air in a microlight weighing less than 380 kilograms, I was thrown around like a feather in a thunderstorm!
The culprits? Thermals!
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