Bird Nest - Beware !

[Larco]

I've seen some comments about poor preflight inspections and I am guilty of that sometimes, but I want to insure all of you that this nest was not visible nor could it be felt from the cowl inlet. I feel it is important for us to realize how small the inlet gets when you look into it during a preflight, try it some time. Larry

[robertahegy]

I guess that further stresses the importance of the cowl plugs when parking outside. Yes, I do like the auto launch system of the Van's plugs.

Roberta

[Mike S]

Also, there are a couple of little red flags that stick up above the cowling, that are visible from the cockpit.

The auto launch feature-----Oh, the mental image!!!---- is a back up as far as I am concerned.

Mike

[MSFT-1]

for two days. The little buggers can build fast and furious.

It appears that the birds like the warm engine because I checked a few other planes after I found the nest in mine and all the ramp queens (planes that hadn't run in a while) were nest free but the recently flown planes were much more likely to have a nest.

The big clue to check is....bird **** all over the prop.

I did speak with a couple of high time pilots about bird nests and they told me that they stink like heck and make some smoke but are not a huge fire hazard. I have no way of verifying this guidance so take it for what its worth.

Bruce
N297NW
RV-8 (445TT)

[MSFT-1]

I wrote a recent post and used the word C R A P and it auto-magically inserted ****.

Neat feature, I have to admit.

Now it makes me wonder what words are on the list...

Bruce
N297NW
RV8 (445TT)

[n2prise]

Has anyone seen or heard of birds or rodents getting inside the cowl around the exhaust pipe exit area?

Jerry K. Thorne
East Ridge, TN
RV-9A . . . N2PZ
Hobbs = 223.4 hours.

[N908RV]

Very glad this thread got started. It's a personal pet peave.

I'm probably a bit paranoid, but not enough folks protect their aircraft with such simple devices that can save your bacon with only about a minute of work. I see too many folks that just park their aircraft and walk away without a thought to keeping those nasty critters away. A run in with those creatures can ruin your day, but it only takes a coupla minutes to better secure the aircraft from vermin...

Did you ever see what mud-daubers will do? Particularly concerned about the fuel vents. That could cause a really bad day. Nothing like full tanks and no fuel flow.

I religiously use cowl plugs, a pitot tube sleeve and fuel vent sleeves every time I park the aircraft for the nite - even in my hangar. In case I forget and leave a fuel vent cover on, I even burned small 1/16" vent holes in the slip tubing just in case I get stupid someday and leave it on. I also have a small 1/16" vent/drain hole at the bottom of the vent elbow. Like I said, I'm paranoid about certain things...

All covers have long red flags of course.

Had a friend who was building his RV-4 in his nicely sealed and heated home garage. Took everything to the airport, popped the wings on and couldn't run the engine on the left tank. Why? - he didn't cap off or place a little tape over the fuel inlet to the tank. After going thru the entire fuel system, found out that mud daubers had gotten into the main fuel line to the tank (the one INSIDE the tank) and plugged up the line so not enough would scavenge. You could not see this from the outside - no evidence of their getting in there at all.

Think you are going to catch that on the fuel vents if they block it farther up the vent? You may start happily flying away and have your engine quick. Will you be quick enough on the fuel valve at 200' and low airspeed? The other good alternative is to put screen over the vent openings, but I worry about bugs and dirt plugging up the screen and the slip covers and flags took all of 5 minutes to make.

Stepping off the podium now.

[w1curtis]

I remember a few years ago seeing a Cherokee 6(?) catch on fire after the turbocharger heated up and ignited a birds nest that was built next to the turbocharger. Fortunately this was all on the ground during run-up.

On the Cardinal, they like the tail cone: http://wcurtis.nerv10.com/cardinal/e...BirdsNest.html

[Mike S]

Originally Posted by n2prise

Has anyone seen or heard of birds or rodents getting inside the cowl around the exhaust pipe exit area?

Jerry K. Thorne
East Ridge, TN
RV-9A . . . N2PZ
Hobbs = 223.4 hours.

That is where the mouse nest I found was. Little buggers HAD to have gone up the landing gear, somehow. Gascolator on firewall, luckily, otherwise I would have never noticed.

Oh, yes, this was on my Stinson, cowling opens enough to see/reach below engine.

Would probably have blown out in flight, but maybe not---------and right next to the exhaust system.

Do that preflight.

Mike

[WSBuilder]

I took off in my C-140 once and had no airspeed indication. I looked out and saw that the little wind-deflected pitot cover was masked closed with nearly invisible spiderweb. Birdnests on the engine were common in my T-hangar so I was thankful for the "Model T type" cowling so I could poke my head in there. No matter how simple the airplane there is no excuse for not doing a thorough pre-flight. Just do it, dang it!
BTW, I used a handful of electric razor cleaning brushes with RBF ribbons to cover the vent tubes. Just do inventory of all the covers as part of the pre-flight.