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  #1  
Old 03-18-2010, 05:46 PM
RV8R999 RV8R999 is offline
 
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: na
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Default Starting Engine In Drive-Way

Anybody give your engine a test run in the driveway without the wings installed? Sure would like to do this prior to moving everything to the airport in a few months. Obviously taking all the fuel/fire precautions and ensuring kids,pets and neighbors are notified I can't think of a reason why using a properly grounded gas can and chocked plane would be a problem. Thoughts?
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  #2  
Old 03-18-2010, 05:51 PM
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Vlad Vlad is offline
 
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Utah
Posts: 8,151
Default Highly NOT recommended

Ken there was a thread and even a u-tube video with engine start in the driveway without wings attached and short taxi. Look for the thread, tons of good points against doing it.
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  #3  
Old 03-18-2010, 06:24 PM
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RV6_flyer RV6_flyer is offline
 
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: NC25
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Default Not Recommended

Engine start without wings is NOT Recommended. There is very little to gain and much to lose.

See this video before you try it. It shows what can go wrong.
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  #4  
Old 03-18-2010, 06:43 PM
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John Clark John Clark is offline
 
Join Date: May 2005
Location: Santa Barbara, CA
Posts: 1,324
Default Start it when the airplane is ready to be flown.

Quote:
Originally Posted by RV8R999 View Post
Sure would like to do this prior to moving everything to the airport in a few months.
Along with the very real safety concerns, if it is a new engine, you really don't want to run it and then let it sit for "a few months" unless you pickle it for storage. Hangars are really good at making condensation.

John Clark ATP, CFI
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  #5  
Old 03-18-2010, 08:50 PM
RV8R999 RV8R999 is offline
 
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Default

WOW!!! I won't be doing that I can tell you. Those gear legs folded like noodles. Something else besides not having wings must have been going on with that plane. Im not familiar with LANCAIR gear design but the oscillation after he jumped the chocks was probably exacerbated by the low empty weight leaving the gear with much less preload thereby changing the resonant frequency of the spring/mass/damper system...I'm only guessing. Can you imaging how bad that guy must of felt after that!

Ok.I'll wait. That was enough for me.

Thanks!!!
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  #6  
Old 03-18-2010, 09:00 PM
Kyle Boatright Kyle Boatright is offline
 
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: Atlanta, GA
Posts: 4,218
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by RV8R999 View Post
WOW!!! I won't be doing that I can tell you. Those gear legs folded like noodles. Something else besides not having wings must have been going on with that plane. Im not familiar with LANCAIR gear design but the oscillation after he jumped the chocks was probably exacerbated by the low empty weight leaving the gear with much less preload thereby changing the resonant frequency of the spring/mass/damper system...I'm only guessing. Can you imaging how bad that guy must of felt after that!

Ok.I'll wait. That was enough for me.

Thanks!!!

I think the airplane only jumped the left chock. The right one did a great job folding back the gear on that side. I'm guesing his downlocks weren't properly installed.

That had to be a bad day...
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  #7  
Old 03-18-2010, 09:07 PM
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jcaplins jcaplins is offline
 
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Davis, CA, USA
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Default

That's a pretty damning video, but I don't think it proves the point.

I'm not trying to be contradictory.... I agree with all the reasons for having the wings on before firing up the engine.

I have seen that video used many times to support the argument. I also believe that the problem in the video was the gear being retracted (it's not a fixed gear), which may or may not have had anything to do with the wings.

just saying is all.
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Last edited by jcaplins : 03-19-2010 at 07:14 AM. Reason: got grammer?
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  #8  
Old 03-19-2010, 04:34 AM
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N941WR N941WR is offline
 
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: SC
Posts: 12,887
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by RV8R999 View Post
WOW!!! I won't be doing that I can tell you. Those gear legs folded like noodles. Something else besides not having wings must have been going on with that plane. Im not familiar with LANCAIR gear design but the oscillation after he jumped the chocks was probably exacerbated by the low empty weight leaving the gear with much less preload thereby changing the resonant frequency of the spring/mass/damper system...I'm only guessing. Can you imaging how bad that guy must of felt after that!

Ok.I'll wait. That was enough for me.

Thanks!!!
IIRC, that Lancair was an RG and the Gear started to retract, which is why he had a problem.

I know of one RV-8 that was run w/o the wings on and with no problem. However, if it were me, I would want the wings and all the control surfaces installed so I had some control, if it started to move.
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  #9  
Old 03-19-2010, 06:54 AM
wilddog wilddog is offline
 
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: va.
Posts: 523
Default

I pushed my homebuilt, not an RV, out of the shop and chained it to a tree for the first start, no problems. It was a mid-time engine and I don't live in town. Be sure your pets and children are away and nothing is around that can get sucked up by the prop. If you're not going to be flying soon you will need to pickle your engine. You can spray oil in the carb until the engine dies and that helps, but it still needs more for long term storage.
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  #10  
Old 03-19-2010, 07:15 AM
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Brantel Brantel is offline
 
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Location: Newport, TN
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Default

George Orndorf does this on one of his video's....Remember those way back in the day?

I would not do it though. The wings add some dampening to the airframe to absorb all those waves of energy.
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