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  #61  
Old 12-12-2011, 12:17 PM
erich weaver's Avatar
erich weaver erich weaver is offline
 
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: santa barbara, CA
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I think there may be a lesson here that hasnt been explicity stated yet:

In the event of a sudden engine stoppage, the cause may be related to the last input to the engine controls!

erich
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  #62  
Old 12-12-2011, 12:17 PM
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Ironflight Ironflight is offline
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Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Dayton, NV
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Default Wow ? the G3X Does Cool Stuff!

One of the cool things about EFIS-equipped airplanes is the data logging capability ? and the G3X makes it super simple. If you have an SD card in the unit ? it records! The data is a one-sample-per-second recording of all the EFIS and EIS parameters ? great for evaluation post-flight, and it drops right in to an Excel spreadsheet. Garmin also has a simple utility that converts it to Google Earth, so here is the ?Second Flight? in visual form:

Overview of the flight ? we came out of Pearland Regional and headed for our flight test area. We were flying long ovals to break in the engine. After two laps, we had the fuel problem.



Zooming in, this view is just above the point where things got quiet.



As I crossed over the highway where it crossed ?my? dirt road, I committed to the landing spot, and set up the engine-out pattern.


I used a slight overshoot on final to kill off excess altitude. After coming to a stop, I wondered why I didn?t let it cost a little further so the walk to the highway would be shorter!


Junior spent the night tucked off the side of the road just behind where we stopped. Is this Google earth stuff cool or what? 
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  #63  
Old 12-12-2011, 12:23 PM
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KatieB KatieB is offline
 
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Man that is cool!

I don't know what I would dread the most... having to land engine-out on a gravel road or leaving the baby out there all alone overnight! Glad you're both OK.
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  #64  
Old 12-12-2011, 12:27 PM
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longranger longranger is offline
 
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Quote:
Originally Posted by aerhed View Post
Hey Miles,
That square hole shaft is hooked to a pair of 60 year old universal joints with smashed hollow-end rivets for pivots. The 182's have an AD about freeplay on this. Does that make you feel warm & fuzzy?
A little off topic since we're talking about keeping the handle connected to the shaft, but I don't recall there being an AD on the 170 fuel valve system. IIRC, there's only one u-joint down there, and I honestly don't recall what it's pivots are. Regardless, I'll get in there with a flashlight and mirror and check it out before further flight. Cessna did several things better in their earlier airplanes than later on; I guess we'll find out whether this was one of them.

Thanks,
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  #65  
Old 12-12-2011, 12:30 PM
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rocketbob rocketbob is offline
 
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Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by longranger View Post
A little off topic since we're talking about keeping the handle connected to the shaft, but I don't recall there being an AD on the 170 fuel valve system. IIRC, there's only one u-joint down there, and I honestly don't recall what it's pivots are. Regardless, I'll get in there with a flashlight and mirror and check it out before further flight. Cessna did several things better in their earlier airplanes than later on; I guess we'll find out whether this was one of them.

Thanks,
There is an AD...I worked on one for a friend that has a 170.
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  #66  
Old 12-12-2011, 12:35 PM
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Flyfalcons Flyfalcons is offline
 
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Quote:
Originally Posted by 8CW View Post
I'm not flying yet but I went with the same valve and handle that Paul has. What I noticed is the red handle has a set screw hole drilled in both ends, although it only comes with one set screw. I elected to put a another set screw in the other side.
By doing that you may be removing much of the friction gained by having a set screw only on one side (or 90 degrees offset).
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  #67  
Old 12-12-2011, 12:39 PM
sandifer sandifer is offline
 
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Paul, you were very wise waiting to paint Junior until you get all your gravel road takeoffs out of the way.
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  #68  
Old 12-12-2011, 01:01 PM
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MarkW MarkW is online now
 
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Location: Edgewater, FL. KSFB
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Default Off airport

Does an off airport landing like this require a notification to anybody? FSDO?
DAR? Either during Phase 1 or after?
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  #69  
Old 12-12-2011, 01:13 PM
gasman gasman is offline
 
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: Sonoma County
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Ironflight View Post

Paul, I also want to say..... outstanding job!! We all expected no less....

Now, my take on Van's valve. First, if you have one and question it's ability to perform as required, before you run off to spend an unneeded amount of cash for an upgraded valve, take the brass valve apart and see how it works.
For what the valve is asked to do, it doesn't get any simpler than this valve. But this valve does have one problem....... The spring that keeps the cone seated is too long and too strong. A weaker spring from ACE cut so you can lift the select handle about 1/8 inch will make the valve work like silk.

Second. When someone at Van's decided that it would make more sense to have the handle instead of the pointer point to the selected valve created the problem that you ended up with. Not only did you have to cross plumb to install the valve with the handle pointing to the tank, the after market people had to allow for the variation.

I installed my valve with the pointer (painted red) pointing to L or R. It works fine and I don't have to reach over the valve for leverage to change it. But another RV pilot might get confused.....

In the picture above, I see you have the valve plumbed so the stock pointer will point to the tank. One way you could have a safe selector handle is to use the stock one and alter it's looks and shape with some rectorseal EP200 epoxy putty. Mold it and shape it the way you want then paint it. The stock handle is safe. Even without the screw, it is a press fit onto the D shaft.

I also purchased the red handle and did not install because of the set screw. I would at least double set screw it. 2 set screws 7/16" long. Set the first one and then grind the second one down till when installed, it ends up just flush to the surface of the handle.
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  #70  
Old 12-12-2011, 01:17 PM
eisnerrv4 eisnerrv4 is offline
 
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: Halifax, NS
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Thumbs up RV3

Glad to hear everything is fine Paul.

Brian Eisner
RV4 C-GRJT
Halifax Nova Scotia
Canada
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