Testing Bower Aviation RAM Induction System ...

[HFS]

Calling all Bower users ...

Have any of you done (can't find on search engine here) a ground based "operational" test of the system with the inlet plugged & and the aircraft restrained from moving with an engine run up?

Tie the airplane down (TW stinger to pickup bumper + chalks), plug the inlet, start the engine and increase power to system's maximum performance, or the max static RPM generated from ground runs.

Record & Report ...

Thank you - HFS

I have a slightly different system (home grown) on my Rocket, but I plan to do the same with it.

 

[RV7A Flyer]

Tie the airplane down (TW stinger to pickup bumper + chalks), plug the inlet, start the engine and increase power to system's maximum performance, or the max static RPM generated from ground runs.

Weren't there reports of some guys bending up the aft bulkheads doing this?

 

[HFS]

Weren't there reports of some guys bending up the aft bulkheads doing this?

That's what I've done with mine since new - certainly doesn't mean it's right, just that (so far) I've gotten away with it. I may have to "re-think" my approach - thanks for the "heads up"!

HFS

 

[RV7A Flyer]

That's what I've done with mine since new - certainly doesn't mean it's right, just that (so far) I've gotten away with it. I may have to "re-think" my approach - thanks for the "heads up"!

HFS

IIRC, there were some incidents of this happening (but they may have been trying to *measure* the pull and thus not using brakes...I don't recall the details. But they DID end up with damage to those aft bulkheads.

Someone else reported that they had prop damage when they sucked up some rocks from a goodly distance away. And there may have been a report of a nose-over, not sure.

Be cautious and think everything through, including all the "what if's"...

 

[DanH]

Record & Report ...

Rod published this some time ago. The filtered performance is truly awful.