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Lynn Matteson
Joined: 10 Jan 2006
Posts: 2778
Location: Grass Lake, Michigan
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 Posted: Tue Aug 05, 2008 6:35 am Post subject: Kitfox survives emergency landing...my 1st |
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Except this wasn't silent...the prop kept turning, and in hindsight,
the pistons kept right on banging into the valves that were left
open...two of them from what I've seen so far....and was making a
soft clattering sound until it stopped turning when I slowed down
enough for final. When I turned to engine over on the ground, I could
feel a slight resistance, then it would pass through that feeling and
be free again. I figured that it was the piston coming up against an
open valve, and further turning wasn't hurting it any, because the
prop freewheeled for the 2-3 minutes that I had before touchdown...at
least it seemed that long. There is (on the only piston I've seen so
far) a very slight impacted area...maybe 1/16" deep and not very
long, where the valve made a mark in the piston. If this were an auto
engine, I'd hit that area with a Dremel tool to smooth it out, then
do the very same thing on all the other pistons so that future
incidents would not do the same thing. What I mean to say is that you
create a pocket for the valve to clear, so that contact is not made
if the same thing were to happen again.
Racing pistons have "eyebrows" cut into the pistons to avoid any
valve contact, as many as four of these eyebrows are cut into pistons
so the pistons can be used on either side of the engine. Just for
somebody's info, we used to take a valve and grind it into the shape
of a metal-cutter, and use that to make our own eyebrows in the
pistons, when building up a race engine with a high-lift, or long-
duration, cam.
I don't know how prepared I am, but I've got my "God is my Co-Pilot"
sticker on the cabin tubing over my head...does that count? : ) (I
really should clean my house though, I'd hate to leave a bad
impression....guess that job will fall to my kids, though) : )
Lynn Matteson
Kitfox IV Speedster
Jabiru 2200
Status: flying...oops...holding short at 561.8 hrs
do not archive
On Aug 5, 2008, at 10:01 AM, FlyboyTR wrote:
| Quote: |
Lynn..........welcome to the club! [Shocked]
Glad you made it down safely and neither you are the plane were
injured.
If you fly long enough...it's not a matter of if...it's a matter of
when! ...Sort of like being in church... Have you prepared...are
you ready? That instant silence is one of the loudest sounds you
will ever hear!
Take Care!
Travis 
--------
Travis Rayner
Mobile, AL
Skystar Vixen, N-789DF
Continental IO-240, Prince P-Tip Prop
ADI-II Autopilot
AnyWhereMap Navigation with weather
Read this topic online here:
http://forums.matronics.com/viewtopic.php?p=196609#196609
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_________________
Lynn
Kitfox IV-Jabiru 2200
N369LM |
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lcfitt(at)sbcglobal.net
Guest
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| Posted: Tue Aug 05, 2008 8:13 am Post subject: Kitfox survives emergency landing...my 1st |
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Lynn,
You made me laugh a bit with this one. Please do clean your house. This is
no reflection on your housekeeping, but a tip from me to all who fly, or go
out or just live life.
After our, much harder, emergency landing, friends came over to help out a
bit and "cleaned" our house for us. This was while we were in the hospital.
Well, I guess our kind helpers didn't like where we put things, because
everything was put away in places that took weeks to discover. We found
books that were stacked on a counter slated to be given to the library on
top of the the towels in the hall closet. Make no mistake, we cherish the
memory of all who did so much to help, but it brings a smile to our face
when we remember coming home and not being able to find anything - meaning
those things we used the most and were placed where they were most handy.
Lowell
do not archive
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FlyboyTR
Joined: 04 Nov 2006
Posts: 215
Location: Mobile, Alabama
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| Posted: Tue Aug 05, 2008 8:54 am Post subject: Re: Kitfox survives emergency landing...my 1st |
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Lynn,
I have had my share of engine outs in gyrocopters, ultralights, experimentals and GA. Practicing emergency landings is something I have always believed in! I have done MANY dead stick landings in all the above...with the prop stopped (yes I know glide is usually better with a stopped rather than windmilling prop).
In contrast to my beliefs...I no longer do full engine off/prop stopped practice landings! Our Kitfox has the Continental IO-240, 125 hp fuel injected engine. Here's the problem...It doesn't like hot starts! With ALL the other engines a restart was just a click away. Not so with this engine. I have to go through the full hot start routine if my engine has been off for 10 seconds or 10 minutes. I didn't realize the severity of this issue until I did my first practice dead stick landing (prop stopped). I realized I was going to be a little short of my mark (which was at mid field). No joy on the restart and I landed about 300' short of my planned mark.
For this to be your first dead stick (not planned) landing. I'd say you did great. It doesn't matter how large or small the landing site...what matters is that you landed where you intended and walked away. Again...congratulations!
Travis
| | - The Matronics Kitfox-List Email Forum - | | | Use the List Feature Navigator to browse the many List utilities available such as the Email Subscriptions page, Archive Search & Download, 7-Day Browse, Chat, FAQ, Photoshare, and much more:
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_________________
Travis Rayner
Mobile, AL
Skystar Vixen, N-789DF
Continental IO-240, Prince P-Tip Prop
ADI-II Autopilot
AnyWhereMap Navigation with weather
www.enotam.net (My Flying Info Website) |
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Lynn Matteson
Joined: 10 Jan 2006
Posts: 2778
Location: Grass Lake, Michigan
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| Posted: Tue Aug 05, 2008 12:59 pm Post subject: Kitfox survives emergency landing...my 1st |
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Lowell-
Sounds like you've been talking to Duane....
There are precious few people who have ever seen the filing system
that I employ at my house...Duane R., whom you know, is one of them.
He'll attest that if you want to find the latest magazine issue,
it'll be on top of that pile on the floor over there, or was it on
the chair over there that nobody can sit on because of the "filing
system"?
My Mom used to tell me to always wear "train wreck" underwear,
because you never know what might happen. I always figured if you got
in a train/airplane wreck, doing a laundry is the least of your
problems. And if the wreck was scary enough, clean undies might just
NOT be clean shortly (no pun) afterwards. : )
And speaking of cleaning/sorting/filing, I had written on my shopping
list "dial indicator", because I didn't have the best set-up when it
came to that (now) needed tool. But after looking a bit, I found all
kinds of swivels, adapters, etc., that I could never find when I
needed it before. I just collected all my outside and inside
micrometers, telescoping gauges, snap ring pliers, etc., and I'm
starting to feel like an engine man again...been a while. This might
even inspire me to get working on the 240 Z that needs some engine work.
The shopping list includes a parts washer, a crowsfoot wrench for the
cylinders, valve spring compressor, ring compressor, etc. I sold a
bunch of that stuff when I moved back here from sunny California, now
it's time to re-stock and hang out the shingle again. : )
Lynn Matteson
Kitfox IV Speedster
Jabiru 2200
Status: flying...oops...holding short at 561.8 hrs
do not archive
On Aug 5, 2008, at 12:08 PM, Lowell Fitt wrote:
[quote]
<lcfitt(at)sbcglobal.net>
Lynn,
You made me laugh a bit with this one. Please do clean your
house. This is no reflection on your housekeeping, but a tip from
me to all who fly, or go out or just live life.
After our, much harder, emergency landing, friends came over to
help out a bit and "cleaned" our house for us. This was while we
were in the hospital. Well, I guess our kind helpers didn't like
where we put things, because everything was put away in places that
took weeks to discover. We found books that were stacked on a
counter slated to be given to the library on top of the the towels
in the hall closet. Make no mistake, we cherish the memory of all
who did so much to help, but it brings a smile to our face when we
remember coming home and not being able to find anything - meaning
those things we used the most and were placed where they were most
handy.
Lowell
do not archive
---
| | - The Matronics Kitfox-List Email Forum - | | | Use the List Feature Navigator to browse the many List utilities available such as the Email Subscriptions page, Archive Search & Download, 7-Day Browse, Chat, FAQ, Photoshare, and much more:
http://www.matronics.com/Navigator?Kitfox-List |
|
_________________
Lynn
Kitfox IV-Jabiru 2200
N369LM |
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Lynn Matteson
Joined: 10 Jan 2006
Posts: 2778
Location: Grass Lake, Michigan
|
| Posted: Tue Aug 05, 2008 1:24 pm Post subject: Kitfox survives emergency landing...my 1st |
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Thanks, Travis.....I recall looking very hard for wires, t'poles,
etc., but saw none. Nonetheless, I came in high over the road just to
be sure, then slipped it down even though the field was long. Maybe I
was thinking about the long walk to the road, who knows.
I asked my instructor if there was ANY way to have stopped that prop,
and I already knew the answer was no. On the models, some guys would
throw a rag into the prop if the plane was on the ground, and I
always thought that was a sloppy way to stop an engine.
Lynn Matteson
Kitfox IV Speedster
Jabiru 2200
Status: flying...oops...holding short at 561.8 hrs
do not archive
On Aug 5, 2008, at 12:54 PM, FlyboyTR wrote:
| Quote: |
Lynn,
I have had my share of engine outs in gyrocopters, ultralights,
experimentals and GA. Practicing emergency landings is something I
have always believed in! I have done MANY dead stick landings in
all the above...with the prop stopped (yes I know glide is usually
better with a stopped rather than windmilling prop).
In contrast to my beliefs...I no longer do full engine off/prop
stopped practice landings! Our Kitfox has the Continental IO-240,
125 hp fuel injected engine. Here's the problem...It doesn't like
hot starts! With ALL the other engines a restart was just a click
away. No so with this engine. I have to go through the full hot
start routine if my engine has been off for 10 seconds or 10
minutes. I didn't realize the severity of this issue until I did
my first practice dead stick landing (prop stopped). I realized I
was going to be a little short of my mark (which was at mid
field). No joy on the restart and I landed about 300' short of my
planned mark.
For this to be your first dead stick (not planned) landing. I'd
say you did great. It doesn't matter how large or small the
landing site...what matters is that you landed where you intended
and walked away. Again...congratulations!
Travis
--------
Travis Rayner
Mobile, AL
Skystar Vixen, N-789DF
Continental IO-240, Prince P-Tip Prop
ADI-II Autopilot
AnyWhereMap Navigation with weather
Read this topic online here:
http://forums.matronics.com/viewtopic.php?p=196663#196663
|
| | - The Matronics Kitfox-List Email Forum - | | | Use the List Feature Navigator to browse the many List utilities available such as the Email Subscriptions page, Archive Search & Download, 7-Day Browse, Chat, FAQ, Photoshare, and much more:
http://www.matronics.com/Navigator?Kitfox-List |
|
_________________
Lynn
Kitfox IV-Jabiru 2200
N369LM |
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| Back to top |
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FlyboyTR
Joined: 04 Nov 2006
Posts: 215
Location: Mobile, Alabama
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| Posted: Tue Aug 05, 2008 2:44 pm Post subject: Re: Kitfox survives emergency landing...my 1st |
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If the engine still has compression...and who would know at the time, you would raise the nose and slow the plane...somewhere close to stall speed it will...should...stop. While this would be the perfect thing to do if you were many thousands of feet up...it may not always be the wisest thing to do if altitude and a landing field is suitable. It would be silly to loose several hundred of feet of altitude to get your prop stopped...so your glide ratio would be better...and then be 10 feet short of a clearing!
...geeeeeee....I get all twisted just thinking about it! 
Once while on a long final at one of our local grass strips...there was about 10 UL's and Exp. gathered up for a weekend camping trip. We had to fly the furtherest to get to the departure point. I decided I had plenty of altitude and a tail wind and killed the engine (prop stopped) so I could make a stealthy approach in front of our friends. No problem...As I descended through 2,000' I realized I now had a head wind and some quick mental calculations led me to the realization that we were not going to make the runway. I reached for the key and turned it...click....click...click... Just the solenoid clicking. After many click-clicks my loyal and knowledgeable copilot put her hand on mine and pulled it off the key. She then gently said..."Honey...fly the plane!" It was like one of those hypnosis finger snaps. There were two small cow pastures with a small tree line in between. Each was about 400' square. We made a left turn and did a couple of S turns and landed in the second field. I tried to enter from the corner for more room. We cleared the trees with about 5 feet to spare and landed in this wet, rough pasture. Manure was everywhere! Nothing was damaged on the plane...but let me say this again...manure was everywhere!!! Turned out...the ground cable had broken at the terminal and so I had no ground to the starter! How we flew it out is another story!
Again...It sounds like you made all the right decisions...and flew the plane! Aviate, Navigate and Communicate. So simple...yet it's so easy to get behind the 8-ball.
Travis
| | - The Matronics Kitfox-List Email Forum - | | | Use the List Feature Navigator to browse the many List utilities available such as the Email Subscriptions page, Archive Search & Download, 7-Day Browse, Chat, FAQ, Photoshare, and much more:
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|
_________________
Travis Rayner
Mobile, AL
Skystar Vixen, N-789DF
Continental IO-240, Prince P-Tip Prop
ADI-II Autopilot
AnyWhereMap Navigation with weather
www.enotam.net (My Flying Info Website) |
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