"William S. Stewart" wrote:
>
> Glen Saunders of Rotax told me once that the 912/914 was very easy to hand
> prop, and that he had done it several times.
>
> Bill Stewart, N6LB (A098)
Even if the fact that the Rotax logo is on his paycheck is irrelevant,
maybe there is a trick to it. I've seen people prop some pretty big
radials, but you're still overcoming friction and (especially) inertia
in the gearbox reduction. And w/o the ability to prime or an
accelerator pump, and no impulse coupling making achieved RPM
critical, there's a safety issue where it takes several good yanks as
you fatigue and get sloppy on the footwork.
At least, I would be concerned about the 914, which lacks a mechanical
fuel pump. If you're hand propping due to a dead battery, I don't
care how easy it is. I wouldn't fly thing knowing there may be a
problem in the electrical system, which is vital in keeping the go
juice flowing.
Maybe it's just me (is anal retentive supposed to be hyphenated?) :-)
Regards,
Fred F., A063
|