Firstly congratulations on your first flight.
The pump filter layout has changed over the last few years and the
latest
version is at
http://www.europa-aircraft.biz/pdfs/xs914%20may%2006.vp.pdf
pages 5-3 and 5-4. What might not be obvious from these diagrams is
that
the system favors using the filter on the inlet to pump 1 even if both
pumps
are in use. The second filter then acts as a back up should the first
become blocked. During my flight test period (strongly recommended by
Nev )
I swapped out/cleaned the filters after every flight. After 5 hrs I now
see
a little bit of crud in filter 1 after each flight and none in #2. I
will
continue until both run clean.
Have fun!
Simon
-----Original Message-----
[mailto:owner-europa-list-server@matronics.com] On Behalf Of Steve Hagar
Sent: 31 July 2006 16:56
N40SH with a 914 and an Airmaster prop took to the air at Gateway
Airport
under the capable and skillful hands of Bob Lindsay. The plane works as
advertized. Bob noted that it was the smoothest Rotax he has flown
behind
yet. This is no doubt due to the good job that Phoenix Conposites
did
balancing the prop and my experience I had in balancing the Bings on my
old
BMW Paris-Dakar with my murcury manometers, It must be the hazardous
material in the tubes that gives you just the right amount of
granularity
in your adjustments. The plane is a good deal faster and more efficient
than
the spam cans I am used to. We passed the Coolidge airport that
usually
takes 30 minutes to get to in only about 20 minutes. I didn't expect it
to
show up so soon.
The aircraft is very stable, the wings giving a very good rumble when
approaching a clean stall is un-mistakeable. With one person aboard
there
is left wing drop in a dirty stall at about 40 kts. Though not much
worse
than I have experienced in a certificated plane. With 2 people aboard
it
becomes more stable in the dirty stall. The times I have tried it., it
appeared to just burble a bit before letting go.
The plane has been tested for flutter to Vne plus a good margin and
everything was fine and stable. Some basic aerobatic maneuvers were
tested.
The plane flies like it is on rails.
All subsequent flights during the week originated from Falcon Field with
me
doing my practice take offs and landings at the huge runways at Gateway
Bob
signed me off to fly it by myself this Saturday, he added a 10 kt cross
wind restriction until I get some more time under my belt. I did indeed
use
a good deal of the width of the 100 + ft wide runways at gateway on some
of
the early landings.
Excitement:
We succombed to the dreaded clogged fuel filter syndrome. This has
happened so many times. I figured I had it licked as I ran a minimum
of 40
to 50 gallons of fuel through the filters and then changed them out.
The
clear filter housing was inspected before the flight also. Evidently
running fuel through them doesn't do any good unless you have the plane
strapped to a paint shaker to stir things up while sucking the gas out.
Also it appears what clogs the filter is the same color as the filter,
you
only see some black particles in the filter that look benign. Its what
you
don't see is what kills you.
The filter decided to stop passing the correct amount of fuel at the
most
in opportune time. During a touch and go after we had lifted off and
were
about a hundred feet in the air and with most of the runway behind us.
We
probably touched down within 10 ft of the end of the runway and headed
it
into the mud and water rather than the fence along Greenfield road.
The
plane handles much better in the sloppy stuff than it does on the
pavement.
The fire dept took some real good pictures and the lines through the
dirt
are straighter than any track of a Europa on the pavement. A very good
rough field aircraft! I will have the post about 20 photos that were
taken.
After talking to the guy with the FAA badge for a few minutes. It only
took a little effort to pull it out. The reserve tank was selected and
the
motor started ri ght up and we taxied back to our spot. The aircraft
was
hosed off and cowlings removed to get the stuff out of the heat
exchangers
and every thing was inspected. The plane was no worse for the wear.
It
flew the rest of the week (Thurs, Fri, Sat) with nary a peep. Cooling
was
not a major concern as expected in the Phoenix summer. Oil temps were
good. CHT was close but stayed away from 135c but not by much. I do
have
an air diverter between my oil and water heat exchangers. So maybe
this is
telling me to bend it toward the oil cooler more to get more air to the
water.
Solution:
I need to change the fuel system. At this time I have a filter at the
outlet of each side of the tank (primary and reserve). Each one of these
lines feeds the Andair selector valve and then this goes to the two
fuel
pumps. There is no redundancy here, I'm using two pumps for takeoff and
landing however I'm sucking off of one filter. The two filters need to
be
downstream of the selector valve, just ahead of each pump. That way if
a
filter gets clogged the other pump can take up the load through its own
filter. I don't see how I missed that item. The small filters with the
replaceable elements are going away and some larger disposable cheaper
automotive types are going in their place.
Other issues:
At pattern speeds with the flaps down, carbon mon-oxide builds up in
the
cockpit to a very noticable extent. We had a monitor but it wasn't
needed.
I need to put some seals at the flap actuation tube slots, like I
believe
Dave and Terry did. I also have a good breeze comming up through the
two
holes in the console that are open where the rudder pullies are. These
need
to be plugged up. I am also going to stick a small air dam 1/4" high at
the
back edge of each Naca fresh air duct to see if I can get them to grab
more
air. I have two through vents in the aft baggage bay D panel to open
up
some more to get the air flowing out the back.
The bungies could use a little tightening after sitting for at least 3
years
during the build.
Both the fine pitch stop and the coarse pitch stop on the Airmaster
need
coarsening up.
Flight instruments appear to be spot on. (I had to turn me a new
static
nose piece from aluminum for the pitot tube after busting the plastic
unit a
day before Bob arrived)
The plane has over 9 hours of its 40 hours flown off. The next week or
two
will be used to work on the above items and to snoop around to see if I
can
find a hanger to share with someone. I would think a Europa with one
wing
off would fit just nicely with a high wing aircraft. Its a real pain to
be
toting the plane around. I will probably fly two to three times more if
I
was able to park it at an airfield.
That's it for now you'll probably see the plane at Copperstate this
year.
It however will still be in primer by then.
Steve Hagar
hagargs@earthlink.net
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