Hi Ravio,
Are we starting a =9Creaders wives=9D section on this forum
=93 just curious ?
Best stuff to avoid tyre going flat is =9Cslime=9D.
http://www.slime.com/
Great stuff =93 even use it in my car tyres.
Good Luck
Carl G-LABS
From: owner-europa-list-server@matronics.com
[mailto:owner-europa-list-server@matronics.com] On Behalf Of Raimo
Toivio
Sent: 06 July 2011 01:53
Subject: Europa-List: Tire /tyre landing incident /accident
From: Raimo Toivio <mailto:raimo.toivio@rwm.fi>
Sent: Wednesday, July 06, 2011 3:21 AM
Subject: Tire /tyre landing incident /accident
Dear All,
it is a long time since I have been here. Today it happened something
and I got an Europa Energy Burst (aka ENB) to write on the list. I think
this could be useful info for most of you Europa (or any GA plane)
operators. Let me tell you what was it and how it went:
***
I have worked couple of years to make an Europa story to the largest All
and Universal Technical Scandinavian Magazine which is published in the
Scandinavian countries. I have had several flying experiences with their
very speciall aviation editor. Today we decided to fly to one very
remote airfield. Everything went as normally.
Please notice I have a Monowheel, The Most Sexy GA ever built.
***
Just after a touchdown I
- smelled a well burned rubber and then after
- noticed immediately a strong autobrakeing
- noticed immeadiately the position of the aircraft is not normal (too
low and too leveled)
- noticed a rumbling noise
- noticed it is not *very* well steerable or att all and so we went out
of the runway to the port side of the grass area
We went out of the runway. That concrete runway 33 was quite narrow,
just 6 metres or about 20 feets only. I understood at once what was the
name of the game. During first seconds I was wondering if it (tha plane)
will be inverted. The brakeing effect was so hard. After seconds I was
wondering if I will lose only my prop (and engine) at least. It took
only seconds. We stopped and I ask the editor how about if I will now
switch off the fuel pump, electrics, engine, are you ok and how do you
feel now?
What a story for a newspaperman!
The landing was very normal before the touch down. Let me say, I had
completed 416 pcs of an Europa Monowheel landings and this was better
than 8 (0-10) just before touch down . I (we) assume the tire/tyre was
empty before landing. Not a big bang when landing at all, no no.
***
During the years we (Europa Operators) have speculated what will happen
when landing a mono with an empty tire /tyre. Now I /we know: If lucky
nothing! My prop was still a virgin (configuration: Warp Drive blades
with a wonderful Airmaster hub from NZ). The soil out of the runway was
quite soft. There was still a clearance between the mother ground and
the blades about 50 mm /2 inches. I kept the stick hard back during the
landing. Some of you may remember I do love high speed landings like on
final 70 knots and during a touch down around 60 knots. The brakeing
effect was very strong because of an empty main (and only!) tire /tyre:
it took only less than 100 metres /300 feets from touch down point to
the final stop. Zero winds. Runway is a bit upphill.
***
After I checked I am ok and my co-pilot was also ok and my plane was
about ok I called bureacrats as they call to do in Finland immediately.
The Police came and people from The Air Accident Investigators called
me. That was an Finnish Army Airbase also. They came and tried to help
us by giving some air to my empty wheel but do not succeeded because the
inner tube was totally destroyed during the landing (just 300 metres
---From us they =93 Finnish Army - were launching unmannned planes by
steam catapult).
***
I called my loving (and sooo beautiful) wife and she took immediately
the spare inner tube with her from our hangar and was heading by car
with a trailer 200 km /125 miles to us. Without a special jacking block
which I always carry with me it would have been impossible task to lift
the Mono upp and take the wheel out and change an inner tube for a new
one. All together it took 6 hours until we were flyable again. Let me
say The Editor still wanted to fly with me back to EFTP. We completed
some touches and goes to check would it be again empty or not. It was
not. What a smile.
Attached a pic =9Can accident place, my plane, my Wife and Mr
Editor doing tire /tyre changeing jobs=9D.
***
Fuck!
I have operatored my Europa 4 seasons and this was my 4th case of an
empty and a broken main wheel! This was a first experience during a
landing. All the other cases have been during taxiing or so. Why?! I
have an original size and a brand of an inner tube which is 8.00
=93 7(6) which means it is ok for a size 7 and 6. They say so. I
had two years an original outer tyre /tire which was like from a colf
car but after earlier incidents I changed it for a real aircraft tyre
/tire (brand name Air Trac). Always the hole has been in the side of the
inner tyre. It has always been let me say about 10 mm /0,4 inches) long
crack.
I (I point *I*) assume that is the question of the bad quality of the
Deli (made in Indonesian) innner tyres.
***
Let me and we all know the source for the high quality inner tubes
please!
Let me and all know is there any clever stuff to put inside of the inner
tube *before* accident to prevent this kinds of accidents.
We all know there are stuffs to put inside the inner tubes to make our
day *after* it is empty. That is not a solution and nothing to do with a
catastrophic failure when the crack is 10 mm or wider.
I /we need a possibility to prevent this kind of (very stupid)
not-so-purpose-to-happend-accidents.
***
Monowheels pilots =93 please do not ever fly far away w/o a
lifting block. That is a sensation.
Thanks for Mr. Dirk van Oyen from Belgium (first time in use a day after
a Maiden Flight =93 that was 30.04.2007).
***
Thanks for this wonderful chance to share and make my day.
I have many topics to talk with you. Many questions to answer. Many
things to do since the end of the last summer. I will come back.
Thanks you are there. All of you.
***
Specially Mr Kingsley from Oz and Mr Fred Klein from US.
I am happy you are there.
Cheers, Raimo Toivio
Europa A2A-ala2OK
Europa XS Mono OH-XRT #417
Updated flight hours /landings: 214,2 /418
37500 Lempaala
FINLAND
p +358-3-3753 777
f +358-3-3753 100
<mailto:toivio@fly.to> toivio@fly.to
<http://www.rwm.fi/> www.rwm.fi
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