To all, and congrats to Raimo Toivio
When preparation, proficiency and proper procedures meet a potentially
catastrophic chain of events, the chain is broken and the aircraft,
pilot and passengers all have a story to tell rather than being an
accident statistic.
Your thorough planning for tire changes in the field, spares, and most
importantly a lovely and supportive wife makes the event a nuisance tire
change out in the field, so I am hoping you bought your wife a great
dinner and told her how much you appreciate her.
As for tires and tubes, from what I can report from the US mono pilots
that have shared their experiences with me here goes:
Original Classic Equipment was an industrial 8 inch tire and tube.
Cheap, strong but rather thin with squishy sides. The clearances were
minimal from the frame and cockpit module and during landing the brake
caliper on a flat tire tore it up pretty quick. About 2000 most guys
started going with the 7 inch McCreary as a replacement around here. It
is narrower and of course a little lower. The original tube was a bit
thin but cheap at $35 for a lawn tire tube.
Replacement Tires:
The McCreary 7 inch six ply seems to work very well with very long life.
This tire has more clearance from the frame, the wheel well, and its
six ply sides is very stiff. It is available through Europa or Aircraft
Spruce (PN 06-09600):
for about $130 US and is worth every penny.
Replacement Tubes: Europa tubes are now made by McCreary and are for a
7-8 inch tire. They are very well built, and have the exact 90 degree
bend and placement of the valve stem for the mono's wheel. They are
about $130 each, and again worth every penny. It is my experience they
are changed only on puncture not wear.
Most taxi failures need a serious autopsy of the tube. I have found
with new clients that they pinch the tube or cut the stem. Once the
tire goes flat, it gets cut by the brake caliper. We have gone to a
full proof method here in the shop. First we inspect the wheel for any
burrs or sharp edges on the rim and especially on the valve stem. We
smooth these out if present. Then thoroughly clean and dry the wheel.
We cut card stock that fits the recess machined into the wheel and glue
it in place with super glue dabs on one side only. Then show the client
how the wheels go together and to watch for the white paper in the wheel
half split with an inspection mirror to make sure all goes together
easily. Then the tube is lightly powdered , inserted into the tire,
aligned with the stem aligned with the dot (not always present) and
slide the wheel into the tire. Carefully align the tube stem and ensure
the tube is not twisted. Now carefully install the other wheel half and
gently push the two halves together. Insert bolts and pull up evenly.
The tire is ready to inflate.
A suitable lubricant for tire to wheel during installation is not axel
grease according to the FAA maintenance folks. There is no reason for
lube on a well maintained rim free of dirt, corrosion etc. If the tire
will not go on the rim, use a proper lube such as Freylube or a mixture
of dish soap and water with no more than 10% mineral oil. Allow the
solution to dry before putting the tire in use. Petroleum lubricants
between the tire and rim may cause the tire to rotate on hard braking or
run-up (and the tire will rotate on the rim with a 914 at full blast
with an Airmaster Prop), causing tube stem or tube failure. Learn from
my mistake. Read Michelin's guide to tire installation:
http://www.airmichelin.com/uploadedFiles/MichelinAirDev/StandardContent/R
esource/certification_level_2.pdf<http://www.airmichelin.com/uploadedFile
s/MichelinAirDev/StandardContent/Resource/certification_level_2.pdf>
Great job Raimo,
Regards to all,
Bud Yerly
Europa Tech Support
Custom Flight Creations, Inc.
www.customflightcreations.com<http://www.customflightcreations.com/>
(813) 653-4989
----- Original Message -----
From: Raimo Toivio<mailto:raimo.toivio@rwm.fi>
To: europa-list@matronics.com<mailto:europa-list@matronics.com>
Sent: Tuesday, July 05, 2011 9:51 PM
Subject: Europa-List: 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 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
toivio@fly.to<mailto:toivio@fly.to>
www.rwm.fi<http://www.rwm.fi/>
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