Hi Steve,
Regarding the fine pitch stop, it needs to be adjusted until you can get
about 5700 rpm full throttle, with the airplane tied down (we put a rope
around the tail wheel axle spacers and park a car wheel on the rope).
Ours is set at about 5500-5600 rpm now, which is close enough for us.
Once you get moving a little on take-off, the rpms can rise just a
little more to get to 5700.
For idle speed, we were told by Lockwood that idling below about 1600
rpm can damage the gearbox (this may be more true on the 912S than the
others), so we set our idle at about 1600-1700 rpm. We adjust the idle
speed (and sync) using the idle set screws on the carbs, and then adjust
the throttle cables such that the throttle lever is just off the rear
stop of the lever slot, maybe just a few millimeters. This way, if you
hold the lever back with your hand, you can reduce the idle just a bit
more for landings (by about 50-100 rpm less).
It is true that the higher idle speed will cause the plane to float just
a bit more on landings, but with the Airmaster prop fine pitch adjusted
correctly, we have no problem landing solo with this idle setting.
I suspect your plane is taxiing too fast at the higher idle because the
fine pitch is set too course. Once you get the fine pitch set
correctly, you may find that the taxi speed is more acceptable at idle.
I guess another problem could be your tachometer accuracy. We verified
ours with an optical prop tach designed for model airplane use.
Regards,
Terry Seaver
A135 / N135TD
XS Mono with 912S and Airmaster.
-----Original Message-----
From: owner-europa-list-server@matronics.com
[mailto:owner-europa-list-server@matronics.com] On Behalf Of Steve Hagar
Sent: Wednesday, April 19, 2006 2:55 PM
Subject: Europa-List: Good news, bad news
I took today off as vacation and accomplished quite a bit of Europa
work. The plane got its first ride on the dual axel flatbed trailer I
fabbed up for it. It went to Falcon Field and back and came out
unscathed. (good news) The trailer probably weighs almost 2 times that
of the plane and it sits higher than a lot of the traffic. So the
plane is protected pretty well. The prop has gotten dynamically
balanced and there was a noticeable change even on ground runups. (good
news). Initial taxi tests were undertaken and the plane tracks very
well. I didn't have to do a bunch of back and forth tap dancing on the
rudders to keep it straight on the line as had been my experience in a
Cessna 140 and 2 other Europas I had taxied. However being more at ease
in my own plane may have led to more measured footwork may account for
the better tracking. (good news). On the other hand my low speed taxi
was more of a medium speed taxi. With the throttle pulled back to its
high i
dle (1500-1600) the taxi rate seemed to be approaching a very fast run
by a healthy teenager. Brakes were being dragged almost the whole time.
(bad news). I haven't set the prop pitch stops yet on the Airmaster and
I hope that is the issue. A very cursory quick check showed about 30
degrees on the backside of the prop and an inability to get up to 5000
rpm on one quick full power run. What are those with Airmasters running
for fine pitch?
The weight and balance was completed and the aircraft as it sits now
primered for fly off but now final paint has its Cg about 7/10 of an
inch behind the forward limit. (good news). I haven't permanately
mounted the battery yet. Right now the battery and its box of sorts in
sitting centered under the right access panel of the baggage bay shelf.
Where are other's CG's at with an empty weight? I need to do the
calculations for all the people, baggage, fuel, aux tank combinations
to see if I need to do some fine tuning with the location. Now for the
(bad news) the empty weight is just about 900 lbs. Which is about 50 lbs
more than I was hoping for, 91 % of the weight is on the mono and 9 %
on the tailwheel. With some leeway available in the US for certing the
gross wt I would like to call it 1420 to get a good solid 500# payload.
I can fill it up with gas and still tote a 175# woman around. Just
think of what I could carry with a 125# woman aboard . . .! ! ?
I'm 205 sopping wet and I should be 195 so adjusting me should be a
lot easier than drilling holes in everything to get more payload. How
many out there have their gross weights certificated for greater than
1370?
Steve Haga
A143
Mesa AZ
Getting closer!
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