normandouellette
Posts: 319
Joined: 3/12/2007 From: Laval,
QC, CANADA Status: offline
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EVENTFUL TAKEOFF: Well nice day little breeze in Montreal, took off work and got to the field at 13:00. Surprize after the 45 min drive, 15 knot wind 90 degree from the runway...Should pack up and leave... I start the engines anyway, runup for a few minutes, top off fuel and air and full throttle on takeoff...and the wind picked up a ribbon 3 feet long from nowhere blown directly on the right engine at full throttle speed and liftoff time, the right engine is tangled with the ribbon and my worst nightmare, it died at 6 inch from the ground, enough momentum to climb to 10 feet and the GYRO did the right thing. The plane abrubtly turned to the right and my normal immediate reaction to level the wings worked. Now its going downwind away from me to its doom...NO WAY, gears up full throttle and maintain level and a slow turn into the dead engine (wrong way but only option) clibing slowly 5 feet per 200 feet skinning fences to about 50 feet and letting the gyro take care of the Yaw, I flew the thing to line it up after a full Looooonnnngggg (never ending) circle to line up with the runway 1/2 flaps gear down (Now it is unstable) throttle back to 1/2 and glide to the runway banking into the running left engine and the plane landed as smoothly as if it had 2 engines. This 150$ gyro saved this plane (3500$+)from destruction. Some carry around a rabbit leg, well I think I will always carry around a gyro. I have been testing the gyro for engine failure in the air 200feet +with my dual Ace testing slow speed climb to full throttle and idling an engine, would never attempt to do it on a takeoff roll 6 inch from the ground (too chicken) but this time the real unwanted thing happened and it did the job and better: the 24 lbs B-25 climbed on one engine!! (Saito 82). Hope it never happens again but this thing certainely worked. I know my cardiovascular is ok now. Normand.
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