An Aviation Work Day
06-12-2017, 03:56 AM
#1
Thread Starter
An Aviation Work Day
I reported in another thread about some storm damage done to my hangar at the local airport. So Saturday I gather my tools and supplies and go to do some work. I spend most of the day doing some preliminary work before getting started on the roof damage. I spend a good part of the day there and make a good start on the work to be done.
Leaving the airport I see that it is a beautiful day, light wind and great for flying. So I decide to go flying. Here is where it is nice to have your own airfield. My club field is over an hour away.
I get home load my trailer with airplane and gear and head out to fly. I get to try out my new starting station. Recently built but never used. It still needs foam on the uprights but my plane is a SPAD so no problem there. My plane is sort of on a maiden flight. I built a new fuselage a bit longer and changed the wing from rubber bands to bolt on wing. I really wanted a friend to do the first flight but that has not worked out. Time to do it myself.
I start the engine, check everything all good to go. I place the plane on the runway, start powering up for takeoff and the engine quits. Shoot, I get the gear out for a restart and now the throttle doesn't work. It had worked just a few seconds before. Now no movement at all. I decide no flying today and no field repair. So back to the workshop. Another nice thing about a home airfield, workshop and tools close by.
I remove the wing, try the throttle and now it works. Heck, what's going on here? I try it over and over turning system on and off and it works normal every time. So I start looking at the installation and see the servo connector is just below the saddle tape. Could it be hitting the wing? I check the wing and sure enough there is a scuff mark about where the servo is installed. So simple fix, lower the servo. Easily done on this plane. I drill 2 holes a bit lower and reposition the servo. All good to go.
Thinking about this I find that all my checks were done with the wing just placed on the airplane and never fully bolted down. This day I bolted it down for flight. It was just enough to to cause some binding. Fortunately it all happened on the ground. Still no flying. Who knows when? Just an aviation work day.
Leaving the airport I see that it is a beautiful day, light wind and great for flying. So I decide to go flying. Here is where it is nice to have your own airfield. My club field is over an hour away.
I get home load my trailer with airplane and gear and head out to fly. I get to try out my new starting station. Recently built but never used. It still needs foam on the uprights but my plane is a SPAD so no problem there. My plane is sort of on a maiden flight. I built a new fuselage a bit longer and changed the wing from rubber bands to bolt on wing. I really wanted a friend to do the first flight but that has not worked out. Time to do it myself.
I start the engine, check everything all good to go. I place the plane on the runway, start powering up for takeoff and the engine quits. Shoot, I get the gear out for a restart and now the throttle doesn't work. It had worked just a few seconds before. Now no movement at all. I decide no flying today and no field repair. So back to the workshop. Another nice thing about a home airfield, workshop and tools close by.
I remove the wing, try the throttle and now it works. Heck, what's going on here? I try it over and over turning system on and off and it works normal every time. So I start looking at the installation and see the servo connector is just below the saddle tape. Could it be hitting the wing? I check the wing and sure enough there is a scuff mark about where the servo is installed. So simple fix, lower the servo. Easily done on this plane. I drill 2 holes a bit lower and reposition the servo. All good to go.
Thinking about this I find that all my checks were done with the wing just placed on the airplane and never fully bolted down. This day I bolted it down for flight. It was just enough to to cause some binding. Fortunately it all happened on the ground. Still no flying. Who knows when? Just an aviation work day.
