« Archives on September 22, 2013

Engine Start, Part 2.

  1. 5 hours.

Armed with last weekend’s knowledge and suspicion, David and I headed up to OXR to debug and correct the mag and start wiring, then actually start the engine.    We had a copy of The AeroElectric Connection and more importantly, the airport gate card, which allowed us to come and go as we pleased.

Even though we knew what was wrong, it was puzzling, because we were trying to follow Bob’s diagram and make an open circuit for one thing while making a closed circuit for another.   Maddening.

Eventually, we did figure it out and we were rewarded with the sound of an airplane coming to life.

Hooray! Huge milestone, and only three squawks:

  1. No RPM reading.   This is most likely a bad ground or a severed wire coming from the pickup on the magneto.
  2. No Oil Temperature reading.   Maybe this shares a ground with the tach sensor.
  3. (and this is a big one)  Governor operation reversed.   The prop does cycle and the governor doesn’t leak, but it operates the wrong way.   I need to set it up so the prop increases pitch when I pull the blue lever back.

No leaks, no fires, no pieces flying off.   I’d call it a good day!