Why We Test (Bulldozer Out Of Service Again)

[jcarleto]

My machine would have fared well..... it is all in how you land it, and practice makes perfect!

No argument. I have nowhere near the skill level you or MrGrey have in gyros and nowhere near the gyro hours. What an excellent point that makes. Even with my meager, limited abilities, I walked away with little more than superficial damage (outside of the initial mechanical issue). Given the same pilot (me), and a high CG machine with spindly gear, I'm not absolutely positive I could have done as well. Clearly, I need more practice, and I will certainly get more as time passes. For that landing, for me at my current stage of development...that seems to have been an appropriate machine.

It was a difficult setup. I had to sacrifice a lot of airspeed to avoid charging the home owner for tree-trimming service and the landing area was significantly compact and enclosed to be moderately impressive, if I do say so myself.

Good to hear you are OK and congratulations on a successful engine out landing!

Thank you. That is actually second non-simulated engine out landing with the Bulldozer (though the only one in this configuration). The first occurred with "iteration one" due to an idle setting too low after the cam upgrade. It was a non-event, as it was over the runway and I happened to be practicing simulated engine out landings at the time.

 

[jcarleto]

Jon, glad to hear your training kicked in. Sounds like you handled it well.
I'm really glad your OK. Sorry about the damage to your wallet though.

Well, I notice my hand is a bit sore this morning. I bunged it up operating the hoist on the trailer. That's not counted as part of the incident, is it?

 

[Vance]

Nice Job Jon!

Nice Job Jon!

Hello Jon,

It sounds like you did well.

Some things are very difficult to catch in preflight.

It was that way when I ran the alternator into the propeller on the Predator.

I had run my fingers over the alternator adjustment bracket in preflight that morning and the alternator mounting bracket looked fine although I didn’t feel it with my fingers. Two flight hours later and an abbreviated pre-flight I had a ruined propeller, a bad alternator and needed a better alternator bracket. I had never had any trouble with the O-290 but the IO-320 seems to attack that area.

As I surveyed my broken aircraft I felt fortunate that I had an aircraft that needed repairing that I was licensed to fly. I also felt fortunate that I could see a path to getting back in the air. This is outside of most people’s reality.

I practice engine outs so often that there is something deep inside me that wants to see if I will handle it as well as you did. I shut the engine down once because my oil pressure sender stopped sending but I was able to make it back to the airport. I have not yet been tested with a true engine out emergency.

Thank you, Vance

 

[getut]

Jon.. wow man.. I'm sorry about the problems but glad you got it down safely.'

I hope my new and slimmed down Parson's reintroduction will be trouble free.

 

[jcarleto]

Vance: I didn't know you had that problem. I'm glad you got past it. People ask me why I like the older Bonanza's. It is because I like the E-225 engine over the O and IO series. Gear-driven accessories. Continental belt-drive systems are rather notorious. Check and check often. As to real vs. simulate engine outs...may you always have only the simulated variety. When you don't get to pick the "airport" you never know if you're going to get good ice tea.

Getut: Indeed. A case of start and stop. Good luck with your build. Pictures!! We need pictures!

 

[Gyro28866]

Jon
Good to hear you are ok.
Great save!
sounds like the rebuild is minimal.
It only hurts when you rub the wallet.

 

[jcarleto]

Chicken Or Egg

Chicken Or Egg

Lewis got over to the hangar and poked around. It seems the crankshaft on the engine is broken at or about the rear seal. Now the question is...did the starter come loose and grab the flywheel to break the crank or did the crank break due to vibration and allow the flywheel to sheer the starter bolts.

Given the re-drive history and vibration issue I had some time ago when I discovered the SAE bolts in the metric crank, I am leaning toward the crank as the primary culprit rather than the starter. It should be easy to tell once the re-drive is off by the shear pattern. If the starter was the culprit, I expect some deeper cuts in a regular pattern. If it happened when the flywheel got loose...well..."Freddy Kruger" comes to mind. Either way, that's it for the Kopp re-drive.

 

[jcarleto]

Good to hear you are ok.
Great save! Sounds like the rebuild is minimal.

Thank you. The landing damage is minimal. I seem to have a talent for making a minimal project expand. Right now it looks like:

Replace Engine Block
Replace Re-drive (with other than Kopp re-drive)
Replace Tail (more because I want to, than have to...I want a fixed tail with a rudder).
Replace Prop
Replace Rotors (probably)
Replace Nose-wheel Fork (U-channel)
Replace Rear Engine Mount (below starter)

Looks like a full day's work to me.

 

[animal]

Jon,just read about this, glad you are ok and no more damage done then it was.

Mostly glad you are ok. would love to see pics of the area you landed in, it sounds pretty tight, glad the Home owner was not to freaked out about your Visit.

 

[jcarleto]

Result of Damage Inspection

Result of Damage Inspection

Animal: Thanks, Tim. Yes, it was fairly tight.

Apparently, based on the post mortem examination, the crank broke first. Then the flywheel sheared off bolts allowing the starter to move into to the prop. Also, since there is a clear pattern of Subaru crankshaft failures resulting from any side-load at all, it is certain that there is no practical way to adjust or modify a Kopp re-drive to be safe, as its operation is dependant on at least a minimal side-load on the main crankshaft for belt tension. Since belt tension changes with heat, the side-load placed on the engine is variable and therefore more dangerous and unpredictable.

The Kopp drive goes in the trash. Good, quality, factual education is and has always been an expense item.

 

[StanFoster]

Jon- you did very well. Any engine out comes unannounced and its a considerable pilot workload picking out a place to land, keeping the airspeed correct, flaring at the right time, and you only have one chance! Its the real McCoy riding down a dead horse, and its going to do its best to buck you off. Good luck on your rebuild Jon. It will all work out for the better. Stan