You might consider this for your web
site as a warning to follow Rotorway's instruction about draining
raw fuel from the intake manifold if the 1997 model secondary fadex
is being tested with over 5 pounds fuel pressure. THEN Raw fuel
MUST be drained before attempting starter engagement.
The photo is of my Rotorway N162HM sitting on highway 65B. It was
my choice of a landing site in Clinton, Arkansas following engine
failure. The autorotation followed engine failure during climb-out.
A connecting rod had failed during a left turn to clear the runway
at Clinton Airport. I immediately started autorotation from an altitude
of 400 feet. I had about 20 seconds to choose a landing site. You
can see the trees on the right side of the road and road signs and
telephone wires on the left side of the road. Some times you have
to do a down wind landing and it is difficult to get to zero ground
speed: then roads are better than fields.
Mechanical analysis: The rod had cracked previously because the
previous owner had flooded the engine and then tried starting with
out draining the raw fuel. The previous owner said,"It kicked
like a mule and backfired" It appears: Hydraulic compression
of the piston in the cylinder had occurred and damaged the sleeves.
This damage required new sleeves but the cracked connecting rod
did not get looked at or replaced. Results from this damage required
an entirely new engine and three months down time. |
