Original Posted By: "ken breier"
This question was brought on by the fact that, over the years I've seen two differentplanes flying over, backfiring like mad.That made me think of,,,what if I lost a mag in my A-65? I'd have to shut off thebad one and run on the good one to get me home. What if the first one youselect is the bad one and the engine dies?Here's the question,,,An A-65 with a wood prop, let's say pulled back to idle,and you shut off the mags. Would the engine keep spinning? Would it make adifference if you were at cruise or flying slow?Posed this question to my Mentor and he said he'd never actually done it. Butif I wanted to know, go up and try it.Figured I'd ask you guys/girls on your past experienceswaltNX140DL(north N.J.)________________________________________________________________________________
Pietenpol-List: will an A-65 stop spinning?
Re: Pietenpol-List: will an A-65 stop spinning?
Original Posted By: "Jack Phillips"
Subject: Re: Pietenpol-List: will an A-65 stop spinning?Walt, It depends on the compression of the engine and the speed of the airplane. The engine will usually continue to spin until you get fairly slow. If the prop stops, a high-compression engine will take lots of speed to get turning again - maybe more speed than a Piet can generate. Tom ________________________________________________________________________________
Subject: Re: Pietenpol-List: will an A-65 stop spinning?Walt, It depends on the compression of the engine and the speed of the airplane. The engine will usually continue to spin until you get fairly slow. If the prop stops, a high-compression engine will take lots of speed to get turning again - maybe more speed than a Piet can generate. Tom ________________________________________________________________________________
RE: Pietenpol-List: will an A-65 stop spinning?
Original Posted By: owner-pietenpol-list-server(at)matronics.com
Hi Walt,Years ago I used to practive airshow routines in a J-3 Cub. I had aroutine that ended with a loop above the runway at about 1,500 feet AGL. Atthe top of the loop where the plane was going pretty slow, I would chop thethrottle and cut the mags. The prop would stop (and this was a metal propon a Continental A65) and then I would finish the loop, dive it to 120 mphand loop it again without power. After that loop I would enter the patternand glide it in for a landing (the trick is to aim for the middle of therunway - then you don't risk landing it too short). Once on the ground andstopped, I would hop out, prop the engine and taxi it back to the crowd.So to answer your question, no the engine WON'T keep spinning - not at idlewith a wooden prop at slow airspeeds. I never tried to see if I couldairstart it once I had it stopped. When I would dive it to 120 for thesecond loop, the prop would slowly tick over but the engine wouldn't startbecause I still had the ignition off. The Cub had a Vne of 125 mph and thatmight have been enough to re-start the engine. The Piet should probably notbe flown that fast (I've assumed a Vne of 110mph for mine). It is fairlysafe to test this. Get up high above your airport (preferably with no oneelse in the pattern) and cut the mags. First try a normal glide to see ifthe prop will stop. If not, you can restart it if you like by just turningthe mags back on. If it does stop and you have enough altitude, try to diveit to the redline airspeed and see if you can restart the engine. If youdon't have enough altitude or can't restart it, set up for a landing withyour "aiming point" the middle of the runway. You might find it glidesbetter with the prop stopped than with the drag of the windmilling engine.If you are a little high, slip it to keep your touchdown near the center ofthe runway. If too low, hopefully you will be able to make the runway or asuitable overrun area. Obviously, it's best to practive this over a longrunway.Jack -----Original Message-----
Hi Walt,Years ago I used to practive airshow routines in a J-3 Cub. I had aroutine that ended with a loop above the runway at about 1,500 feet AGL. Atthe top of the loop where the plane was going pretty slow, I would chop thethrottle and cut the mags. The prop would stop (and this was a metal propon a Continental A65) and then I would finish the loop, dive it to 120 mphand loop it again without power. After that loop I would enter the patternand glide it in for a landing (the trick is to aim for the middle of therunway - then you don't risk landing it too short). Once on the ground andstopped, I would hop out, prop the engine and taxi it back to the crowd.So to answer your question, no the engine WON'T keep spinning - not at idlewith a wooden prop at slow airspeeds. I never tried to see if I couldairstart it once I had it stopped. When I would dive it to 120 for thesecond loop, the prop would slowly tick over but the engine wouldn't startbecause I still had the ignition off. The Cub had a Vne of 125 mph and thatmight have been enough to re-start the engine. The Piet should probably notbe flown that fast (I've assumed a Vne of 110mph for mine). It is fairlysafe to test this. Get up high above your airport (preferably with no oneelse in the pattern) and cut the mags. First try a normal glide to see ifthe prop will stop. If not, you can restart it if you like by just turningthe mags back on. If it does stop and you have enough altitude, try to diveit to the redline airspeed and see if you can restart the engine. If youdon't have enough altitude or can't restart it, set up for a landing withyour "aiming point" the middle of the runway. You might find it glidesbetter with the prop stopped than with the drag of the windmilling engine.If you are a little high, slip it to keep your touchdown near the center ofthe runway. If too low, hopefully you will be able to make the runway or asuitable overrun area. Obviously, it's best to practive this over a longrunway.Jack -----Original Message-----
Re: Pietenpol-List: will an A-65 stop spinning?
Original Posted By: "walter evans"
Walt,When I was a student with an instructor in the rear of a Champ (with anA-65) I was practicing stalls at 3,000 AGL when the darned engine quit. Itwas very quiet and the instsructor said " I got it." He dove it, the propstarted windmilling, and lo and behold it started.DickG----- Original Message -----
Walt,When I was a student with an instructor in the rear of a Champ (with anA-65) I was practicing stalls at 3,000 AGL when the darned engine quit. Itwas very quiet and the instsructor said " I got it." He dove it, the propstarted windmilling, and lo and behold it started.DickG----- Original Message -----
Pietenpol-List: will an A-65 stop spinning?
Original Posted By: "Gary McNeel, Jr."
Re: Pietenpol-List: will an A-65 stop spinning?
Original Posted By: ZigoDan(at)aol.com
Subject: Re: Pietenpol-List: will an A-65 stop spinning?Walt,I had a PA 22-108 with an Lycoming 0235, 1700 smoh, about 300 since top, compression's check in the 70's metal prop. I flew it a lot and played around, used to pull the mixture lean, and cut the mags, never had to use the starter because it just kept wind milling. Tried to slow it down but never got the prop to start. I would switch mags on, push full rich and aplly power with no problem. I know it's a different engine and plane.Dan________________________________________________________________________________
Subject: Re: Pietenpol-List: will an A-65 stop spinning?Walt,I had a PA 22-108 with an Lycoming 0235, 1700 smoh, about 300 since top, compression's check in the 70's metal prop. I flew it a lot and played around, used to pull the mixture lean, and cut the mags, never had to use the starter because it just kept wind milling. Tried to slow it down but never got the prop to start. I would switch mags on, push full rich and aplly power with no problem. I know it's a different engine and plane.Dan________________________________________________________________________________
Re: Pietenpol-List: will an A-65 stop spinning?
Original Posted By: "Richard Navratril"
Subject: Re: Pietenpol-List: will an A-65 stop spinning?I meant to say never got the prop to stop!Dan________________________________________________________________________________
Subject: Re: Pietenpol-List: will an A-65 stop spinning?I meant to say never got the prop to stop!Dan________________________________________________________________________________
Re: Pietenpol-List: will an A-65 stop spinning?
Original Posted By: "walter evans"
WaltI dont think you would want to shut off one mag to cure back firing. Eachmag has one plug on each cylinder.Once, back in the late 70's I had an engine go out in a Cessna 150. Ilanded in a field with no damage. The prop continued to windmill all of theway down till I slowed for landing.Dick N.----- Original Message -----
WaltI dont think you would want to shut off one mag to cure back firing. Eachmag has one plug on each cylinder.Once, back in the late 70's I had an engine go out in a Cessna 150. Ilanded in a field with no damage. The prop continued to windmill all of theway down till I slowed for landing.Dick N.----- Original Message -----
Pietenpol-List: another windshield Q
Original Posted By: "mark moir"
Thanks all for the help the other day.My wife went out for the afternoon so I fired up the oven and practiced with afew scraps then bent all of my pieces. My lexan was .125, 200 degrees for 6minutes worked just fine. The Lexan I used came from a donation to our EAA chapterand it had been stored for a long time and deformed, so it needed straightening.I had also tried cold bending in a brake but that thicness did not work well.Dick N.________________________________________________________________________________
Thanks all for the help the other day.My wife went out for the afternoon so I fired up the oven and practiced with afew scraps then bent all of my pieces. My lexan was .125, 200 degrees for 6minutes worked just fine. The Lexan I used came from a donation to our EAA chapterand it had been stored for a long time and deformed, so it needed straightening.I had also tried cold bending in a brake but that thicness did not work well.Dick N.________________________________________________________________________________
Pietenpol-List: will an A-65 stop spinning?
Original Posted By: Michael D Cuy