RansMail # 028 June 2004
 

a)    Saturday the 19th June, the microlight fly-in to Jackrell's Farm was blessed by good weather, though we did hear from road visitor Tim Gayton-Polley, who braved windscreen wiper defeating downpours, of thunderstorms along the south coast.  He kindly brought the last piece of kit I needed, a small gel lead acid battery for me to make up a self contained package for my newly cobbled together 20 yr. old loaned Icom. The rig did ground to air duties on the m/light frequency. The picture shows us there.

 

b)    The Rans S4 got a bit uppity i.e. full throttle was O.K (luckily) but mid range from 5,000 t0 6,000 rpm indicating a big weak flat spot on the first flight of the day, & the second.... 

The occasion of performing in front of guests was clearly too much for her. It eventually took the persistence of two knowledgeable visitors in a  Kolb to discover the very lightest of a 'varnish like' coating on the carb. slide needle, which I'd never disturbed and was found at least to be correctly assembled with the plastic spacer underneath the slide spring. Cleaning  off the needle made my third test flight of the day a dream with the '447' operating with Rolls Royce smoothness through all throttle settings.

In all my years of fiddling with Sachs Messerschmitt two strokes, petroil and carburettors I've never come across an instance of the needle gaining any accretions or slightest lacquer. However my helpers thought this does happen with these a/c set ups. I don't know if from dissolved solids in the petrol or from the oil's additives ?

 

c)    Eventually I flew thrice locally on Saturday and the replaced fan belt tension feels O.K. so far, though I was e-mailed by the local microlight group (see below) &

 

d)    Brian McCartan wrote to remind me special pullers are  needed to remove the flywheel to get at/set the points and timing on most Rotax engines?

 

e)    "Dave Baker is just now in the process of helping out with a 503 that ate its
fan belt last weekend. Rusty pulleys. The engine seized quickly once the
belt has gone. I read a report of a pilot killed when his Rans stalled
on take off caused by the belt breaking and subsequent seizure.
It also happened to Dave Baker a couple of years ago. Now I haven't
heard of the problem with 447, though I can't understand why, the
fan/pulley set up is the same as a 503.
Skydrive supply cadmium plated pulleys, at a reasonable price for the
503's. If your pulleys are rusty I suggest you call them and see if
they're available for 447's. Since I fitted them I've seen no rust on
mine. Regards, Paul."

 

f)    Vince remains in hospital but has gone through a rough patch and now learning crutch walking, he might be released home later this week his wife says, who is also printing him out these news e-mails to keep him amused/in touch. He thanks you for your messages.

4Visitors,2Residents