REFLECTOR:Confession Week!!!

[Rene Dugas]

I cranked mine with the engine plenum on the engine but the back half
was not secured.  It went thru the prop.  Many small pieces in the
garage.  Prop ok.  Second plenum fit better anyway.
Rene' Dugas

-----Original Message-----
From: reflector-admin@tvbf.org [mailto:reflector-admin@tvbf.org] On
Behalf Of Tstockmn@aol.com
Sent: Monday, May 31, 2004 8:25 PM
To: reflector@tvbf.org
Subject: Re: REFLECTOR:Confession Week!!!

In addition to the usual takeoffs with the speed brake down (I told the
passenger it was a defense against bird strikes) or the accidental
bumping of a mag switch, I did something more expensive early on.   I
was not too pleased with the static RPM at run up, so was trouble
shooting if it was the engine, performance prop or both.   I had just
finished retiming the engine, so decided to do a static run up in front
of the hangar.  I picked up all the tools, etc and cleared the area.   I
started the engine and then slowly pushed the throttle forward.   At
about 2200 RPM, there was loud !WUMP-WUMP! and the plane shook.   I
immediatly pulled the mixture, throttle and killed the mags. I was
rewarded with a shower of thousands of pieces of rug yarn.    I had
forgotten to pick up a rug in front of the plane and it was sucked into
the prop.  One prop blade went through the roof, another shot down the
taxiway and the third was never found.   All that was left was the hub.
I now hav!
 e a $2000 "sculpture" on my fireplace mantle to remind me of the event.
Unfortunately, it made a rather loud noise which attracted everyone at
the airport.   I also won the award at our annual airport banquet for
the dumbest stunt of the year.   



_______________________________________________
To change your email address, visit
http://www.tvbf.org/mailman/listinfo/reflector

Visit the gallery!  www.tvbf.org/gallery
user:pw = tvbf:jamaicangoose
Check new archives: www.tvbf.org/pipermail
Check old archives: http://www.tvbf.org/archives/velocity/maillist.html