REFLECTOR: Al, and the door that needs rehinging.

Dennis Martin dennis.doc at gmail.com
Tue Jun 2 09:59:06 CDT 2009


Al,

Kudos on keeping your cool and making a safe landing. Although you don't
have a conclusive analysis on the cause, please let us know if you have any
reasonable guesses after you've had time to noodle this a bit more. I'm
wondering about my hinges and anything I might do to beef up that part of
the system.

All the best,
Dennis

On Mon, Jun 1, 2009 at 12:24 PM, RBrim
<rbrim at performancesolutionstech.com>wrote:

>  Al,
>
> Wanted to join the group and communicate that I’m glad you are OK.  Want to
> also remind you and the group, that the current door design has the
> potential to make the plane unflyable.  Having had the door fly open upon
> departure and gear up, I can confirm that the plane will go into a spin away
> from the open (fully extended) door, if you turn away from the door.  Note:
> in my case the door opener hydraulic strut was gone, so the door was
> extended up almost vertically.  I subsequently rehinged the doors so they
> both hinge from the front, instead of the top.  I have tested and confirmed
> that I can fly with either or both doors ajar, the door just stays within
> one inch next to the body in the slip stream, windy, but nothing to write
> home about.
>
>
>
> When my door eventually tore off, I also experienced that the plane settled
> down, and other than charts flying about in the wind and having a hard time
> hearing over the wind noise, the plane flew predictably.
>
>
>
> BTW, if any of you find yourself in this predicament, starting to go
> inverted at less than 200 feet off the end of the runway upon departure.  I
> couldn’t find a way to climb out of it.  There is not enough elevator
> control, nor enough rudder control to recover.   In my case I was only able
> to get back to a 60 degree bank and the plane will stall.  You’ll need to do
> other manuvers.
>
>
>
> *Rodney Brim, Ph.D.*
>
> Performance Solutions Technology, LLC
>
> Ph. (707) 487-3000 | Skype. rbatpst
> Blog -  www.ManagePro.com/Blog
>
>
>
> *From:* reflector-bounces at tvbf.org [mailto:reflector-bounces at tvbf.org] *On
> Behalf Of *Al Gietzen
> *Sent:* Sunday, May 31, 2009 11:46 PM
> *To:* 'Velocity Aircraft Owners and Builders list'
> *Subject:* Re: REFLECTOR: Al, are you ok? How bad is the damage?
>
>
>
> Chris; et. al.,
>
>
>
> Of course I was very disappointed not to make the fly-in, and other stops
> planned on the trip.  But I don’t want anyone to be alarmed – I’m fine, and
> I flew the plane back home today with an improvised door.
>
>
>
> We were about an hour out, cruising happily along at 9500’ and 170 KTAS,
> when suddenly there was a noise and lots of wind blowing and the pilot side
> door was gone.  I have no idea why it came unlatched – I had a double detent
> spring which had always kept it solidly in the latched position.
>
>
>
> It took only a few moments to determine that the plane was controllable
> (meaning the door had departed), and that there was no prop vibration
> meaning there was no prop damage. With a few moments to adapt to the new
> aerodynamics; it was a matter of flying to the nearest airport about 10
> miles away.  Only when we got there, we found it was a small strip (looked
> like dirt, although I found later it was paved) in the middle of the desert
> with no structures of any kind anywhere in sight.  Since the plane was
> flying stably, I decided to head off to another about 20 miles away; and
> made a normal landing.
>
>
>
> Upon landing we noted that the rear window on the passenger side had a
> large hole in it. Apparently as the door ripped off it was swung over the
> top, and the strake extension slammed into the window; and from there the
> door bounced clear of prop. The front hinge mounting pad was torn out; the
> rear hinge separated at the pin. The prop had a couple of minor marks on it
> apparently made by pieces of the plexiglass from the window.
>
>
>
> The plane was about 150 miles from home; and it is now safely back in it’s
> hangar.  All in all, the damage is not too bad; just a lot of work to do to
> replace the door with my custom strake extensions, etc.
>
>
>
> Al
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: reflector-bounces at tvbf.org [mailto:reflector-bounces at tvbf.org] On
> Behalf Of Christopher Barber
> Sent: Sunday, May 31, 2009 10:10 AM
> To: Velocity Aircraft Owners and Builders list
> Subject: REFLECTOR: Al, are you ok? How bad is the damage?
>
>
>
> Al,
>
>
>
> Please, I know you must have many distractions between weighing your
>
> options and counting your blessings, but, if you get a chance, let us
>
> know what happened on your way to the Texas Rotary Round-up.
>
>
>
> I was so excited to hear you were coming and dumbfounded at the third
>
> hand report of a problem.
>
>
>
> Was it the co-pilot door that came open?  Reportedly it ripped
>
> out/damaged  the structure between the doors, but the reports are VERY
>
> sketchy, except that you are ok, so please forgive my ignorance.
>
>
>
> Anxiously awaiting details.
>
>
>
> Thanks, and of course, thrilled you are ok.
>
>
>
> All the best,
>
>
>
> Chris Barber
>
> Houston
>
> >
>
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-- 
All the best,
Dennis
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