REFLECTOR:Confession Week!!!

[reflector@tvbf.org]

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 have 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.