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1. 06:48 PM - Ken Holle's Mk IIIX goes home (Richard Girard)
2. 07:07 PM - Re: Ken Holle's Mk IIIX goes home (John Hauck)
3. 08:27 PM - Re: Ken Holle's Mk IIIX goes home (WhiskeyVictor36@aol.com)
Message 1
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| Subject: | Ken Holle's Mk IIIX goes home |
Ken Holle's Mk IIIX went home Sunday afternoon. Actually it was Sunday
afternoon and evening, it takes a long time to get anywhere at 65 mph.
As a parting gesture to her possessed nature, she had one more gotcha for
me Sunday morning. I had reached the point in the pre-flight inspection
where I check the fuel system. I had changed out a fuel line and re-routed
another line so that it had a mild "S" bend in it between the fuel filter
and the pneumatic fuel pump so I was being extra vigilant to make sure that
that portion of the line would not collapse as the pneumatic pump drew the
fuel uphill. Anyway, I flipped on the electric boost pump and watched as
fuel bubbled up the line (the lines are urethane and transparent) but
failed to reach the fuel filter. Hmmm? Turned all the switches off and
started opening hatches and inspection ports and found that the line was
sheared off right at the end of the inlet fitting of the electric pump.
Truly a GPS (Green Pea Soup) moment. For a few moments I just stood there,
unbelieving. The line didn't appear to be defective. Urethane line turns
brown as it ages and gets very brittle when it finally turns black, but
this piece of line was only mildly brown. It was sheared so clean it
appeared, on a casual look, to be cut. A closer look revealed that it had
indeed broken, but it was surely disconcerting.
Luckily, I had some new urethane line in stock so replacing it was a small
task that only took about 15 minutes. Just to be thorough, I replaced the
grommet that sealed the vent line into the tank, too, and changed out all
the portions of line from the tank to the electric pump. Now the electric
pump pulled fuel through the gascolater and pushed it right through the
fuel filter to the pneumatic pump. Problem solved, continue the pre-flight.
>From here everything goes well except that the briefer at WXBRIEF tells me
that I can expect 18 knot winds at all altitudes pretty much in my face for
the whole flight. And there's a likelihood that the thunderstorm that had
the route blocked for most of the morning before it dissipated may
regenerate after 6:00 pm. By now I'm ready to start praying.
At two o'clock I called weather again and there is no change. Crap. Then
she says, have you thought of going to Salina and then west to Hays? Udall
to Huthinson to Great Bend to Hays is the hypotenuse of the triangle, Udall
to Salina to Hays are the sides adjacent and opposite. Going that route is
40 miles longer. Well, she says, there's a weak front between McPherson and
Salina that follows a line to the southwest. From Salina westward you can
expect winds of 5 knots at all altitudes. They'll be from the west, but 5
knots is a lot better than 18. Okay, I'm going to Salina.
I had put in fuel that morning so I get the airplane set up and take it for
a test flight around the pattern. The only problem is that there isn't
enough tension on the throttle lever pivot so when I took my hand off the
lever, it promptly went to idle. That will get your attention on climb out,
for sure.
Back on the ground I tightened the nut another half turn, put in a new
cotter pin and we're good to go. All I have to do is fill the tank and
we're ready to fly.
As one last great "F" you, it takes 30 minutes to get the blasted fuel cap
off the race car fuel cell that the idiot OB installed. Finally it comes
loose, Lou watches the fuel level as I fill the tank so I don't overfill
it, the cap is back on and I'm ready.
It's a quarter to four in the afternoon and the temperature is 111 by my
OAT gauge. Excuse my patting myself on the back, here, but the Honda Magna
motorcycle radiator installation that I developed works like a charm.
Coolant temp hits 180 right as I make the turn to line up on the runway. I
do a quick mag check, roll on the throttle and I'm off. When I reach up to
take off the flaps, the throttle lever stays put. It's a Heinz climb out,
S-L-O-W, but once I turn north west everything settles down. Coolant temp
stays at 160, CHT's are both below 280 and the EGT's are below 900. Except
for the thermals that are kicking my butt all over the sky, life is good.
Fortunately, the horizontal gap seals that I made are doing their job and
rudder effectiveness is such that I can keep the wings level with generous
stabs at the rudder peddles.
Leveling off at 6,500 feet I continue my track around the Class Charlie
airspace that surrounds Wichita, then set the compass on 300 degrees to
intersect I-135. Yes, I'm flying IFR, I Follow Roads. I'm not getting
kicked around as badly so I treat myself to an ice cold bottle of water. I
can't tell you how happy I am that I packed a little ice filled cooler into
the space where the passenger seat was not. Even at 6,500 feet it was warm.
The cockpit of this plane has no vents, at least not since I finished the
gap seal between the wings with a nice eyebrow that is form fitted to the
wind screen. I needed the water to replace what I was copiously sweating
out.
So, here I am sailing along, actually happy as a clam in my little green
house come bake oven, and the miles are ticking by. This is where I began
to get that nervous itch on the back of my neck that something is about to
go wrong but, thankfully, it doesn't. The little 582 sang along at 5800 rpm.
>From that point on the flight only got better. Except for another fight
with the fuel filler cap at Salina, and a thunderstorm that only matured
enough to send out a single lightning bolt before it dissipated, the flight
is uneventful. From Salina to Hays the slight headwind gradually came
around to a crossing tail wind until I reach Hays and it is right down the
runway for One Six. The thermals are done for the day and the air is glass
smooth. I watch the windmills in the big wind farm that runs for a score of
miles or more, mostly along the north side of I-70. Some are turning
lazily, some are not. Wilson Reservoir, shining in the sun, is visible
almost as soon as I reach the highway. I stay about 4 miles north of the
interstate and when I reach the lake I can make out the old hang glider
hill where I spent so many weekends almost 40 years ago. When I make out
the airport at Hays I cross back over the highway and announce my
intentions on the radio. The wind sock at midfield confirms the information
I got from the AWOS. I turn on to final, drop the flaps and settle the
airspeed for a nice steady approach. I'm a little ham handed as I bleed off
airspeed in the flair, but the Kolb is very forgiving and I wheel her on
three and roll out. As I taxi back I can see Ken's truck waiting on the
ramp to lead me to his hangar. Once the plane is safely behind closed doors
we head out to dinner, and a stop to pick up a car from Hertz. Afterward we
return to the hangar. I make a prop adjustment so the engine will perform
properly with the airplane loaded to gross weight, stay to talk for few
more minutes and it's time to hit the road for home. The little Chevy Aveo
cruises down the road at 80 to 85, twenty mph faster than the plane had
flown down the same route just hours before, and I am back home before 2:00
in the morning.
The plane is as good as I could make her. She went from death trap on my
first flight in her, to flying the route from Salina to Hays with just two
fingers on the stick, sailing along like she was on rails.
So, now I have nothing to fly until I get the trike set up again. Once
that's done so Lou and I can make all the late evening flights that the
summer and our budget can afford, I can get started fixing the Mk III and
the Firestar.
Rick Girard
do not archive
--
Zulu Delta
Mk IIIC
Thanks, Homer GBYM
It isn't necessary to have relatives in Kansas City in order to be unhappy.
- Groucho Marx
Message 2
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| Subject: | Ken Holle's Mk IIIX goes home |
Urethane fuel line is notorious for failure in many different modes.
Difficult to determine, at times, if the urethane line is serviceable or
not. Seems to be "ultralight" fuel line because ultralights, weed eaters,
and chain saws seem to be what uses it. I changed from urethane to neoprene
rubber automotive fuel line many years ago. Had one main fuel line spring a
leak this Spring after 20 years under the fuel tank on my MKIII. Top side
fuel lines get changed out when I feel they are ready for replacement,
primarily because of exposure to UV and heat when flying.
60 mph cruise at 5800 rpm is a little slow. My MKIII cruised 80 mph at 5800
rpm with its first engine, a Rotax 582. I flew this afternoon. 20 years
later with a Rotax 912ULS it cruises between 80 and 85 mph. Guess the major
difference is my MKIII is a classic and you were flying an Xtra???
Glad you had a safe flight. It was hot flying through your area three weeks
ago. From weather reports and forecast today, it is much hotter now.
john h
mkIII
Titus, Alabama
Message 3
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| Subject: | Re: Ken Holle's Mk IIIX goes home |
Rick G,
Just read your flight report. That was an outstanding write up and I
really enjoyed reading it. Thanks for sharing the adventure.
Bill Varnes
Original Kolb FireStar
Audubon NJ
Do Not Archive
In a message dated 7/31/2012 9:48:52 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time,
aslsa.rng@gmail.com writes:
Ken Holle's Mk IIIX went home Sunday afternoon. Actually it was Sunday
afternoon and evening, it takes a long time to get anywhere at 65 mph.
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