Last week, saw the Jabiru engine coming out and being put in a car for its nip up to Yorkshire for ground checking
We still haven’t located a definitive reason for the inflight engine stop … and this trip was to strip down key parts to check for such.
It is always good to spend a day with Kevin Hyam … at Beverley. His knowledge is vast and is a genuinely nice guy to work with. He had another chap working with him rebuilding a classic engine from every bolt upwards .. a positive work of art as the pictures show.
We mounted my Jabiru engine ‘nose down’ ..having had it supprted and strapped down in the back bucket seats of the BMW .. didnt quite fit in the boot ! ..We stripped a range of items down to check … all looked fine .. Kevin also removed the fuel pump and completely refurbished it adding a slightly softer spring to aid pressure. His neat tool for setting the diaphragm placement was really clever.
Valves and gaps were checked along with the entire ignition circuit
Some of he new parts that Kevin is engineering are really smart, not relying on the vagaries of foreign imports and bringing more and more under U.K. abased design, manufacturer and fit can only bode well !
Returning home with a ‘fit’ engine was a relief .. this engine is now destined for my sons rebuild Jabiru project
A few days later, I return to Priory to begin labelling all the existing firewall forward wires ahead of decoupling the mass.
The engine mount is a useful platform on which to locate and mount and secure cable runs. These all have to be clipped, marked and moved to clear the way for the engine cradle removal.
I still marvel at the relatively small 4 bolts that hold the engine mount in place. I seem to remember that the size of these bolts EACH have a sheer strength of something like 14,000kg !
The bolts duly removed … and after nearly 7 years since they were originally fitted …and the old frame simply slides off.
The new (Rotax) mount looks pretty sturdy compared to the old mount and slips easily into position.. ready to take the new shiny Rotax 912 ULS any day 😊
The Light Aviation Authority have come back really quickly … thank you Ben….
So today, about 10 minutes after Sam and I removed the Jabiru 2200 fro the airframe for ground checking, I received an email from the LAA approving all the stress analysis from The Light Aircraft Company (TLAC) and my approval to install and begin the full process of putting the Rotax 912 ULS 100hp engine in ❤️👍
The engine was ordered and we await delivery schedule.
I hadn’t realised it comes without a silencer so will need to plan that when I get it mounted and some idea of the cowl fitting.
Off to Yorkshire tomorrow to get the Jabiru ground checked and run out checks.. this is going to go into my sons Jabiru aircraft rebuild.
Re checked the packing list and laid out at Priory Farm ready
The fittings are all cut to size and a ‘soft fit’ showed that it would be a little tricky to fit in situ. This meant a bit of judicial readiness mouting some of the brackets to the tank and bringing it all into position
Releasing existing bolts .. some of which were blind behind riveted cross members was a little tight but not impossible
The neat rubber mounts are an exact fit so great accuracy in production
Yesterday, Friday 6th of September, I got a call from Paul at the factory … your first parts set are ready !
September the 6th is a special day in my Ranger terms … being the day (in 2016) that I first opened the throttle on all these assembled parts and (after 3 test hops) took her into the air for the first time.
In one of the TV interviews Immediatly after the flight I said I had a few months of tweaking and adjusting post test but, in reality, she flew almost perfectly from that first second.
Wind forward to today, and I now have a few boxes of goodies to check through. The pick regime at TLAC is ultra professional of course, and every little nut, bolt, rivet, washer, bracket is uniquely labelled and bagged .. so I cross check and get it all loaded into the car.
This pack should see almost all the major parts I am changing, upgrading in place including the new engine mount.
The 2 new tanks are a work of art, thanks to Chris at TLAC for such a professional job👍
Planning a sequence will help maintain levels of access as I progress the engine swap. So plan sequence is :
Start to fit new top tank … this will almost double the range
This work will not impeded anything relating to the engine
The top tank comes with the necessary plumbing to fit the valve, tubing and fittings for the dump tank operation – turn a key and gravity moves fuel from top to lower tank
The next piece is to cut a section out of the starboard trailing edge elevator
This will allow a hinged trim tab to be made up and fitted and will involve a new sub rib being made
As the tail is all covered I’m hoping to put a new termination section on the existing Oratex which should save a full top and bottom recover
The operating cable for this is a Throttle style lever but mounted on the starboard side of the cockpit (throttle being port side) and a piano wire stiff cable run .. so we won’t get bends
I’m leaving the new main tank out as this provides full access to the rear of the firewall which will defiantly be handy as the new engine gets plumbed in !
As I left the factory it was good to have a proper chat with James (Milne) my ever helpful inspector. I walked through the steps above and he reminded me to keep the LAA worksheet going ..as it’s easy to forget the myriad of things you are doing. I’ve already got this underway so will very much be a multi sheet document by the time we are finished.
I also asked if I can do all this work back at Priory which is so much easier as all my tools and hoists are there .. James said he will pop down a couple of times as things progress and will, in good time, approve for test flying when things are looking good.
Although we have yet to ascertain the exact reason for the stoppage, and I will be removing bone engine as soon as I get the nod from Kevin my engineer in Yorkshire, I have decided to explore alternatives.
The Jabiru is a neat fit in the Ranger and I have got used to the way it operates and, with all my new multi port monitoring guages can see it has been performing amazingly well and running at a really good temp and compression.
But ….
With a lot of recent flights 2 up, as I train and get Will up to speed and the desire to go further and faster …. The thought has turned to what other options might there be..
The Ranger is certified for 3 engines :
Jabiru 2200
D Motor
Rotax 512 – 2 stroke
I’ve flown G-TLAC a number of times and it does zip around the sky on the 2 Stroke Rotax but the high revving is a slight put off
The D motor had issues on earlier models but seems to be sorted now but I don’t like the deep square fronted lines it demands getting it into the Ranger
And I’m on my 2nd Jabiru …
So, with enforced downtime, as I rebuild wings and do some other improvements (see next blog) it’s time to see if the 912 ULS is a complete ‘no no’ or not !
I’m looking at 912 as the 80hp Rotax would not offer any real advantage for going through the certification … the 100hp .. does !
For a start, it offers pretty much VNE in straight and level flight …not in a screaming dive that I do on my annual flight test !
Also, with 2 up and fuel she doesn’t exactly leap away from the ground .. something more under the bonnet would be nice.
Paul at TLAC very kindly disucssed the ups and downs with me but said he would be very happy to help me progress and support certification with them.
Duly emailed Ben Syson – Head of Design at the LAA and got a response in a couple of days! Excellent …
Ben advised completing a MOD 5 .. this is specifically for Engine changes and asks a load of questions about design for the mount, stress analysis, weight and balance, prop details and also testing regime. I drafted what I thought was a good first stab on the form, Paul kindly gave at once over and tweak and off it went to Ben.
Not entirely sure of the next steps … but will update this blog as I go ….
Having not been through an insurance claim before, I am pleasantly surprised at the efficiency and (relative) speed the whole process has taken.
I say relative, as I would like it all done tomorrow ! But realise there are a huge number of moving parts (bad analogy) in this process and not everyone is just waiting for David to email! Having provided my own assessment of damage, I felt the insurers would require a professional summation and so James (from The Light Aircraft Company) popped down .. I say popped … he had nipped over to Gloucester to fit a starter motor in an aircraft and popped back to Priory (via Little Snoring) to assess the broken Ranger.
This of course was in the incredible Shark …. Makes the country feel VERY small but means that support can be one side of the U.K. and back in no time .. incredible 😊🔥
The assessment confirmed my list, namely:
Both upper wings look pretty much right offs ..Starboard being worst with most leading edge sections of the ribs cracked
Port upper looks like only rib 1 and 2. … the inboard ribs, damage around the sacrificial wing peg support ripping the plywood
Incredibly, and a sign of the solid construction, the hysol rib fitting glue had not allowed ANY movement on the main spar of ANY ribs
The centre cabane had crushed as she turned over .. its only 3 ribs making a support for the 1mm plytop so again ..designed not for strength but shape
The cabane topped ariel bent through more degrees than it should
The immaculate Hercules prop .. stationary for the last few minutes of flight, stopped at about 45’ so caught on landing and cracked one end of it .. more a split .. so not much force was applied (albeit a run out check of crank will still be done)
The lower cowl got a couple of cracks as the also damaged oil cooler matrix was pushed back
The P1 windscreen was the only thing Will actually broke as he exited the aircraft upside down.!
The estimate was turned around in a couple of days by Paul at TLAC and sent off to the insurers.
A week later I received a call that it would all be settled and the aircraft would be released to me to decide it’s fate.
STRIP DOWN
Having trestled the aircraft tail into the wall of the hangar and at an angle so as to allow full walk around but not impede other aircraft getting out I began the strip down.
First remove all the lock wire from the turnbuckles… slacken .. check lower wings are supported both sides and wheels chocked
Then remove all access panels and remove both upper ailerons and store. Both upper ailerons and wing tips are untouched and fine for reuse.
Then slacken the main central wing bolt – this secures the top main spar to the wing strut.
With the rigging cables now slack it’s easy to remove the inboard, upper bolt that secures their anchor point and provides the plate for the jury strut.
At this stage the wing is held in position simply by the single large bolt through the main spar and the trailing edge hinge point. Pushing the main bolt out whilst one person supports the weight at the centre of the wing near the strut whilst person no 2 unbolts the trailing edge hinge and collects that large ‘penny’ washers …and you lift the wing away.
Next the tank was removed and fuel lines (renewed at last Decembers annual) are checked along with fuel filter, tank filter
The tank hasn’t been out of the aircraft in over 7 years but shows no sign of deterioration. Its made of fibreglass but has ALWAYS had AvGas in it. Never mogas. mogas has been known to have long term effects on fibreglass .. hardening
The Port wing was then removed using the same process.
The prop, oil cooler, wing tips, radio ariel and compass (which fractured its mounting lugs in the incident) are all removed and laid to one side.
To decide if the Port upper is recoverable I strip all the Oratex covering. This needs judicial use of the heat gun to take the material back up to movement temps … needs about 220-250’C and then ease the material away as the hot melt glue re melts.
If you try to push this the material simply rips the wood as it brings strips of plywood with each pull.
This wing was then strapped to the roof of my sons car and driven to the factory at Little Snoring for assessment. It was felt that it was worth a try to remove Rib 1 but, rib 2 is pretty much unmoveable due to the angle of the drag spar cutting through.
Paul suggested a MOD form to the LAA which I’ve done, a MOD3 to request a part repair to Rib 2 .. cutting away the spilt leading part of the rib and cutting in a replacement from nose to the main spar.
This post has been a couple of weeks in the ‘waiting’
Two weeks ago … my son was flying a short trip back from a local fly in when the engine slowed … it continued to slow and eventually stopped.
(The first thing to say .. is he exited from the upturned aircraft without a scratch)
What happened next is a testimony not only to his freshly acquired skills (a PPL of 12 months) but also to what he took in on the many hours of flying the biplane.
At 1500′ .. a stopped engine, even in a light floaty biplane doesn’t give you much think time. The very draggy nature of multiple wings and struts and wires and gangly springy undercarraige means you are going down .. and fairly quickly..although she does fly nicely at low low speeds …nevertheless.. NOT having the advantage of ‘increasing the noise and lift’ with your left hand must be somewhat disarming.
Its worth noting here .. that pretty much every time we fly the biplane we always put in some SLOW flying sequences … so CURRENCY on how she handles at very low speeds is something that is second nature… you also pickup the clues as to when you are approaching the stall .. the sound .. the feel of the controls …this aircraft most definitely benefits from its benign handling at super slow speeds and pretty much never drops a wing.
Will, managed the situation faultlessly. He was already talking with Norwich ATC so issued a Mayday call … they immediately halted all movements as he then advised of the situation.
Just NW of Norwich and with the village of Taverham getting larger in the windscreen he identified a field, initiated a downwind leg before establishing when to turn base and final and placed the aircraft in line with the planted corn crop and proceeded to descend on a final approach.
As indicated by the stuck Air Speed Indicators post the resulting stop… he was pretty much on the stall speed when the wheels impacted the 4′ standing crop.
(I’m guessing the ASIs are BOTH stuck as either a tube got pinched or the static got mud in it)
The resulting deceleration and capture of the undercarriage acted like an arrestor hook on a carrier.. bringing the aircraft to a fairly swift slow down .. before tipping up into its nose and finally flipping over onto its tail and a final resting 45 degrees inverted.
Having made the aircraft safe .. fuel and switches off he had to extricate himself from the upside down cockpit. I’ve heard stories of people surviving the crash only to pop their harness and fall 4′ inverted to the floor and break their necks !
Will found something to hold onto and popped the 4 way harness that had not let him move 1″ in the stop … and slipped out to the floor ..
He now called me .. who had been watching an ever slowing ground speed at home on flight radar .. wondering what was happening… and we set off.
Arriving to a village of blue lights and loads or people trying to see what was going on we made our way through the fire engines.. ambulances and police cars to the track that led up the side of the field… and proceeded to run across the field towards the group around the upturned aircraft.
Meeting Will and giving him a big hug I asked if he had been checked over and he hadn’t! So he walked over to the paramedics who checks him over and declared him fit !
The owner of the field, a local farmer, turned up and proceeded to discuss and plan how we might get her out.
The fire brigade stood down as it was slowly draining what fluids were left into the field… the paramedics stood down and that just left the Police .. this was their FIRST downed aircraft .. to take photos and liaise with the Air Accident Investigation Bureau AAIB .. who, after about 1 hour 45 approved us to move the aircraft
With the excellent assistance of a family from Priory Farm Aviators .. we collectively decided to strop the tailwheel and lift her vertically with a hoist the farmer kindly provided.
Once vertical.. on her nose cone… we pirouetted her around so that we could ease her down on the main gear
Once upright .. she was easier to move on her main wheels and we extrictaed from the field .. the crop lying down as the wheels went over and springing back up as we passed … so just leaving a ‘plane shaped hole in the middle of the field when we moved her.
On assessment… it looks like the airframe is all still square.. having checked base angles, measurements and brackets and rivets for movements. The engine also turns freely.
The deceleration of the corn and the general slow handling of the aircraft meant that any ‘sacrificial’ parts broke in preference to more major parts.
The wing pegs have alloy guide brackets which are bolted to the ply inboard ribs on the cabane … the ‘arrival’ and tip meant these took a rearward force that broke the ply and dissipated most of the energy
The lower wings, now on top, took no part in any impact ..it appears
That said, we have been cutting back the Oratex to expose and examine more and this will continue to confirm the list below.
2 new top wings – as roots crunched
1 new centre cabane as the 3 ribs that make this up have cracked
1 new prop .. although stationary it cracked on ground contact
1 new oil cooler matrix ..being the most forward part apart from prop this was squashed
1 new windscreen .. the only part Will technically broke exiting
CURRENT THOUGHTS ON WHY …
It has all the hallmarks of carb icing …no visible signs of engine stress … all fuel.lines and supply and pumps clean as a whistle… plugs all burning well
The inexorably slow run down also lends itself to that. I do have a carb heat block with a 2 stage element but it’s the type that you would probably have to have on for a couple of minutes before it became effective .. it doesn’t use exhaust flow like others so simply wouldn’t have had time to do anything.. Will did turn both on !
The engine will be removed (once allowed by insurers) for run out checks as well as general overall check.
This would have been a lovely long telephone call to Dad a few years back …. Chatting about the details that would bore most people rigid … so, to my ‘collective Dad substitutes’ ….
The weekend had pretty much been a washout ..with constant rain and then much heavier rain and rounded off nicely with a mass of hail …. Not a day in November …but just a week shy of June ! And then the sun came out … like it always does .. just before it sets 🤣
I had been up to the airstrip the day before to remove the smoke system and iron down a couple of bits of covering (having pinked edge trim looks very traditional but can be a pain over time when the odd edge sticks up in the airflow … a few minutes around the aircraft and it’s all looking good and neat again).
Arriving at the strip later on Sunday evening, Bob (the owner) told me he had watched the storm drop its contents on the British Touring Car Racing at Snetterton … then slowly move over towards my house and drop on us ..before continuing its trail of delivery North Eastwards towards Norwich.
It had missed Priory Farm airstrip completely … but the runway was still pretty lush and wet 😊
Started up first turn and taxied to the pump ..letting her warm up to mid 30’s (needs to be 50 before take off – so that the TOCA oil system has opened, TOCA prevents cold oil pushing through the cooler matrix before the engine is warm and so aids a more rapid warm up at startup).
Switching off at 36′ .. I hop out and fill the tank .. takes about 2 mins then back in and startup.
Looking at the windsock, the SW is swinging more to S but looks to be around 7-10 or so … backtracking all the way down the runway to take an into wind takeoff I had a slight (unquantifiable) risk of finding some soggy part of the runway at slow speed at the turnaround point … not great
So, I opt for a 10 ish tailwind …as it’s only me and a full tank in the 256kg ‘plane … gently taxy to the threshold, just aiming to keep it rolling on the pretty wet grass .. full power and she’s off in around 40m
Climbing out to the West, into the setting sun with a full tank … listening squalk for Norwich (7350) radio ‘Mon’ button pressed so I can hear people chatting at Norwich doing the odd instrument approach and handoff to Lakenheath (didn’t think they would be offering a service late on a Sunday) …
Deciding to head out and skirt the Old Buckenham zone .. no one there, seems a shame you can’t blind call and buzz the field, but see in the distance that the British Touring Car tetnts and caravans at Snetterton are slowly clearing so head off towards them .. following the A11 at around 1500’ keeps me just N of Attleborough… I’m guessing my engine is inaudible at ground level at this height…
Arrive at Snetterton and think it would be fun to follow the circuit with a few wingovers Left and Right but duck out after 4 corners ..this is easily hat losing territory … you get excited and bank over and your head catches the slipstream and whoosh …it’s gone .. and you are left retrieving your headset that is around your neck ! .. lost about 4 caps in 5 years .. one at a wedding whilst over the sea in St Ouens, Jersey ! Managed to ‘save’ one around about turn of the year which managed to catch in the tail rigging wires until Flare in landing .. Good retrieval ❤️
Roll out of the 4th turn .. each one has nicely wobbled on completion of the 360 as you fly through your own wash , look up and can just about workout where Priory Farm base is …amongst all the green fields … it’s taken about 2 years but I’m slowly getting bearings for this large FLAT area 😊
Arriving back at Priory at a ‘huge’ 1500’ .. I blind call an overhead join and throttle back and she just doesn’t want to come down … floating on and turning crosswind there is a final nudge of descent and, at 2300 rpm the engine isn’t going to get cold, so opt for a high big turning circle descent to join into the (closer) 500’ circuit … pretty much where the 50m pylons are going to be be in 3 years time …
The 2300 was about right as, abeam the threshold, I bank her over at 45’ and she slides nicely around to slip onto a short final
As I’m still not sure just how wet that end of the runway is I decide to literally just touch the wheels once to guage it and do a touch an go .. climbing back out into the normal 500’ right hand
Blind call that this will be downwind right hand 19, to land and then start to decide where to turn
As the taxing back up to the hanger will be through wet grass I extend the flare and land further into the runway and use the speed to assist the taxing up to the pump and pull up just outside the hanger. Apart from one vintage bright yellow Cub (up from Tibenham) who landed just as I took off .. the area was deserted …the sun just dropped to the horizon as the hanger doors clanked shut.
It turns out the runway surface was pretty solid .. not one blob of mud under the wings !
Nice evening … and to think we had been pelted by hail just a couple of hours before …
After many years of the same camera angle I thought it might be a nice change to have a different camera angle .. so .. an arm mount fitted to the front cabane strut pointing rearwards
My feet and hands were frozen after just coming down from a very chilly 4000’ so probably not much above freezing …
Jersey Sherwood Ranger 