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First engine start today---whoo hooo

Posted: Sat Mar 06, 2010 9:59 pm
by lancef53
I got the plane cranked up tonight, after a couple of headscratching moments. One loose fuel line on the electric pump(about 3 inches from the firewall, of course :bang: ), and the line to the fuel distributer on the top of the engine weeped a bit.

I had some head scratching moments when I could not get it to crank over, only to find (after a couple of hours of wondering) that I had neglected to tighten up the cables on the shunt. It was getting enough juice to light the panel and run the fuel pump, but not to spin the starter. Of course the shunt is inside the gear tower, under the dash.

All in all, a good day.

Only major problem was my Dynon 180 was indicating 300 RPM when it was idling at about 1000. Not sure how to fix that one, yet.

Posted: Sat Mar 06, 2010 10:01 pm
by cjensen
Excellent Lance!!! That is an awesome day!

I'm looking at doing the same thing in about three weeks!

8) 8) 8)

Posted: Sat Mar 06, 2010 10:05 pm
by Spike
So Awesome. I want pictures dude!

Posted: Sat Mar 06, 2010 10:08 pm
by hydroguy2
way to go.

Looks like RB is going to have a few more flying RV's soon.

Posted: Sat Mar 06, 2010 11:16 pm
by lancef53
I will try to get some pictures tomorrow, by the time I got it started everyone but me had left!! It was about 32 degrees and raining, so it was a quick indoor start.

Thanks for the replies!!

Re: First engine start today---whoo hooo

Posted: Sun Mar 07, 2010 7:13 am
by Brantel
lancef53 wrote:Only major problem was my Dynon 180 was indicating 300 RPM when it was idling at about 1000. Not sure how to fix that one, yet.

Way to go!!!!! There is a pulses per rev setting on the Dynon you need to tweak....Will work great after that...

:yay: :yay: :yay: :yay: :yay: :yay: :yay: :yay:

Posted: Sun Mar 07, 2010 7:28 am
by lancef53
Thanks for the tip--I need to update the software, so I will do that first. If I want to hook my multimeter to the engine to get a RPM reading, does it work just like a car? Clamp on to one of the plug leads and I am good to go?

Brantel, I knew you would have an answer on the dynon. Do you have a per answer fee? I am sure I will have about a hundred more questions in the next week or two :) Maybe I could pay it forward.

Posted: Sun Mar 07, 2010 7:30 am
by Brantel
No fee required man...I just love experimental aviation and love electronics and really love to be part of the team!!!!! If I can help, I will as hundreds of people have helped me thru this journey! Its my way of paying back into this great thing we have going!

Its all good!

As far as the clamp on tach, it should work??? Mags are not as hot as car ignitions but it most likely will work.

Posted: Sun Mar 07, 2010 10:43 am
by lancef53
Ok, first problem--I got the 180 and compass to update to 5.2, but the AP 74 and 2 servos stayed at 5.0. I can't continue the AP calibration until I get them to be online.

When I bring up the status,
The 180 says "peers lost"
the servos and AP74 say "upgrade req"

EDIT!! I think it is working now, it looks like I needed to redo the 5.2 upgrade after I had configured the DSAB. Now as it is updating, it is going thru the servos and A74. I have my fingers crossed :o

Funny that the dynon prompt told me that I was already at 5.2, and did I want to load it again. Funny they do that with the updated configuration.

Posted: Sun Mar 07, 2010 9:49 pm
by lancef53

Posted: Mon Mar 08, 2010 9:37 am
by dons
Great news! That first moment of 'It Lives!" must be quite a feeling.

Posted: Mon Mar 08, 2010 11:30 am
by Spike
I like the picture of the exhaust dirt on the belly. Nifty pictures.

Spike

Posted: Mon Mar 08, 2010 9:25 pm
by Wicked Stick
Spike wrote:I like the picture of the exhaust dirt on the belly. Nifty pictures.

Spike
Speaking of that picture, I can't tell if there's any downturn to the pipes ?
If not, be prepared for some ramp skin cracking from the exhaust pulses. :(

Posted: Mon Mar 08, 2010 10:59 pm
by lancef53
The exhaust is from the wrecked 8A that I bought for parts, I had forgotten all about the turndowns. I will have to get a set from vetterman to fix them.

Thanks for the reminder!!

Posted: Tue Mar 09, 2010 8:53 am
by Wicked Stick
Your Welcome. It was hard to tell from the angle of that picture so I thought I'd throw that out there. :mrgreen: