Aztec Driver
Line Up and Wait
..you be and still live."
My new to me Twinkie is still making me think, but, apparently, I still don't want to.
I have been having problems with the bus voltage being too low until I get the RPM's up on takeoff, being reported to me by the GPS. I also have been having trouble with the green gear light taking a long time to come on in the first landing of the flight, and then getting better as the flight progresses.
So today I decide to take the bird up for a quick flight to practice steep turns, and all of the other commercial multi engine maneuvers, including single engine ops. My GPS gave me the usual "low bus voltage" warning, and I found the page that actually displays the voltage, because the voltmeter does not read very accurately. It read 10.7 volts! Wow, better get the RPM's up before I run out of battery power. Proceed to do a runup and check everything. Voltage still did not come up very far.
Knowing that it has always come up on takeoff, I proceed with the takeoff. After departing the pattern for the practice area, I once again check the voltage. Hmmm, still 10.7. That's not good. I proceeded to do some steep turns and all is going OK.
It is then I notice the GPS is off. And the com lights are off. And the gear up light is off. Well, this is interesting. So here is where the brain has decided to turn off and kick in the "what the heck am I supposed to do in this scenario?"
I decided to end the flight and go back. It was right about that time I remembered that my gear are electrically operated. So I slow down below gear speed, turn everything off, and drop the gear. Down they come, partially, and then stop. I could see they were only half way down by the mirror on the nacelle. Now this has turned into a gear problem. So, says I, I will need to perform a manual gear extension. Now in the Twinkie, it is very easy, except that when completed, you must have the aircraft jacked up to reinstall the motor to the drive bar. Well, no choice, they aren't going down by themselves, so I proceed to drop the gear manually. They clunk into place with a satisfying thump and the gear light immediately turns on, no delay, no waiting.
I proceeded to make an uneventful no flaps, no comm landing and pulled into my parking space. I shut everything down and went into the office to talk to the guys in the office. After a little discussion on the systems, it occurs to us that it didn't appear that either generator could have been charging, and since there are two, that is quite suspect. After a brief exchange the one guy asks "--- --- ---- -- --- ---------- --------?"
DOH!!!!!!!! I broke from routine on the previous flight with someone else and I did not even check them. Isn't that the first thing you should check on an electrical failure?
See if you can fill in the blanks. And yes, you may laugh hysterically at me, I deserve it.
My new to me Twinkie is still making me think, but, apparently, I still don't want to.
I have been having problems with the bus voltage being too low until I get the RPM's up on takeoff, being reported to me by the GPS. I also have been having trouble with the green gear light taking a long time to come on in the first landing of the flight, and then getting better as the flight progresses.
So today I decide to take the bird up for a quick flight to practice steep turns, and all of the other commercial multi engine maneuvers, including single engine ops. My GPS gave me the usual "low bus voltage" warning, and I found the page that actually displays the voltage, because the voltmeter does not read very accurately. It read 10.7 volts! Wow, better get the RPM's up before I run out of battery power. Proceed to do a runup and check everything. Voltage still did not come up very far.
Knowing that it has always come up on takeoff, I proceed with the takeoff. After departing the pattern for the practice area, I once again check the voltage. Hmmm, still 10.7. That's not good. I proceeded to do some steep turns and all is going OK.
It is then I notice the GPS is off. And the com lights are off. And the gear up light is off. Well, this is interesting. So here is where the brain has decided to turn off and kick in the "what the heck am I supposed to do in this scenario?"
I decided to end the flight and go back. It was right about that time I remembered that my gear are electrically operated. So I slow down below gear speed, turn everything off, and drop the gear. Down they come, partially, and then stop. I could see they were only half way down by the mirror on the nacelle. Now this has turned into a gear problem. So, says I, I will need to perform a manual gear extension. Now in the Twinkie, it is very easy, except that when completed, you must have the aircraft jacked up to reinstall the motor to the drive bar. Well, no choice, they aren't going down by themselves, so I proceed to drop the gear manually. They clunk into place with a satisfying thump and the gear light immediately turns on, no delay, no waiting.
I proceeded to make an uneventful no flaps, no comm landing and pulled into my parking space. I shut everything down and went into the office to talk to the guys in the office. After a little discussion on the systems, it occurs to us that it didn't appear that either generator could have been charging, and since there are two, that is quite suspect. After a brief exchange the one guy asks "--- --- ---- -- --- ---------- --------?"
DOH!!!!!!!! I broke from routine on the previous flight with someone else and I did not even check them. Isn't that the first thing you should check on an electrical failure?
See if you can fill in the blanks. And yes, you may laugh hysterically at me, I deserve it.
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