The Smilin’Jack |
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| EAA Chapter 866 monthly newsletter November 2001 |
CHAPTER MEETING
SAUSAGE SANDWICHES WILL BE SERVED $1.00 EA
Hi all…. Another month has slipped by us. Seems to speed by faster each time I blink. Like I read somewhere "the closer the toilet paper gets to the end of the roll, the faster it unwinds"!
Well, we had another successful pancake breakfast thanks to all of you that helped AND participated. The chapter is staying solvent and we're all thankful for that.
The "Grand Wizard" of Pietnpol fame has returned to the fold, so MAYBE we can spend some of the pancake proceeds on airplane parts/materials and get the little girl in the air soon? Wayne, Neale? How about it? Will we see sawdust flying around the shop? Just try to keep the dust out of the batter!
I heard just today that the chapter has a THIRD "Piet" going together. Good golly, I think they're going to gang up on the "Dunn Patrol"! Thank God we at least have a Lewis machine gun on board. All THEY can do is throw termites at us!
In case no one heard, we had chapter officer elections and yours truly was re-elected Prez, Bill Furnholm reluctantly became our new V.P., "Cook the Books" Cranston is once again the Treasurer/Secretary, Larry Gilbert is still going to "pound out" the newsletter. His lovely wife Loretta will still be under contract for refreshment duty AND the "hockey pucks" for our breakfasts.
Well, I think I should quit while I'm ahead {still have my head!}, so plan on coming to the next chapter extravaganza on November 7 and join the fun.
See you all there!
by Larry Gilbert
At this month's board of directors meeting, we decided to invite the new TICO administrator,
Mr. Edwards, to address our chapter at a regular meeting. Our faithful Secy/ Treasurer, Neale Cranston agreed to ask Mr. Edwards if he would do this. A suggestion to approach some schools or youth organizations to see if there might be some young people who are interested in aviation who we could help by bringing them out to the airport to show them what we have at Dunn Airpark and with chapter 866.
We also decided that the meat that Larry and Loretta have purchased for our fly in be brought to the next regular meeting and offered for sale to chapter members. This consists of frozen sausage and frozen meat balls. We also plan to make and serve some hot sausage sandwiches for one dollar each at our regular November meeting.
A suggestion has been made by Gil Jones that we recite the pledge at the beginning of our chapter meetings beginning with the November meeting.
by Bill Furnholm
While on a recent trip to Railfest 2001, held at Altoona, Pa. a most interesting mind boggling event occured.
Bill Mitchell and I were shacking up in a local motel together.
We had really had two very enjoyable days that had included a trian ride over historic "Horseshoe Curve" and the Gallitzin Tunnels. Plus a plane ride showing us the sights from aloft, thanks to a good friend of Larry Gilbert.
Well after all of this activity Bill and I were kind of tired and decided to share a bottle of wine and watch TV. Bill bought the wine sparing no expense, " what the hell, we're on vacation." He went for broke and squandered $2.46 for a bottle of the fruit of the vine made of some of the finest grapes.
We ate supper then proceeded to the motel with our prize bottle. Twas then our dreams were dashed, the bottle had a cork in it and of course we were both traveling light and there wasn't a corkscrews to be found.
I was devastated as I knew this "wines time had come." It was all of two weeks old and was ready to rumble. As I sat on my bed softly sobbing, Bill said not to worry cause "Super Tech" was on the case! I didn't see any phone booth handy that he could jump into but he did disappear into the bathroom. Soon I heard this ominous squeek, squeek, squeek sound. Soon Billy appeared with a doorstop in his hand and a big smile on his face. He knew he had our problem solved! He screwed the door stop into the cork, then with him prying and me pulling, the cork emerged with a satisfying "pop.".......... The rest is history!
This guy is amazing and he can do anything. He can even remove, inspect, lap in, and replace an exhaust valve in a Continental engine without pulling the cylinder..... He's my hero!!
Bill Furnholm
By Larry Gilbert
I've seen Furnholm excited about airplanes, ultralights, and other flying machinery but I never saw him as fascinated as he was with the display of an old K4 steam locomotive at a railroad museum in Altoona, Pennsylvania a couple of weeks ago! Mitchell, Furnholm, and I were up there for an event called railfest. Altoona is a town that existed because of the Pennsylvania Railroad. I had a good time with the two of them.
By Larry Gilbert
Our beloved 52L wanted to warn us about a condition that was developing so she refused to register enough on the old differential compression check while we had her down for an annual. She was running alright but when we checked compression, the exhaust valve on #2 wouldn't seat and allowed her to wheeze through the tail pipe. Mr Mitchell said whoa, we don't let a leaking valve go cause it can lead to some real problems.
The magic begins! The man himself Mr. Mitchell, and Mark Barnett another chapter 866 man who is good with engines performed the magic. We stripped the plane of some of it's baffling and removed the valve rocker arm cover on #2. Then we removed the keepers and springs and the artists went to work. I hope I have this sequence of events in order. After removing the spark plugs on #2, Bill filled the cylinder up with a coiled rope. Then he tapped the valve to loosen it up some and attempted to spin it with a drill motor by connecting the drill to the valve with a flexible coupling. The valve was sticking so bad that this didn't work. Now of all things, Bill removed the rope and punched the valve into the cylinder! What the?? Yeah, then he reached into the cylinder through to plug hole and pulled the stem up through this hole so that we could polish it. Then Mark removed all of the lead that was in the valve guide. He did this by using a gun cleaning kit with bore cleaner and bore brushes. Then a little polishing job with some emery cloth. Now Bill checked the valve stem and guide with a micrometer. Everything was within tolerances according to an overhaul manual. I told them "OK, I believe what I saw with the removal of the valve and pulling it up thru the hole but I don't believe you'll ever get the valve stem back in the guide!" Bill said that he'd get that in quicker than he pulled the valve stem up through the plug hole. I didn't say it but I thought, "yeah right." I watched Bill and Mark do the magic trick and I still don't believe it! They fished a nylon ribbon into the cylinder through the valve guide and hooked it with a safety wire hook through the sparkplug hole, pulled it out and tied the ribbon onto the valve in the groove that the keeper goes in and dropped it back down in the cylinder and in less time than it took to pull the valve through the plug hole it was back in the guide!! Now the valve moves freely in and out of the guide. Then he spun the valve on the seat by applying the drill motor to the valve, then pushed the valve in the cylinder and inspected it through the plug hole and determined that it looked good and we put it all back together. Pure magic!! We did the check again.... Compression 70/80!! Bill, Ray Thomas and I flew her around for almost an hour and she's working good. We're going to pull the cowling and check her again after a couple more hours of operation. This was very educational for me.
Hey Furnholm, he's my hero too!
I want to use little space to say thanks to those who contribute to this newsletter. It makes for more interesting reading and makes it more of a "Chapter Project" when members contribute.
Larry Gilbert (the editor)
By Steve Pangborn
I finally got Lily, my "46 Luscombe, out of her annual inspection just a day or two prior to our intended departure for our annual trek north to the Thomasville, Georgia flyin. I wanted to give her a "shake down" flight to be sure everything was "go" before departure day.
As I rolled her out of the hangar that afternoon, I noticed the wind sock looking rather stiff, but really didn't think much of it as the wind seemed to be right down the center of the grass runway {04}.
Taxiing to the end of 04 didn't seem like anything was amiss. The run up and control check was as normal as ever, so clearing the area, we started our take off. As soon as we broke ground, Lily weather vaned "hard over" and I knew we had a tiger by the tail! But I figured, shoot, we've done this many times in the past, so no sweat…. yeah right!
Leaving the pattern, we flew around for about 25 minutes or so. Everything checked out O.K., so I decided to return, get on the ground, and clean Lily up for our big trip. Well, I checked the windsock and by this time it was favoring runway 15. I didn't like the prospect of a pavement landing in this wind, but decided to give it a shot. Lining up on short final, the wind decided to return to it's previous heading of 04. So, a shot of power and around we went for the grass runway, which I preferred anyway.
On short final for 04, you guessed it, the wind once again shifted towards 15. Starting a go around again, it once again shifted… to a direction close to 09. Knowing how fickle the wind was, I decided to try 04 once again, and if that didn't work, it was going to be Space Coast Regional. As I lined up for 04 again, we were weather vaned hard over, as the wind was now bisecting both runways. Trying to slip was to no avail as I finally, for the first time experienced the maximum crosswind {plus} component of Lily. Just as I was ready to give up and head south, something caught my eye….lookie there would you, the taxiway to the grass runway….alined exactly east/west. Hmmmm…lets do it!
Making an immediate deviation to the right lined us up "on the button" and with a 30+ knot wind, I wasn't too concerned about how short the taxiway was. We ballooned once, set down, and stopped in what seemed like 50 feet
We sheepishly crossed 15 and taxied back to the hangar hoping not too many folks saw what had just happened. Turns out only one person saw the "fun" {no one else was crazy enough to be out that day!}, but he didn't rub it in too bad!
We/I was very lucky that day, but that taxiway SURE looked good. Any "port in a storm" I suppose. But a lesson was learned that day…..Know your airplane and YOUR capabilities. And don't fly when there's a typhoon blowing.
by Larry Gilbert
Not much flying this month due to many different reasons. We were away most of the month and not around our plane.
While in Pennsylvania with Bill Mitchell and Bill Furnholm, I managed to fly a C172 owned by my good friend Herb Rutter who lives there. After this flight Herb took Mitchell and Furnholm for a flight out of the Blue Knob Valley Airport to do an aerial tour of the "Curve" in the mountains at Altoona. Very nostalgic for me, after all the Blue Knob Airport was home for 52L and me for over 20 years.
Incidentally, Herb's C172 is for sale. A deal too I'll tell ya!
We managed to put a couple of hours on 52L here in Titusville too. Mostly just to heat her up so we could keep checking the compression. You see she had an exhaust valve that was sticking and after A&P Bill Mitchell and Mark Barnett performed some brain surgery type magic on her we had to test her out. Mitchell, Ray Thomas, and I flew her around a little and I took Bill Furnholm along for moral support once and flew her a couple of times myself, just to heat her up so we can check on that valve again. That was it for me. How bout you?
The EMU needs attention: Tailwheel mounting, numerous fabric penetrations scattered about the length and breadth of the vehicle. Thought: Meeting work party assignment for limited compassionate group group, two or more comprises a "Group". Note : pictures on back page.
Neale
Good news, Pietman is back from the snow country. Wayne Bullington, I mean.
We have a Pietman II also and it is Jim Webb. He is well along with his Piet project too I understand.
Just enough people said that they're interested in another of these to encourage me to do one. Interested?
Train on curve is Railfest 2001 excursion using 2 restored,
privately owned E8 diesel locomotives
Horseshoe Curve Altoona, PA Oct. 6, 2000
Bill Mitchell at covered bridge
Bedford County, PA
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The chapter newsletter is published monthly to inform members and friends of our chapter about activities of our chapter and members. Our chapter is open and we welcome all who are interested in aviation activities of any kind.
This newsletter will be mailed prior to each monthly meeting. We need your input so please submit materials for this newsletter. When you have something for this, you can submit via e-mail, on a computer disk, in writing, or by word of mouth. Please get the information to me by the 19th of the month. We meet on the first Wednesday of each month.
President
Vice
President
Secretary/Treas
Steve
Pangborn
Colleen
Betts
Neale Cranston
4625 James
Road
4801 Doreen
Road
2021 Malinda Ln
Cocoa, FL
32927
Cocoa, FL
32927
Titusville, Fl
32796
Newsletter Editor
Larry Gilbert
2002 Malinda Ln
Titusville, FL 32796