Dennis Schmaltz wrote: > > This summer, my generator quit charging. My [EMAIL PROTECTED] couldn't get > to it > right away, and I did not to be grounded. With no previous experience > except for watching an older gentlemen hand prop a Cub many years ago > (he stood behind the prop, held onto the strut, and swung it through), I > managed to hand-prop my C75 all day. I swung it from the front, using > the tecnique that I had seen many times on TV watching the old aviation > shows. It is almost identical to what Bob described. VERY easy to do. > Instead of chalks, though, I tied the plane rear tail hook down to a > ground anchor in addition to the brakes. Also, always prop with the > throttle at idle. The only real deviation that I use is after priming, > I pull the prop through with the mags off to ensure that the cylinders > all have a fuel charge in them. This was verified by my [EMAIL PROTECTED] > who has > worked on planes for 40 years, and told me that doing that would ensure > that the engine would fire off on the first try. He is right. First > flip every time, although that only adds up to 8 hand-props. > Dennis Schmaltz > 94715 > > Bob Saville wrote: > > > > Oops, I'll try again. > > > > --------------------------------------------------------------- > > > > Subject: Warning: could not send message for past 4 hours > > Date: Fri, 5 Feb 1999 04:20:53 -0800 (PST) > > From: Mail Delivery Subsystem <MAILER-DAEMON> > > To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > > > ********************************************** > > ** THIS IS A WARNING MESSAGE ONLY ** > > ** YOU DO NOT NEED TO RESEND YOUR MESSAGE ** > > ********************************************** > > > > The original message was received at Thu, 4 Feb 1999 23:52:25 -0800 (PST) > > from dynip43.efn.org [206.163.180.43] > > > > ----- The following addresses had transient non-fatal errors ----- > > <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > > > ----- Transcript of session follows ----- > > 451 <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>... mailinglist.com: Name server timeout > > Warning: message still undelivered after 4 hours > > Will keep trying until message is 5 days old > > > > --------------------------------------------------------------- > > Reporting-MTA: dns; clavin.efn.org > > Arrival-Date: Thu, 4 Feb 1999 23:52:25 -0800 (PST) > > > > Final-Recipient: RFC822; [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > Action: delayed > > Status: 4.4.3 > > Last-Attempt-Date: Fri, 5 Feb 1999 04:20:53 -0800 (PST) > > Will-Retry-Until: Tue, 9 Feb 1999 23:52:25 -0800 (PST) > > > > --------------------------------------------------------------- > > > > Subject: Re: Vibration > > Date: Thu, 04 Feb 1999 23:47:59 -0800 > > From: Bob Saville <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > CC: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > References: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > > > [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: > > > > > > Interesting comments...on prop placement... > > > > > > My coupe has a 1-B90 prop installed so that looking at the front of the > > > airplane, the prop is 45 degrees in the direction of rotation when on the > > > compression stroke. > > > > > > This allows hand proping. As seen from the cockpit, the prop would be at the 2 > > > O'Clock position; from outside the airplane, lookng from in front of the > > > airplane, it would be in the 10 O'clock position. > > > > > > Para 8, page 44, of the Ercoupe Service Manual states " Install propeller so > > > it is 45 degrees right of vertical when compression stroke is begun." ( I > > > haven't found the reference, but somewhere in the manual, I think I remember > > > that all references as to right or left, etc, are made as if one is sitting in > > > the pilots seat, (and that the "compression stroke"refers to #1 cyl.) > > > > > > The outline drawings on Page 8, show the prop mounted as 45 degrees - 2 > > > O'clock from the pilots seat - ( so it can be hand propped...) However, the > > > Service periodic service chart , Figure 6, page 16, shows the prop at 45 > > > degrees left. Maybe this is where the confusion comes from. > > > > > > Well, we certainly know that to hand prop the engine, the prop needs to be 45 > > > degrees to the right, as seen from the pilots seat.... > > > > > > I plan to leave mine alone...... > > > > > > Fly Safe - Have Fun > > > > > > Regards, > > > > > > Harry Francis > > > N 93530 @BCB (Blacksburg, VA) > > > > Hi Coupers, > > In the 13 years I've had my coupe, I've had to 'prop' it a few times if > > the battery was to low to turn it over. > > Facing the prop from the front the 'compression' blade is as the 10 > > o:clock position. I'm 6'2" and have no problem at all in spinning it at > > it's 'low' distance from the ground. I've been hand propping since I was > > just a kid so maybe I'm a little more comfortable with it than someone > > who has always flown electic start planes. > > I use the method of placing hands on the prop, swinging my right leg > > forward under the prop and then swinging it back behind me at the same > > time I start to spin the prop. That transfer of body weight by swinging > > the leg not only gives me a faster (stronger) spin of the prop, but it > > also pulls my body away from the prop so that I am in a far safer > > location when the engine fires. > > If anyone out there is 'uncomfortable' with propping a coupe, leave the > > mag switch 'off' and try this method a few times to get the feel of it. > > HINT: Always have someone inside the coupe with their foot on the brake > > or have the main gear wheels well chalked. DO NOT TRUST THE PARKING > > BRAKE TO HOLD!!! (Especially if you have Goodyear brakes) > > > > That's my 2 cents worth. Any discussion on this? > > > > Bob Saville > > N3396H 415C > > Eugene, OR
Hi Dennis,
I just read your posting about hand propping your coupe. Yes, it
is
easy, I don't know why all the controversy about it. Just stay away
from the prop and keep the thing tied down with chocks, tie-downs or
what ever and spin it. Everyone thinks their was is the 'right way',
but actually the right or best way is be safe and do it which ever way
works best for you. The way I do it (with the leg swing) is the way I
learned over 50 years ago and it works fine for me because it gets me
away from the prop without my even thinking about it and if I should
happen to slip or lose my balance for any reason I'm quite a distance
away from the prop and can't possible be hit by it. I think anyone who
is 'afraid' of the prop should not try and hand start their plane until
they get some 'old timer' who has experience (not what he's read on the
internet or in a book) to show him how.
Props are nothing to fear, only to respect. I like to compare a
prop to
a gun. You can take a gun, load and cock it and place it on the floor
and stand there and look at it all day and it won't hurt you. But let
some idiot come up and kick it and he'll probably blow his foot off.
That's like a prop, if it's loaded stay away from it and it won't hurt
you. Walk into it or prop it while standing close with no 'pre-plan' of
getting your body away from it and it'll slice you up like a baloney. As
for the people who think it's safer to prop it from behind, what do they
think, that the wind from the prop will keep them from falling into it?
If the plane isn't properly anchored in some way and starts to roll
forward the wing will hit them and throw them off-balance and probably
knock them right into the prop. What are they thinking, or are they????
Yes, I've seen people prop a Cub, Aeronca, Liscomb, Stinson, older
Cessnas etc from the back side. Think about it, these are all high wing
planes and you enter them from the side. How do you enter a coupe, from
the rear of the wing, Right? This means that if you prop a coupe from
the rear, once it's started you have to get out from between the
spinning prop and the wing, walk around to the rear of the wing,
(probably on the other side of the plane) and then get into the cockpit.
Does this sound very "safe" or logical? Not to me it doesn't.
As for your generator going out which caused you to need to prop
your
coupe, do you keep your plane in a hangar or is it tied down outside?
If it's inside, is there electricity in the hangar? If so, go to a
local motorcycle shop and buy a small battery 'trickle' charger that
only puts out about .5 amps (be sure it's 12 volts) and hook the pigtail
onto your battery bolts right with the regular battery terminal bolts
(and of course you want to get the positive and negative connected
correctly). Put the lid back on the battery and leave the pig-tail
hanging loose as it's well insulated and can't short out if it comes in
contact with any metal. Now, take the other end of that connector and
plug the charger into the pigtail, coil up the few feet of wire and the
little transformer that plugs into the wall (like an electric razor) and
store it in your luggage compartment, still all connected, and go
flying. When you put your plane back in the hangar merely take the
transformer out of the luggage compartment (still all connected to the
battery) and plug it into the end of an extension cord that is plugged
into a 110v outlet somewhere in the hangar.
All very simple, safe and it is not a modification of the airplane
so
no paperwork is needed. JUST ONE WORD OF CAUTION: As the police
departments have discovered on their cycles, if this is done on a
continual basis, the electrolite in the battery will need to be checked
fairly often as it will go down a little. The answer to this is go to a
hardware store or home building materials store and buy a 'timer' that
plugs into the wall and is normally use to turn on/off lights, a coffee
pot or something in the home at any pre-set time desired. I have the
one on my plane set to come on for one (1) hour every morning and
"top-off" my battery then turn itself off at the end of the hour. In the
nearly 13 years that I've had my coupe I have only replaced the battery
once. It's no trouble at all to disconnect the extention cord before
pulling my plane out of the hangar and then re-connecting it when I get
back. These little chargers can cost you anywhere from 7 or 8 dollars up
to maybe as high as 17 or 18 dollars, depending on where you buy them.
I have a lot of vehicles, tractors etc, and I have one on every vehicle
that is not driven on a regular basis. About once a year I check the
electrolite in them and add just a little bit of water which is
necessary even if you don't use a trickle charger on them.
I suppose I'll get some flack out of this posting also, like I did
about the leg-swing method of propping but what the heck, if you'd
rather disconnect the battery from a friends plane and carry it over and
"jump" it and then go through all the hassel of standing on your head
and putting both planes all back together again, fine, do it that way.
Or, if you'd rather only stand on your head in one plane and jump it
from a car battery fine, do it that way. (Personnaly, I don't want a car
wedged in between my wing and tail section in order to get within the
short reach of a set of jumper cables. That's a good way to damage a
plane.) I'm basicly lazy I guess, I'd rather just disconnect the
extension cord, pull the starter knob and listen to my little C-75 purr
into action. Anyone else can do it any way they so desire. Whatever
works for you, as todays youth says, "Just Do It". :-)
Well, I suppose I've ruffled enough feathers for today so I'll
sign off
now and wait for the 'rebuttal'. Hey, it's all in fun, right?
Bob Saville
N3396H 415C
Eugene, OR
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