Welcome! Becoming a registered user of ShortWingPipers.Org is free and easy! Click the "Register" link found in the upper right hand corner of this screen. It's easy and you can then join the fun posting and learning about Short Wing Pipers!

Page 2 of 2 FirstFirst 12
Results 11 to 19 of 19

Thread: How I almost Wrecked My Super Cub Today

  1. #11
    blue44's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2018
    Location
    Sky Acres 44N
    Posts
    201
    Post Thanks / Like

    Default Re: How I almost Wrecked My Super Cub Today

    glad it all worked out ( eventually ) Steve...
    Donn
    1949 Clipper PA-16 O-235

  2. #12
    Stephen's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2007
    Location
    Lopez Island, WA
    Posts
    4,140
    Post Thanks / Like

    Default Re: How I almost Wrecked My Super Cub Today

    Quote Originally Posted by Steve Pierce View Post
    Hmm, really? Short memory? I seem to remember little tires covered by wheel pants having a similar outing as Stephen. I remember watching her walk away from the airplane from the air and could tell her mood.
    Gilbert, wheel pants?
    "You can only tie the record for flying low."

  3. #13
    59pacer's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2010
    Location
    Mulgoa, Australia
    Posts
    495
    Post Thanks / Like

    Default Re: How I almost Wrecked My Super Cub Today

    Steve, have you tried to bend one of those screws without the adrenaline?

    One of my early captains flew the new Hawker Sea Furies with the Australian Fleet Air Arm. Returning from an exercise off Japan during the Korean War, he noticed the oil pressure dropping so expedited his return. At 300', the engine quit as if it was starved of fuel, not oil. Of course he was into the ocean in seconds, but with the flaps down but gear up, survived the landing. He said that he couldn't get out of the cockpit, and as the light went from blue, to green, to dark green, as the aircraft went down like a stone, he made a final effort to get out and the flying helmet connections released. He popped to the surface gasping for air, a chopper was overhead and pulled him straight out and straight back to the carrier, where he headed for the wardroom and had several stiff drinks. Looking at his helmet, he realised that the wires had been pulled apart, not disconnected. He was prevailed upon to see if he could break the wires again--not a chance!
    The stupid part was the cause of the engine failure. The engine was a Bristol Centaurus sleeve valve engine--a really powerful monster of a thing, but the sleeve valve engine needs lots of oil to lubricate the sleeves and the valve mechanism. Some bright spark in an office thought that it would be a good idea to have a pressure switch in the oil supply, so if the oil pressure dropped below a certain value it would shut off the fuel and so protect the engine from seizing up! The compulsory crash that would follow was not considered. As the Fury was new to our Navy, that little gotcha had been missed-- until Tas's prang.
    I digress again!!

  4. #14
    Administrator Steve Pierce's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2007
    Location
    Graham, Texas, United States
    Posts
    15,453
    Post Thanks / Like
    Blog Entries
    1

    Default Re: How I almost Wrecked My Super Cub Today

    I have a purple mark on my right thumb from switching hands and really wrenching on it.

    I worked on Sea furies at Ezell Aviation prior to starting my own business. We re-engined them with the Wright R3350. The Centaurus is a complicated engine, saw some disassembled at Kermit Week's place several years ago.

  5. #15
    deandayton's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2007
    Location
    Marysville, OH
    Posts
    234
    Post Thanks / Like

    Default Re: How I almost Wrecked My Super Cub Today

    Quote Originally Posted by walt.buskey View Post
    Looks like that screw could be observed with a mirror once the cover's off... (maybe I'll just have a look-see....)
    I'm thinking the same thing. Do these valves come with locktite on the screw? I didn't disassemble the valve before installation and I don't remember checking the screw for tightness before install...

  6. #16
    walt.buskey's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2012
    Location
    Etna, NH
    Posts
    1,285
    Post Thanks / Like

    Default Re: How I almost Wrecked My Super Cub Today

    Next time I go down to the hangar I'll take a peek.

  7. #17
    akflyer's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2010
    Location
    Soldotna AK
    Posts
    361
    Post Thanks / Like

    Default Re: How I almost Wrecked My Super Cub Today

    Quote Originally Posted by deandayton View Post
    I'm thinking the same thing. Do these valves come with locktite on the screw? I didn't disassemble the valve before installation and I don't remember checking the screw for tightness before install...
    From the posts on the SC site, it seems that they didn't ship with loctite on them. I saw pics of guys safety wiring them to the body as well as putting loctite on them now.

  8. #18
    Administrator Steve Pierce's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2007
    Location
    Graham, Texas, United States
    Posts
    15,453
    Post Thanks / Like
    Blog Entries
    1

    Default Re: How I almost Wrecked My Super Cub Today

    Here is the picture.
    DC Valve.jpg

  9. #19
    McDaver63's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2012
    Location
    Lincoln, CA
    Posts
    198
    Post Thanks / Like

    Default Re: How I almost Wrecked My Super Cub Today

    Thanks for sharing your story, Steve. I’m glad you had lots of adrenaline that day and that you made it home safe. I like the idea that you did safety wiring the stop screw. I’ll remember that if I ever get a Dakota valve. I would need to cut fabric around my stock valve because I made the mistake of not putting in an access panel and fabric frame when I covered the interior.


    Sent from my iPad using ShortWingPipers.Org
    I fly because it releases my mind from the tyranny of petty things

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •