|
Flight Club - Grumman Flying TipsOperating out of Jandakot Airport, Perth, Western Australia. |
| Grumman Tips from Tony |
|
Oil: IGI doesn't like oil over 6 quarts (over 6.5 and it will squirt it out over the fuselage) Priming: IGI: 4 primes. Warm or cold. Differential brakes: Don't ride them. Just tap them occasionally during taxi to keep your general direction right to save on brake pads. Nosewheel shimmy: Upon landing pull hard back to minimise nosewsheel shimmy. Leaning: Make sure you lean to (at least) 75 degrees rich of peak. This maximises engine life by providing a little more cooling to the heads. Starting: Most tigers have impulse coupling - always start on left magneto only (swap back to both when the engine has started). Seats: It is important when parking your rear into the Grumman to grab a firm hold on the appropriate place (not the spot labeled “do not hold” as many students have attempted, and positively confirm that the seat is locked both sides. If there is a slight misalignment of the seat it will catch on one side but not the other and have the potential for rearward travel. I have never had either Grumman seat slide back in flight, having been sure to do this test. I have however frequently jumped into the Grummans and found the seats not locked in place after others had flown. In one case, the seat was twisted at such an angle that it was immediately apparent, it was wedged so firmly as to require significant effort to free it (levers and the like) several bums or a particularly heavy one had been involved here. One answer is to replace all seat rails, sliders and locking mechanisms with new units, however this will not guarantee that the problem won’t re occur, the check still has to be done thoroughly pre flight to determine that the seat is locked.. |
| Grumman Tips from Richard |
|
Fouled spark plugs: When you're doing your 1800 RPM runups and doing a mag check, often the engine will run rough and way out of spec (175 max RPM drop, 50 RPM difference between mags). Keep the revs at 1800 RPM and lean out the mixture until the engine runs rough, then enrich it 3-4 clicks. Let it run for 30 seconds or so and try the mag check again. Remember to enrich the mixture to full for takeoff though. Fouled spark plugs are usually caused by not leaning when you're taxiing. Landings: Never "force" the plane down on to the runway during the flare. These aeroplanes are slippery and very aerodynamic so let them fly until they want to settle onto the runway. If you come in too hot and fast you will float a significant distance with your flare. Keep the nose up. The nosewheel is "very delicate" - it should only touch the runway well after the main gear is on. On short fields, perform a go-around if you're too quick or you will overshoot the runway. Speed control on finals is essential in Grummans. Lining up: As you line up to take off, make sure the aircraft is pointed about 5 degrees right of the centreline. The rotational torque of the propeller will bring you back to the centre line as you increase power to takeoff without the need to stomp on rudder pedals. |