Dick Gregory wrote:
Hello RotorMotorists,
My 13B project is finally started. During the last few months I have been
doing mostly research and asking a whole bunch of questions. After all this
I still have not changed my mind about the match between the rotary and the
airplane. So last Friday I mailed a check to David for a 13B with most of
the goodies included. I guess that makes mine an active project.
The 13B is going in a well-used LongEZ that was built in 1983 by Neal
Johnson. I got it in 1999 from Tony Dawson, a UPS 747 pilot who used it for
7 years. On May 26, 2000, the Lyc O320 chewed up an exhaust valve and spit
it out all over the prop. Nasty gouges. The forced landing was uneventful
with no additional damage.
This engine had 1600 hours since the top end was rebuilt and the crankshaft
and camshaft inspected. Since then, all four cylinders had been replaced. I
thought that the engine must have been a lemon, considering the reputation
Lycoming has for reliability. Out of curiosity I perused through Engine
Maintenance logs in several certified aircraft to see how much major
maintenance had been done. I was apalled to see that most of them had a
worse maintenance record than mine on major items. So much for certified
reliability! No wonder those airplanes cost so much to fly. And people are
still trying to talk me into staying with Lycoming.
Anyway, I will be posting some of my intended installation plans and reports
of my progress. Since I am as prone to mistakes as anyone else, feel free to
reprimand me if you see I am doing something wrong or inadequate. I take
constructive critism gracefully. And it is my objective to install every
piece, no matter how insignificant, with safety in mind.
Dick Gregory
LongEZ N613NC
I average about 500 hours on my Continental O-470 in my C182 with some type
of cylinder work costing about $2000 or more each time.
Paul Lamar
The AirCraft Rotary Engine NewsLetter. Powered by Linux.
ACRE NL web site.
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