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How good is your preflight inspection?

Exactly – found in the local Aeroclub’s DR500 in June this year. Pretty sure they have been there since autumn last year. I believe what they are on is part of the oil cooler.

Best part is – a 200 hour inspection was done shortly before by their Camo. They then switched the shop to do the annual (for unrelated reasons) and first thing they found was this. Guess they are not going back… :)

Last Edited by simonsorcerer at 14 Aug 06:47
EDNW, Germany

Simon, what is that?
A squirrel’s winter store of acorns or hazel nuts?

EBZH Kiewit, Belgium

This is what you find when nobody bothers to open the cowling for a long time …

EDNW, Germany

Cheese us, how some people can complicate life! Cut your cowling covers roughly from some kind of foam, polystyrene will do nicely. If too large, cut or file or rasp away some, but take care where the rubbish goes, you don’t want it in your engine. If far too small, start over again. If a bit smallish, add some material (microballoon is the nicest but not everybody will have that at hand). If once they fit, finish as desired – which may go up to adding two layers of glassfibre plus epoxy, then painting or even having them painted by a car body workshop in exactly the same colour as your cowl. Or a nice contrast, of course. The basic job should just take a couple of hours, an excellent entry into composite works.

Aart, it is not impossible to do this in transparent stuff but that is rather going to take a couple of days, probably. Make a positive plus negative mould from wood (avoiding sharp corners), warm up sheet of plexiglas aka perspex, push in gently, clamp, allow to set. Heat and cool very gently and evenly. I am less than an expert, though, on this technique.

Last Edited by at 13 Aug 16:53
EBZH Kiewit, Belgium

achimha wrote:

So you don’t check the oil level, bookworm?

So I simplified a little:

  • check that nothing is tied to the aircraft (including pitot covers etc.) and the controls are free of locks
  • check that the fuel and oil supply is sufficient and not contaminated

I do indeed check the oil level. I also gently check the feel of the control movement.

Can’t stop thinking about this cowling stuff..
Just sipping from a nice white wine starting to think out of the box: Transparant cowlings!
Adds that you can show off a nice engine.. Just like these supercars where you can look into the top of the back and see a big placard of V24, 12 litre engine or the like.
OK, guys, my idea, don’t run away with it now.
Peter, sorry, please get this thread in line again.
Darned good wine, cheers all..

Private field, Mallorca, Spain

On the bigger aircraft I always do what was described as the Golden Walk by an experienced TRE. Engine and Hydraulic oil levels, visual tyre check, oxygen level, nitrogen level, pitot tubes.. We don’t always do fuel drains.

On an SEP I look for hangar rash, oil and fuel level, fuel drain, and pitot tube.

But in doing these things I cast an eye over whatever I can see. On the other hand I don’t generally remove any cowlings.

Darley Moor, Gamston (UK)

Dooga wrote:

Does any of you pull the prop through (on something other than a Rotax) to check for compression feel and mag coupling clicks?

I would if I had a Stearman!

Darley Moor, Gamston (UK)

Bruce’s Custom Covers can probably do it.

Administrator
Shoreham EGKA, United Kingdom

Could do, but there are 4 openings per engine, and the two of them that pose the biggest risk of birds going in undetected are quite big and have a nasty shape to cover up. Haven’t seen any product for it.
Of course I could use full cowling covers but they are a bit of a nuisance to put on and off..
But indeed maybe good to make something dedicated for these two nasty ones.
Then again, not bad to at least sometimes during the year peek under the cowling..

Last Edited by aart at 13 Aug 12:27
Private field, Mallorca, Spain
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