Comanche Update

[Tony]

Well my first time flying the new plane today, after it was brought up
from its old home in Fullerton(KFUL)last night. I must say im very
happy. We took off on runway 18 at Apple Valley (KAPV)climing at
1000-1400ft min. we headed to Victorville (KVCV) to do some to/gos. All
went well, so we headed off for the 100$ hamburger at Fox Field (KWJF),
or gs was right around 180 mph. Getting there in half the time as im
used to (20min). We had lunch and got back in headed back to Hesperia
(l26) to get gas this time or gs was 200 mph I though I ws the king of
the sky doing 200. When we landed, taix to the gas pumps. Come to find
out they were broke. Off to Apple Valley again. As we climbed through
5000 the door pops open. Back to Hesperia. Landed took off and back to
Apple Valley. Had to fill up there, 90 bucks in the hole was a not that
bad. Said and done it was a fun day and now im going to have to wait
untill Wed to go again. I would like to think the people on this NG that
told me to go with the comanche and not the 210. I do have a question
concerning the prop not engaing during the start. My CFI hoped out and
moved the prop and pushed a pin somewhere by the prop and it fried right
up. What causes this and how can I fix it?

Thanks Again
Tony
N8389p KAPV

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[Ben Jackson]

In article >,
Tony > wrote:
>As we climbed through
>5000 the door pops open.

One challenge for us one-door Piper pilots is that we have to teach
our passengers how to use the doors. In the case of the Comanche you
need to make sure you rotate the handle forward far enough that the
thing that looks like a door lock drops into place (and you need to
lift that pin before opening). If your door is missing that pin (the
one I used to rent was) you'll need to keep a bungee that you can use
to pull the latch down toward the armrest while in flight.

About the second or third time my wife went up with me she didn't get
the pin to engage and the door popped open after about 45 minutes. I
found I had to slow to about 100-110mph to keep it from fluttering. No
way you can close it that last 1/2" in flight.

--
Ben Jackson
>
http://www.ben.com/

[[email protected]]

On 26-Jan-2004, Tony > wrote:

> I do have a question
> concerning the prop not engaing during the start. My CFI hoped out and
> moved the prop and pushed a pin somewhere by the prop and it fried right
> up. What causes this and how can I fix it?


I assume what you mean is that the starter spun rapidly but the prop did not
turn. This is caused by the bendix gear on the starter not extending to
engage the flywheel (the ring of gear teeth behind the prop). This commonly
happens when the bendix drive becomes worn or needs lubrication. The CFI
probably just jostled the bendix a bit, and next time you tried it worked.
I'd have a mechanic look at it before you get stuck somewhere out in the
boondocks.

Congratulations on your new plane! Keep us posted on how it works out for
you.
--
-Elliott Drucker

[Chris Kennedy]

Tony wrote:

> I do have a question
> concerning the prop not engaing during the start. My CFI hoped out and
> moved the prop and pushed a pin somewhere by the prop and it fried right
> up. What causes this and how can I fix it?

If it hasn't already been done, install a copper cable kit. I had
repeated problems with the bendix not engaging that defied cleaning,
lubricating and generally genuflecting. Turned out that the voltage
drop across the ancient aluminum cables was enough to keep the starter
from spinning fast enough for the bendix to spin out and engage;
switching to copper seems to have eliminated the problem.

If you buy a Bogert kit, specify you want "the extra six inches" of
cable needed to install a lightweight starter, so when your starter does
finally go you can toss the (freakin' huge) thing that came with the 540
in favor of -er- more recent technology without having to futz with the
cabling.

Chris
5524P

[[email protected]]

: If you buy a Bogert kit, specify you want "the extra six inches" of
: cable needed to install a lightweight starter, so when your starter does
: finally go you can toss the (freakin' huge) thing that came with the 540
: in favor of -er- more recent technology without having to futz with the
: cabling.

I put the lightweight starter on my Cherokee last spring. Really spins like a
champ now, and took about 8 pounds off the nose.

-Cory
--
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