On Mon, 21 May 2007 10:32:49 GMT, Doug Gray
wrote:


http://www.thewest.com.au/default.as...ontentID=29246

it probably sounds as though I have some emotion about george's posts.
I dont. I just have little time to post at present.

peter is truely amazed that the story reached america.
the video footage was taken by a 17 year old enthusiast evidently.

I did ask tonight as to what they thought was the cause.

the BD5 has a turbocharged honda auto engine with augmenting electric
cooling fan to the radiator. it is fuel injected. a beautiful
installation.
propeller drive shaft is fitted with an override clutch (sprag clutch)
the takeoff was after a long taxi and surrounding aircraft made the
ambient noise level a little higher than usual.
they think that the long time on the ground may have exposed a heat
problem in the fuel supply which induced a bubble (or bubbles) of air
in the fuel delivery. just after takeoff and after the wheels were up
the bubbles in the fuel hit the engine and stopped it. with an
override clutch the prop and drive train continue rotating and making
noise and the absense of the engine noise was imperceptible in the
ambient noise around him.
peter only became aware of the stopped engine after a scan of the
instruments and tacho by which time much of the aircraft's momentum
had been lost although he had started to effect a glide recovery.
the aircraft impacted the ground before he could effect a restart.

the glitch occurred right at the critical period before full cruise
climb speed had been achieved.

my observation is that bd-5's with sprag clutches in the drive trains
need a fadec system that understands that the engine is required to be
delivering power and can effect an immediate autorestart whenever
rpm's cease. such are the perfections of 20-20 hindsight.

the good news from tonight is that he has some feeling in his legs.

damn! we lost one of the neatest little aircraft on the airfield.
Stealth Pilot