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Hi,
In our FD CTSW (2010) we have a Trutrak FD Pilot II autopilot.
It works well on the ground, but not in the air.
I have checked all connections, from the GPS to the AP and to the servos. All connections are ok and the contacts are cleaned. Furthermore, the setup is checked, everything there is also ok.
I have reset the gyros with GYRO SET before test flight. The problem is the same with and without GPS signal. Trutrak checked and updated the autopilot in 2016, and it has softwar
The ACL is very faded and needs to be replaced. At present, it is very weak and low visibility.
Any suggestions on a good bright light to replace with?
Thanks for any input!
Have you ever dropped something down through the engine compartment and can't seem to find it. Here is a possibility. Just helped a friend with a Rotax 912 UL who reported a curious high pitched grinding at the aft of the engine while moving the prop. Turns out it was fragments of a wing type camloc and a whole camloc which he had dropped at some point in the past which had just recently found their way between the coils of the stator and the inner magnets of the flywheel. The bits were scrap
According to the FAA publication:
TECHNICAL PAPER AFS-360-2017-1 (Rev 0, 09/25/2017) INSTALLATION OF ADS-B OUT EQUIPMENT
https://www.faa.gov/nextgen/equipadsb/installation/media/ADS-B_Out-In_Installation_Tech_Paper(9-25-17).pdf
Filing of the FAA Form 337 is required (see point 12 of that publication):
12. Documenting ADS-B OUT System Performance Verification.
Following system performance verification of the ADS-B OUT installation by OFE and/or ground testing, document t
I am at Blue Ridge Community College taking the LSRM-A course. It is going good, lots of studying.
I would like to find the Service Bulletin List for the CTSW aircraft ONLY. I got the Rotax SBs without problem.
The Flight Design web pages were useless. I found a couple, but I am sure there must be many since 2006
perhaps someone can email the list or point me to a site that will actually work.
Thanks for the Help
Oliver Downey
Vibration
Common Causes and Fixes
I get many phone calls on vibration in owner’s aircraft. Here we’ll talk about some of the common causes, where to look and what you can do to help mitigate these vibration issues.
Here is a common list, but is not all inclusive;
1. Carbs not synced properly.
2. Carb vent hose improperly placed or removed.
3. Carbs not opening equally or fully.
4. Prop blades not the same pitch or out of track.
5
Would someone be kind enough to share with me a weight and balance spreadsheet for my 2008 CTLS that I can use on the iMac with all the proper arms. I'm having difficulties finding this information for pilot, baggage, etc. POH doesn't help. Thanks!
I've been able to manually raise the flaps past the -6 position using the flap switch. There is no indication on the flap viewing screen of any flap position when I do this. Anyone familiar with this? Could this be a -12 position? I don't seem to gain much speed doing this, maybe a knot or two. Any safety issues involved? Thanks for any help...
Chasing The Perfect Idle RPM
The highs and lows
Is there a perfect idle rpm for the 912 series engine? This seems to be a widely discussed and at times a hotly debated item on many forums. The simple answer is NO. Set the idle where you want and or need it, but do it for the right reason. A big discussion seems to be that if the idle isn’t set low enough I can’t land or I’ll float way down the runway. This answer may surprise you, but it shouldn’t and I’ll address this later in
Have had issues over the years with 'false alarms,' usually due to sensor problems (darn glass panels!). Curious if anybody experienced something similar to this. Our 2008 CT suffered a clean break (in-flight) of the right rear exhaust pipe in late Nov '14. Was repaired by certified weld. Lately had experienced a series of 'Right CHT High Temp' alarms on one occasion, stopped after maint ofcr checked and tightened sensor connections. Several flights later taken on 200 nm x-country, fine on outgo
PROCEDURES FOR MECHANICAL AND PNEUMATIC SYNCHRONIZATION OF THE 912 CARBS:
This will get you through the basics and after you do a sync or two it will get easier and you will get better. This is not an official document and is only meant for your edification and will get you through a carb sync. Some experienced people that do carb syncs on a 912’s may vary some, but the basics ideas are the same.
Mechanical Synch of the Carburetors – Do this First
Bowden cables adjustment
I hope someone actually affiliated with Flight Design reads this blog. I'm a member in an active flying club that collectively owns a CTLS. With seven to ten members at any given time, our (only) plane gets a lot of use, and as several are receiving primary flight training it sometimes gets a little rough and things get broken. We have had our plane down three times over the last two years, for at least four weeks at a time, with the vast majority of that time spent waiting on parts to arrive fr
Corn field landing
To the best of my recollection of the facts, the events leading up to the ending of my flight in a corn field began with our flight from Chicago’s Waukegan Airport (UGN) to the St’ Louis area on July 4, 2013 for a family reunion. We landed with about 18 gallons of fuel remaining. That would be just barely enough to get home, about 2-1/2 hours depending upon the wind.
During the reunion one of our nephews indicated that he had a 6 gallon fuel can we could use to add aut
Good Documentation?
“It’s Everything”
I would like to take a moment and talk about good verses poor logbook entries and how they may affect you. I don’t know how to make this a short article because it has so many ramifications and implications for owners and mechanics. I get many questions about documentation for our logbooks and I get to see many logbook entries. This article is prejudiced toward good documentation and for those who say; “ if I don’t write it they can’t bla
Source: Australian Bush Airstrip
Hi Dick
You are so right, there some engines installed in some aircraft types I would not attempt this type of flying.
You can play it safe, as some would advocate and fly IFR (I follow roads) and take your chances landing on a highway in case of problems.
Rotax has proved itself as a reliable engine provided you feed it oil and Avgas, Mogas if you like, and the recommended engine service provide your best
insurance that there are mini
Rotax 5 Year Rubber Replacement
The Installation Considerations
Part 2
For those who have decided that they will do a Rotax 5 year rubber replacement we need to look at what it covers and how we can utilize good sterile maintenance practices to keep debris from our hose lines. I will admit that there is more than one way to accomplish this procedure and what will be discussed in this article is, but one way.
The Rotax 5 year rubber replacement covers all fuel, oil and coola
The Task at Hand
Rotax 5 Year Rubber Replacement
Part 1
This discussion is going to focus on a topic that will undoubtedly have Rotax engine owners on both sides of the fence, both for and against in a major discussion, but I hope to instill a sense of “Doing things right and for the right reason” and without all the worry some seem to have over this solid and sound maintenance practice. As you can see from the last few words in the last sentence this article will focus o
Winning the Engine Lottery
Not one you want to win!
Here I was flying along with 3 other CT’s on our way for breakfast and a happy camper. I was the leader that day and decided to take a new route to our breakfast airport. What a good decision that was that day and I didn’t even know it. I was in mid sentence giving the ATIS information to the others when my engine burbled for 2 seconds then back to normal. It burbled again 2 more times, but after the third time
Manuals; Do I Really Need Them?
The simple answer is absolutely, YES! It doesn’t make any difference if you have a Rotax 2 stroke or a 4 stroke. If you own a Rotax engine and pick up a screwdriver or wrench and intend to touch your engine then you need the manuals on hand. Your neighbor is not Wikipedia and won’t always have correct advice. Even if you think you know what to do,something unexpected always comes up. An example would be; what to torque a bolt or nut, so you may need
The Anatomy of a Carb Sync
How do you know which one to adjust?
The carburetor sync on a 2 stroke or a 4 stroke is one of the most important functions to keep up with for the health of your engine. Let’s take a look at performing a carb sync on a 912 series engine. The carb sync is nothing to be afraid of and with a few times at bat performing this function it will become fairly easy. First, why is it so important? The carb sync should be done anytime the carbs or t