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Tick, tick, tick -- fixed!

Ed_Wischmeyer

Well Known Member
On the last flight in the RV-8, right after takeoff, there was an unusual sound somewhat like the electric fuel pump. I landed immediately, and then...

The pulse repetition rate seemed too slow to be engine related, but first priority was getting the plane on the ground, not debugging the problem at low altitude.

Next day, took the cowl off, and Mike, my IA, inspected the engine carefully. Nothing. Loose rubber strips flapping? Nope, but close.

On the RV-8, there is an air intake under the right wing to provide fresh air to the back seater. Mike found that the scat tubing had a tear, and perhaps that was the culprit, with the tube flapping back and forth. He managed to cut out the bad portion of the tube and then reattach it, something I'm not sure I could do.

This morning, it was time for the test flight. Tower cleared me for takeoff, maintain runway heading. Uh, no thanks... if the problem wasn't fixed, I wanted to be able to turn downwind immediately. Takeoff clearance declined. And on the takeoff, I was aware that landing on the crossing runway would have been dicey, at best.

But the good news was that the noise had gone away. Once again, reinforcing the safety adage that in a homebuilt, every flight is a test flight. And that's not a bad attitude for spam cans as well.
 
Once again, reinforcing the safety adage that in a homebuilt, every flight is a test flight. And that's not a bad attitude for spam cans as well.

Ed, I can't agree with that statement.

I can agree with the idea that for some homebuilts it might be true (reference the fact that the second biggest cause of homebuilt accidents is construction or maint. related issues), but I will not agree with the idea that we should be accepting that as the norm for all homebuilt aircraft.

We amateur builders need to keep working towards building and maintaining the way professionals build and maintain certificated aircraft.

It is possible.

Lots of amateur built aircraft fly hundreds of hours per year with nothing more than normal preventative maint. performed on them, without having any problems or breakdowns.
 
I agree with you Scott. Things go wrong with the airplanes I fly commercially as well, its a fact of life, but as pilots its our duty to be aware and trained to deal with situations as they arise (which Ed did very professionally in my opinion). I also have every reason to believe that when finshed my RV will be every bit as high quality as a certified airplane, if not better than some I have seen (and flown). As home builders we are less restricted on the latest equipment we can install, and that includes some of the best safety equipment in the industry.

I am glad you found your problem! Chasing mysterious sounds can be tedious. Sounds like a cheap fix too!

Alex
 
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That tick-tick-tick will get your attention... I have an oil cooler door that will do the same thing if I don't shut it all the way. The aluminum door will bounce up and down on the seat...
 
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