In my June column “Concern for the bottom line hurts general aviation,” I talked about the bottom line concerns of GA manufacturers. I received a significant amount of feedback, both positive and negative. I appreciate both types of feedback and I would like to address one of the comments.

Gbigs wrote: “There was never a time when the bottom line was not first order for a real business. Sure companies blow money on R&D if they can afford it, but make no mistake — there is no R&D without a bottom line.” [Read more…]

I recently received a nice note from John Machamer about his 1930 Kinner B-5 engine. The factory recommends an oil operating temperature of 122°F to 158°F during cruise conditions.

But John had a problem because his oil temperature ran at only 120°F.

Even after closing off one air inlet he could only get it up to 130°. While this is in the recommended range, it’s still very low. John is concerned he may not be getting proper lubrication in the rear gear cases, and was wondering if a multi-grade or single grade would be better for his engine. [Read more…]

A few months ago I spent an evening with some friends I had not seen for a while. After a few bottles of a fine Merlot, we discussed most of the world’s most pressing problems.

The conversation covered many points, including the accident in a commercial jet liner when an engine exploded and a piece of the engine hit the fuselage, killing a passenger in a window seat.

My take on the accident was of course sadness for the loss of the passenger, but also great admiration and respect for the pilot who controlled the aircraft and saved all of the other passengers and crew. A true hero.

The other people in the conversation were all trained professional people, but their take on the incident was that the accident was entirely the fault of the airline. And that the airline and aircraft manufacturer were liable for the accident and will need to pay her family a lot of money.

Their reasoning was that the only cause for failure would be lack of or improper maintenance. [Read more…]

When I got out of college in 1967 and started work, most companies were run by technical people who supported research and development.

In the lab we were allowed a lot of latitude to work on related projects that may not have an immediate payout.

This lasted for a few years, but with the change in economy, many companies started to shift more and more to the “Business School” model. If it had settled to a happy medium that would be good, but that did not happen. The business-types took over more and more companies. This resulted in the near failure of several car companies and others.

Some companies have shifted back, but the general rule in the business world today is that the bottom line is the only concern. This has hit the general aviation world in many ways. [Read more…]

Lately, I have received numerous questions about grease. The general theme of most of them is “why can’t I use synthetic grease from the local parts store in my aircraft?”

Synthetic lubricants are one of the present “now” or “buzz” words. If a lubricant is synthetic, people believe it will last forever and lubricate anything.

Synthetic-based oils do offer some advantages, especially in extreme high or low temperatures. But they are not the end-all, cure-all that people are hoping for. [Read more…]

Many years ago, I received some great advice from several friends at Continental Motors. They told me that the way to deal with the FAA was as follows:

First, find the right person to deal with. You need to find someone who has dealt with similar types of approvals. Do your homework and do not just start with your local FAA office. [Read more…]

After a review of the notes I received last year, the number 1 area of interest again was octane and engine knock.

The latest question was about blending octane number. For example, if you blend a 100/130 (commonly referred to as 100LL) fuel with a 90 octane mogas, will a 50/50 mix give you a 95 octane fuel? The answer is possibly, but probably not.

I know that this is kind of a trick question, but the answer can be useful. [Read more…]

In a past column I gave some background on what happens during break-in of a new or overhauled aircraft engine. Since then I have received numerous questions about why leaded fuel is needed during break-in. [Read more…]