Reader Dave Fletcher recently sent an email concerning the failure of the camshaft in his Lycoming IO-360 engine. He was concerned about pre-oilers, Ney Nozzles, CamGuard and other oil additives. This is a subject that both engines expert Paul McBride and I have addressed before, but I thought I would try to add a little […]
A reality check on the future of 100LL
The future of avgas has been a hot topic for almost 20 years. I recently reviewed some of my past columns and found that I was not too far off in some of my past predictions, but I thought I would try to update them with a touch of reality. The recent Super Bowl reminded […]
To lean or not to lean, that is the question
I’ve recently received several emails regarding whether to operate lean of peak (LOP) or to stay on the rich side. Let’s start with a short review of the chemistry and physics of combustion. Liquid avgas will not burn — it must be mixed with air. The chemically correct or stoichiometric ratio of air to fuel […]
Blue skies ahead for Cessna’s diesel 182
One of the interesting technical stories from this summer’s AirVenture in Oshkosh was that Cessna has completed certification and introduced into the market a diesel cycle 182 aircraft, known as the Turbo Skylane JT-A. The engine, produced by SMA, a division of the French company Safran, is an opposed, 4-cylinder air cooled engine laid out […]
More tips on breaking in your engine
In the past few months, my friend Paul McBride has written several very interesting and informative articles on “breaking in” an aircraft engine, including “How to break-in your engine”. I recommend that you read them when or if you have a new or rebuilt engine to install on your aircraft. There is a lot of […]
Why does 100LL cost so much?
Recently, we received a number of emails concerning the cost of 100LL at various locations, as well as the cost of 100LL vs. Jet A. Obviously, there is still a lot of confusion about this, so I thought I would try to shed some light on the issue. When crude oil arrives at the refinery, […]
Technically speaking…
The quest to find some answers at Oshkosh In my last post, I had the gall to be less than positive about things at the Oshkosh airshow. I was surprised at the positive feedback about similar experiences. However, our publisher, Ben Sclair commented that to see Oshkosh through the eyes of a new aviation enthusiast […]
Oshkosh changes bring a bit of sadness
One of the highlights of my summers is a trip to Oshkosh, Wis., for the annual AirVenture show. The best parts of the show are seeing what is new and catching up with old friends. Since I have been going to this show for about 30 years, I have noted a lot of changes. I […]
GAMI’s search for an avgas alternative
Recently, my wife and I decided to take a road trip to Texas to visit friends and fill up on good Cajun and Tex-Mex food. On our return, I stopped to visit GAMI — General Aviation Modifications, Inc. — in Ada, Oklahoma. GAMI builds and sells a line of parts designed to improve performance for […]