Flying the beaver
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Flying the beaver
What is your power management technique on the 985 when you’re at your destination? Do you start reducing 3-4 miles out?
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- Rank (9)
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- Location: in the bush
Re: Flying the beaver
2 miles out from the downwind, I start backing off the power slowly… the mix was leaned and carb heat set into the green so slowly start moving the mix knob forward and gradually give a shot of full carb heat, monitor and then reduce.
I’ve always believed that shock cooling hurts, but what hurts a 985 more is not leaning the shit of of her while taxiing and cruise. (Blowback) Other than that… allowing temps to normalize before a TO and shut down seemed like a good ounce of prevention to me.
Have fun!
TPC
(PS: You probably already know this but… don’t over fill her with oil. One -2 may very well like a certain amount while it’s twin brethren will spit it out though the breather.)
Re: Flying the beaver
I just bring it from cruise back to 18 and land. Having flown one with a CHT guage anytime I tried to stage cool it would cause the CHT's to go up as you end up slowing down. Try to leave the power on till the roundout.
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Re: Flying the beaver
The ones I had showed a marked decrease in CHT's with the reduction of power especially on a very hot day when the temps were running higher. The slower the engine temperature comes up or goes down within reason is the goal for sure. What I always did was make slight reductions in power and starting a slow decent quite a ways out so you arrive on short final at a lower power setting. The real no no is not getting the oil and cylinder head temps up before TO. On a day around freezing that could take 10 or 15 minutes. The other no no is arriving at the destination at 4 or 5 thousand feet and pull the power and glide into land. Same for any plane but more critical on a radial with all those cylinders exposed.
Re: Flying the beaver
The Beaver has been here for 70 plus years so probably 10s of thousand of pilots have flown it. How many replies are you expecting.
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Re: Flying the beaver
And how about for setting up to do an inspection pass? What would the usual steps be for power/pitch/flaps, and, if one wanted to gain back some altitude after the pass, go back to climb settings, or, something a bit different?
What's the best method for knowing when you have the mix leaned out correctly in cruise?
Any tips appreciated.
What's the best method for knowing when you have the mix leaned out correctly in cruise?
Any tips appreciated.
Re: Flying the beaver
I usually start pulling power back in stages a few miles back. From 29/19 to 25 on the MP. Let the speed bleed off a bit and put in maybe climb flap. Do your inspection for ligs rocks debris obstacles etc and carb heat check ( try and do these over or very close to water) then circle back to land and bring it back to 15-20. ( no sharp power changes) keep the speed at 90 for turns then line up for final bring the power back flaps in and prop forward once the prop stops governing. Land. As for leaning, if they are all short hops keep it rich. For longer flights I would line it just rich of peak.