Yesterday (Nov 13th 2016) was a spectacular autumn day that was made for flying, and while doing that N28Bu passed 100 hours since the restoration.



I had planned to write about everything that transpired during those 100 hours but in truth, nothing much has!
  • It took three tries to find just the right oil cooler. The first one was too ineffective, the second was two heavy, but the third one seems to be just right.
  • The plug that connects the tachometer to the sender fell apart. No doubt I had tightened it excessively. It was easy enough to replace.
  • A slight hesitation in the engine when increasing power turned out to be a bad fuel injector.
  • I was frustrated that the engine oil became very black after just a flight or two, but I bought a gallon of cheap motor oil and used it to flush the engine before changing the oil a second time and refilling it with aviation oil. It has remained a nice golden color ever since.
  • The most amount of time was spent tracking down an annoying oil leak. It is amazing how even a tiny amount of oil spreads all over the engine compartment. A good steam cleaning and some ultra-violet dye eventually revealed the source. The gasket between the supercharger and the crank case. My fault again. I re-used the gasket when I should have ordered and waited for a new one. Fix it now or fix it later :(


On the positive side, the few items I modified in the aircraft seem to have worked out well enough. The linear electric actuator that operates the supercharger has been very convenient, the simplified fuel system works well, and the concealed electrical system has been no trouble. Above all, the LOM engine has been faultless. That perhaps, was the best decision I made.


Those oil stains are not from N28Bu - I promise!