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airspeed tubing

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cristalclear13

Joined: 19 Sep 2007
Posts: 363
Location: Southeast Georgia

Posted: Tue Sep 16, 2008 5:58 pm Post subject: airspeed tubing

Started to take off with my son tonight...increased throttle, raised the tailwheel, glanced down to check the instruments and saw my airspeed indicator was not moving.  So I decreased the throttle and managed to keep it on the ground.  Luckily it was a hot evening and I wasn't by myself otherwise I would have been off the ground quicker than a wink and then would have had to land it w/o the ASI working.  I have landed a Cessna w/o ASI but it is not fun.



The strange thing is I went to go fly by myself this morning...all was clear- no ceiling and 7 miles visibility.  I grabbed my gas cans, went to the station to fill them up and as soon as I headed back to the airport the airport was covered in thick fog and had a 400 foot ceiling.  Just 10 minutes probably had passed.  So I didn't get to fly by myself this morning...good thing!



After my son and I got out of the plane I looked inside the very front of the nosecone and saw that the airspeed tubing was cut right in two.  It is a thick plastic tubing...I don't know what to replace it with.

_________________
Cristal Waters
Kolb Mark II Twinstar Rotax 503 DCSI Sept 2007 - sold Sept 2012
Private Pilot Aug 2008
ELSA Repairman for N193Y April 2008
Rotax 2 stroke maintenance April 2009

slyck(at)frontiernet.net
Guest

Posted: Tue Sep 16, 2008 6:27 pm Post subject: airspeed tubing

Cut in two?  vandalism?

Any plastic tube that is flexible will do.  Neither the pitot nor the  

static endure any real pressure.

All my tubing is from a roll of HVAC black poly used by industrial  

building mechs.

Try ACE hardware or a heating/cooling supply if you don't care to  

wait for an aviation supplier.

BB



On 16, Sep 2008, at 9:58 PM, cristalclear13 wrote:



 	  Quote: 	
		   

 <cristalclearwaters(at)gmail.com>



 Started to take off with my son tonight...increased throttle,  

 raised the tailwheel, glanced down to check the instruments and saw  

 my airspeed indicator was not moving.  So I decreased the throttle  

 and managed to keep it on the ground.  Luckily it was a hot evening  

 and I wasn't by myself otherwise I would have been off the ground  

 quicker than a wink and then would have had to land it w/o the ASI  

 working.  I have landed a Cessna w/o ASI but it is not fun.



 The strange thing is I went to go fly by myself this morning...all  

 was clear- no ceiling and 7 miles visibility.  I grabbed my gas  

 cans, went to the station to fill them up and as soon as I headed  

 back to the airport the airport was covered in thick fog and had a  

 400 foot ceiling.  Just 10 minutes probably had passed.  So I  

 didn't get to fly by myself this morning...good thing!



 After my son and I got out of the plane I looked inside the very  

 front of the nosecone and saw that the airspeed tubing was cut  

 right in two.  It is a thick plastic tubing...I don't know what to  

 replace it with.



 --------

 Cristal Waters

 Mark II Twinstar





 Read this topic online here:



 http://forums.matronics.com/viewtopic.php?p 4699#204699

lcottrell

Joined: 29 May 2006
Posts: 1494
Location: Jordan Valley, Or

Posted: Tue Sep 16, 2008 8:51 pm Post subject: Re: airspeed tubing

Cristal,

   Mine uses regular fuel line tubing. Your petio tube should be 1/8 inch alum.

Larry C

_________________
do not archive

pj.ladd(at)btinternet.com
Guest

Posted: Wed Sep 17, 2008 3:02 am Post subject: airspeed tubing

saw my airspeed indicator was not moving. >>



Hi Cristal,



replace it with any  tube you like. It will work.



I had my ASI gradually fail on the climb out once. Climbing at 55 and then 

the needle began to fall back. It is automatic to lower the nose in such a 

case and as the ASI indicated slower and slower so I kept pushing the stick 

forward until  I  found myself with the nose well below the horizon and the 

speed still falling.  Once I had picked up the horizon of course I realised 

what was wrong and ignored the ASI until I had landed.



Inspection found that a spider had got well up the pitot and when I took off 

the speed pushed it back into the right angle bend I had in the tube, and 

blocked it completely. Always put a boot on the exposed pitot now.



Unless your plastic tube is in a very exposed place it seems unlikely that 

someone woul;d have cut it unless they really don`t like you.



Cheers



Pat

cristalclear13

Joined: 19 Sep 2007
Posts: 363
Location: Southeast Georgia

Posted: Wed Sep 17, 2008 4:55 am Post subject: Re: airspeed tubing

 	  slyck(at)frontiernet.net wrote: 	
		  Cut in two?  vandalism?

	




I suppose I used the wrong word "cut", but it seems strange to use "broke" with plastic.  I'm not indicating it was vandalism because I keep it locked up.  I haven't seen many plastic tubes break in half except when you bend them good and they've been out in the sun.  The man who had the plane before me had it under a shelter.  I've kept it hangered.  I don't know about before the previous owner...it's had several.  My tube was just a straight line from the ASI to the pitot tube.  But the plastic was yellow and felt old so perhaps it had a weak spot and the vibrations of the plane made it weak.  Also I had JBWelded my pitot tube to the front of my nosecone because it kept sliding in and out of the hole a little.  Perhaps that put a little stress on the old plastic tube as well.  Now I wish I hadn't welded it...will make it a little more challenging to fix.  The break is very close to the very front of the nosecone (where my pitot tube sticks out the very tip/front).



I didn't know if there was a special size of tube to replace it or if it went by ASI manufacturer specs or if there was something from aircraft spruce maybe someone else had ordered and used.  But if you guys say I can use anything, then that's good.



Actually my son had the idea to duct tape it.  I did try that and it worked for a flight around the pattern but I don't know if I want to keep it that way.

_________________
Cristal Waters
Kolb Mark II Twinstar Rotax 503 DCSI Sept 2007 - sold Sept 2012
Private Pilot Aug 2008
ELSA Repairman for N193Y April 2008
Rotax 2 stroke maintenance April 2009

JetPilot

Joined: 10 Jan 2006
Posts: 1246

Posted: Wed Sep 17, 2008 7:19 am Post subject: Re: airspeed tubing

 	  cristalclear13 wrote: 	
		  

Actually my son had the idea to duct tape it.  I did try that and it worked for a flight around the pattern but I don't know if I want to keep it that way.  

	




Hahaha,  I like that, he must have really wanted to go flying with you !  Be careful though, once he learns how to fly, you will have to fight him over who gets to use plane !



Mike

_________________
"NO FEAR" - If you have no fear you did not go as fast as you could have !!!

Kolb MK-III Xtra, 912-S

cristalclear13

Joined: 19 Sep 2007
Posts: 363
Location: Southeast Georgia

Posted: Wed Sep 17, 2008 8:10 am Post subject: Re: airspeed tubing

 	  JetPilot wrote: 	
		   	  cristalclear13 wrote: 	
		  

Actually my son had the idea to duct tape it.  I did try that and it worked for a flight around the pattern but I don't know if I want to keep it that way.  

	




Hahaha,  I like that, he must have really wanted to go flying with you !  Be careful though, once he learns how to fly, you will have to fight him over who gets to use plane !



Mike 	




Actually he sat that one out Mike.  I do any "test" flights by myself.  He knows how much I LOVE to fly and does what he can to make things work out for me.

_________________
Cristal Waters
Kolb Mark II Twinstar Rotax 503 DCSI Sept 2007 - sold Sept 2012
Private Pilot Aug 2008
ELSA Repairman for N193Y April 2008
Rotax 2 stroke maintenance April 2009

cristalclear13

Joined: 19 Sep 2007
Posts: 363
Location: Southeast Georgia

Posted: Tue Sep 23, 2008 1:50 pm Post subject: Re: airspeed tubing

Replaced my airspeed tube on Saturday with same tube as my fuel line and it worked just fine.  It was a windy bumpy day here on Saturday...more than I care to fly in again.  It has cooled off around here now but it's still pretty gusty.  Maybe the wind will calm down right around dusk and I can go up and take a look around.  I love heights!

_________________
Cristal Waters
Kolb Mark II Twinstar Rotax 503 DCSI Sept 2007 - sold Sept 2012
Private Pilot Aug 2008
ELSA Repairman for N193Y April 2008
Rotax 2 stroke maintenance April 2009

cristalclear13

Joined: 19 Sep 2007
Posts: 363
Location: Southeast Georgia

Posted: Tue Sep 23, 2008 5:46 pm Post subject: Re: airspeed tubing

It was a beautiful evening for flying!  Temperature is wonderful, sunset was gorgeous (it just goes down too fast!), air was smooth and just enough of a breeze to give a good lift.  With the sun setting so early now I just had time for a couple trips around the pattern before the sun went down.  But those few minutes are wonderful.

_________________
Cristal Waters
Kolb Mark II Twinstar Rotax 503 DCSI Sept 2007 - sold Sept 2012
Private Pilot Aug 2008
ELSA Repairman for N193Y April 2008
Rotax 2 stroke maintenance April 2009

grantr

Joined: 12 Sep 2007
Posts: 217

Posted: Wed Sep 24, 2008 10:20 am Post subject: Re: airspeed tubing

Cristal,



I don't know what the winds were in Waycross but the winds here on Saturday were 10- 14 mph mph with gust of 20mph. I was asked to fly down to a flyin in Moultrie however everyone backed out due to the wind.



I sure as heck wasn't going to go up in that at least not yet. What were the winds there on Saturday?



I hope to fly this weekend. I haven't flown since I got my license..

cristalclear13

Joined: 19 Sep 2007
Posts: 363
Location: Southeast Georgia

Posted: Wed Sep 24, 2008 10:53 am Post subject: Re: airspeed tubing

 	  grantr wrote: 	
		  Cristal,



I don't know what the winds were in Waycross but the winds here on Saturday were 10- 14 mph mph with gust of 20mph. I was asked to fly down to a flyin in Moultrie however everyone backed out due to the wind.



I sure as heck wasn't going to go up in that at least not yet. What were the winds there on Saturday?



I hope to fly this weekend. I haven't flown since I got my license.. 	




Hi Grant.  Hope you get to fly your Kolb soon.  I kept checking the AWOS and it never said anything about gusts but after I got up in the air I knew it was.  It ranged anywhere from 7-10 before I went up, but it was right down runway 5.

_________________
Cristal Waters
Kolb Mark II Twinstar Rotax 503 DCSI Sept 2007 - sold Sept 2012
Private Pilot Aug 2008
ELSA Repairman for N193Y April 2008
Rotax 2 stroke maintenance April 2009

slyck(at)frontiernet.net
Guest

Posted: Wed Sep 24, 2008 11:40 am Post subject: airspeed tubing

It was a perfect day for a ride in a Kolb here in the northeast and,  

since these days are numbered,

I pushed the crate out onto the LOOONG grass and fired it up.  Gentle  

breeze right down the runway,

dense air made it jump off in short order.  I landed at a neighbor's  

strip, no heads popped out, turned around and

left.  I cruised over the local golf courses, noticed no shaking  

fists, spotted what looked like a J3 cub and chased

after him.  I was gaining on him until I felt a little twitter in the  

stick.... durn it, got to put those balancers on.

Slowed back to sub warp 3 and went back home.  Sure was pretty.

BB

MkIII, suzuki

honorary member of ROODF  (ancient acronym for royal order of dusty  

firewalls)

On 24, Sep 2008, at 2:53 PM, cristalclear13 wrote:

 	  Quote: 	

 <cristalclearwaters(at)gmail.com>

 grantr wrote:

> Cristal,

>

> I don't know what the winds were in Waycross but the winds here on  

> Saturday were 10- 14 mph mph with gust of 20mph. I was asked to  

> fly down to a flyin in Moultrie however everyone backed out due to  

> the wind.

>

> I sure as heck wasn't going to go up in that at least not yet.  

> What were the winds there on Saturday?

>

> I hope to fly this weekend. I haven't flown since I got my license..

 Hi Grant.  Hope you get to fly your Kolb soon.  I kept checking the  

 AWOS and it never said anything about gusts but after I got up in  

 the air I knew it was.  It ranged anywhere from 7-10 before I went  

 up, but it was right down runway 5.

 --------

 Cristal Waters

 Mark II Twinstar

 Read this topic online here:

 http://forums.matronics.com/viewtopic.php?p 5977#205977

JetPilot

Joined: 10 Jan 2006
Posts: 1246

Posted: Mon Sep 29, 2008 8:57 am Post subject: Re: airspeed tubing

Grant and Crystal,



I am the same way about the wind, I don't fly if its much over 10 MPH...  I fly the Kolb for fun, and I'm not having fun if I am worried about damaging my plane on landing, or if the turbulence gets so bad that is scares me !   My wife loves the turbulence, the more the better, she would go poking around small storms if I let her     



The wind has calmed down a lot since the passing of all the hurricanes has stopped influencing the water.  I hope to get some flying in this week  



Mike

_________________
"NO FEAR" - If you have no fear you did not go as fast as you could have !!!

Kolb MK-III Xtra, 912-S

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