Ed_Wischmeyer
Well Known Member
Two weeks ago today, a plane in a T-hangar two down from mine caught fire, the fire spread, and my hangar was filled with corrosive soot. The ceiling plastic light fixtures melted, but there was apparently no direct heat damage to the RV-9A, now unoriginally named Smokey.
Today, a friend and I went out to retrieve stuff from the hangar. Because of ongoing insurance investigations, we needed an escort to take pictures of everything we removed. He was a great guy and unobtrusive, so no problem there.
I've kept my tools in small plastic containers, like you'd see in a craft store. I like this approach because each container is light, and can be dedicated: one for sockets, another for screwdrivers, another for everything tire and brake, another for gaskets, you get the idea. Today's goal was primarily to rescue all those containers of tools and stuff.
That soot is really awful! It's oily and doesn't like to come off the plastic containers. We used regular household spray cleaner and that got most of it, but not always. And, of course, soot in the corners and ridges of the containers was uncooperative. (Don't forget that regular household cleaners can be corrosive to aluminum.)
When a corner of a container hadn't been completely closed, soot snuck in and the the contents had to be cleaned.
So what does this mean for Smokey? I had already observed soot accumulations in the stabilizer (the tip ribs and all the others have lightening holes), in the wing where the aileron pushrod goes in, and in the most aft bay of the fuselage. What today's exercise indicates is that there's no real way to get those areas clean... Compressed air or solvent would only spread the soot further. Drilling out rivets for access and cleaning would take forever, I doubt there's a shop anywhere that has time to do that kind of project, and lead time for parts from Van's is nine months. With my spinal issues and average sheet metal skills, I need to let the insurance handle it. After all, that's what I pay them for.
Then there's the engine. More specifically, how much soot got into the alternator and starter? Yes, they're somewhat buried behind baffles, but still. And what would soot do on the various hot spots on the engine? I don't know, and the shop will have to determine those answers. And how to clean the engine...
There are a few bright spots. Garmin did a quick turnaround on the GTN650 after making sure there was no soot incursion. I called Lightspeed Aviation about the Zulu headsets, and we talked about the battery boxes (take out the batteries and clean where I can, then hope no soot snuck in around the pushbuttons) and the microphones, where the muffs should have kept the soot out. I've got spare muffs -- somewhere, everything is now densely packed in the garage -- but Lightspeed is going to send me some new ones, gratis. Now that's customer service!
But there is a kicker in the insurance. If a claim is filed for a total loss, regardless of fault, no other insurance company will write you a policy for three years. So I probably know who will insure Smokey's successor.
I like AirCams and have had one in the past, but my company won't cover them. My old Cessna 175 was a great airplane, but slow, and more expensive to maintain than an experimental -- and certified avionics cost twice as much.
So the question is, what's next? The RV-9A has been exactly what I've needed these past years -- I've explored all corners of the flight envelope, found aerodynamics not in the textbooks, kept my IFR proficiency where it ought to be, enjoyed 150+ knot cross-countries, and found new ways to improve flight safety, documented by video and digital flight data.
I can't fly aerobatics because of spinal issues, need to maintain IFR if I'm making trips in coastal Georgia weather, and I'm well-versed in Garmin G3X Touch. The -14A and -10 are appealing, but that's a financial increase. If anybody knows of anything interesting, I might be looking, depending on the insurance.
Trust God, the saying goes... as if we had a choice.
Best to all, and thanks for the support!
Today, a friend and I went out to retrieve stuff from the hangar. Because of ongoing insurance investigations, we needed an escort to take pictures of everything we removed. He was a great guy and unobtrusive, so no problem there.
I've kept my tools in small plastic containers, like you'd see in a craft store. I like this approach because each container is light, and can be dedicated: one for sockets, another for screwdrivers, another for everything tire and brake, another for gaskets, you get the idea. Today's goal was primarily to rescue all those containers of tools and stuff.
That soot is really awful! It's oily and doesn't like to come off the plastic containers. We used regular household spray cleaner and that got most of it, but not always. And, of course, soot in the corners and ridges of the containers was uncooperative. (Don't forget that regular household cleaners can be corrosive to aluminum.)
When a corner of a container hadn't been completely closed, soot snuck in and the the contents had to be cleaned.
So what does this mean for Smokey? I had already observed soot accumulations in the stabilizer (the tip ribs and all the others have lightening holes), in the wing where the aileron pushrod goes in, and in the most aft bay of the fuselage. What today's exercise indicates is that there's no real way to get those areas clean... Compressed air or solvent would only spread the soot further. Drilling out rivets for access and cleaning would take forever, I doubt there's a shop anywhere that has time to do that kind of project, and lead time for parts from Van's is nine months. With my spinal issues and average sheet metal skills, I need to let the insurance handle it. After all, that's what I pay them for.
Then there's the engine. More specifically, how much soot got into the alternator and starter? Yes, they're somewhat buried behind baffles, but still. And what would soot do on the various hot spots on the engine? I don't know, and the shop will have to determine those answers. And how to clean the engine...
There are a few bright spots. Garmin did a quick turnaround on the GTN650 after making sure there was no soot incursion. I called Lightspeed Aviation about the Zulu headsets, and we talked about the battery boxes (take out the batteries and clean where I can, then hope no soot snuck in around the pushbuttons) and the microphones, where the muffs should have kept the soot out. I've got spare muffs -- somewhere, everything is now densely packed in the garage -- but Lightspeed is going to send me some new ones, gratis. Now that's customer service!
But there is a kicker in the insurance. If a claim is filed for a total loss, regardless of fault, no other insurance company will write you a policy for three years. So I probably know who will insure Smokey's successor.
I like AirCams and have had one in the past, but my company won't cover them. My old Cessna 175 was a great airplane, but slow, and more expensive to maintain than an experimental -- and certified avionics cost twice as much.
So the question is, what's next? The RV-9A has been exactly what I've needed these past years -- I've explored all corners of the flight envelope, found aerodynamics not in the textbooks, kept my IFR proficiency where it ought to be, enjoyed 150+ knot cross-countries, and found new ways to improve flight safety, documented by video and digital flight data.
I can't fly aerobatics because of spinal issues, need to maintain IFR if I'm making trips in coastal Georgia weather, and I'm well-versed in Garmin G3X Touch. The -14A and -10 are appealing, but that's a financial increase. If anybody knows of anything interesting, I might be looking, depending on the insurance.
Trust God, the saying goes... as if we had a choice.
Best to all, and thanks for the support!
