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on 1/26/03 11:36 AM, Sydney Cohen at [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: >> Joe Czaplicki wrote: >> >> ...a question for those of you with many winters flying behind you. Have >> you found it beneficial to close off the nose cowl opening beneath the prop >> to allow engine temps to reach proper levels??? >> >> ========================================================================== === > > Hi Joe, > I always cover that hole whenever the outside air temperature > reaches 32 degrees or lower. If possible, you want to keep your oil > temperature up around 180 degrees. The closer the better. Warmer oil > can evaporate the moisture that comes from combustion. Moisture in the > crankcase will rust the steel parts of the engine, so get rid of it. > > Syd Cohen -------------------------------------------------------------------------- -- Yo, Joe, Syd You both exhibit common sense from a time when the pilot of an aircraft was generally regarded as "useful load". Unfortunately, today's reality is a different (and sad) one. Purely in the "devil's advocate" sense, one might want to do "adjustments" of this sort with plexi or lexan mounted mounted back a bit inside the baffling so that they are less conspicuous. An FAA representative's "ramp check" would almost assert that such "modification" renders the aircraft no longer in conformance with its approved type certificate (unless you are in the official process of testing for an approved modification), and make you walk home. If anything ever happens when such an "adjustment" is installed (heaven forbid), your insurance company would deny coverage in a New York minute on the same basis (they have no "burden of proof" to establish any relationship to any loss). For this reason, you should carry necessary tools for quick removal (right after you turn off the ELT). So what if Continental might suggest/encourage such practice? Continental didn't make the airplane. The baffling whose normal functioning is being modified bears Ercoupe and not Continental) part numbers. I have recently heard rumors of aircraft being ramp-checked and grounded because they sported polished props. Supposedly polishing a prop originally sold painted and in conformance with an approved propeller type certificate would no longer conform if unpainted and/or polished. The safe assumption is that every airfield is in enemy hands at the time you land, so be careful out there! William R. Bayne ========================================================================== ==== To leave this forum go to: http://ercoupers.com/lists.htm
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