First Annual on 08Romeo

GMascelli

GMascelli

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Jul 27, 2005
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Ocean City, MD
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Display name:
GaryM
Whew...I'm beat! Maybe not such a good idea to be crawling around on the concrete floor just 7 months after a hip revision....but it sure was FUN!

Issues: 2 new Jobolts right side gear, new seal left side brake caliper and one light bulb for a nav light.

Surprises: Reiff Turbo preheat system - 50 watt band heaters clamp around the cylinders and a 200 watt HotStrip element epoxies to the oil sump that I didn't know was on the aircraft. Surprise number two was a cracked wing tip (happened at the shop) that has been ordered and will be painted and installed no charge.

Some day one pictures
1 The new power plant
2 Looking at the south end
3 wings spars look clean (no corrosion)
4 There she sits...exposed
5 Right side main gear JoBolts removed
6 JoBolt with head sheared off
7 I can see the Reiff heaters
 

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Looks good. BTW don't be a bone head and screw your hip up. You were utterly useless at the FlyBQ last year and I just can't have that again ;)
 
Glad you didn't come up with any big issues on the first annual. Guy on the red board had an engine on a new plane commit hari-kary on the way home.
 
I'm sure it was great fun. Get to learn all kinds of new things. Hopefully the hip held up well, it is hard scooting around on a cold concrete floor. If those are the only issues - you made out well.

Gary
 
So was that the full annual or just the first few things you found? Looking good! You and Mary bought what looked to be a solid plane, and it sounds like it is from your squawk list.

Very nice that it has the Reiff heater on it. That's what I have on the Aztec and what the Mooney had as well, and I'm a big fan. Get a sleeping bag or some other blanket that you can put over the engine to help keep the heat in when it's plugged in.

I really enjoy participating in maintenance on my plane. You learn a lot about the plane and its systems by helping out, which can only help you as a pilot.
 
Day 2

Bottom cowl on ready for run up leak test monday. Found small trail of brake fluid under the fuel sump inspection plate. Closer inspection and following the trail required two master cylinders to be rebuilt, figured do them both and be done with it.

Jo Bolts will be done monday and then that should be it. Oh, the wing tip should be in next week and then off to the paint shop.

I'm sore from crawling around but learned a bunch and had a BLAST!
 
steingar said:
Glad you didn't come up with any big issues on the first annual. Guy on the red board had an engine on a new plane commit hari-kary on the way home.
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I saw that.....I would have "shat a cat" as Shane (otisair) says.


Gary said:
I'm sure it was great fun. Get to learn all kinds of new things. Hopefully the hip held up well, it is hard scooting around on a cold concrete floor. If those are the only issues - you made out well. Gary
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A Blast!!! but really sore!


Ted DuPuis said:
So was that the full annual or just the first few things you found? Looking good! You and Mary bought what looked to be a solid plane, and it sounds like it is from your squawk list.

Very nice that it has the Reiff heater on it. That's what I have on the Aztec and what the Mooney had as well, and I'm a big fan. Get a sleeping bag or some other blanket that you can put over the engine to help keep the heat in when it's plugged in.

I really enjoy participating in maintenance on my plane. You learn a lot about the plane and its systems by helping out, which can only help you as a pilot.
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Only day 2. I need to size out a generater so I can plug the reiff in when we get to the plane. Taking part in the annual really helps me learn the plane, I highly recommend it to all owners.
 
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It has a Reiff and the seller didn't mention it???????????

I bought a Honda i2000 generator for my preheater (one of those electric thingies from Sportys).

Problem with the Reiff is that you need to run those babies (IIRC, and if they're anything like the Tanis I had on my Sundowner) for at least 4-5hrs. Kinda hard to plan ahead, hook up and fire up the generator, and go. That's why I like the whateveritis I bought from Sportys. I only need an hour. Drive to the drome, hook her up, light the fires an hour later. Not as good as plug and play, but better than waiting for several hours.

Nothing beats access to an electric outlet. That's what I had when I had the Sundowner. Call line service to plug it in the night before and, bang, I was golden.
 
Most any generator ought to do for that. Harbor Freight has some cheap options:

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=97906

But you do tend to need to leave the thing on for a while for it to work. The number of hours you need it plugged in depends on how cold it is. If it's a Reiff Turbo system that's supposed to be pretty quick. Experiment some and see. If you have a sleeping bag over the engine you may be able to get it down to a lower number, especially if it's not that cold out. I'm guessing there's no outlet available?
 
Wow if it takes 4-5 hours would that really be practical to use with a generator Gary? I guess at ILG you don't have to worry about ticking off any neighbors with the noise but it would involve running to the airport and back.
 
08Romeo is finally ready to come home......now I need the wx to cooperate!

Here is a break down of the work on my first annual

Annual Inspection
Two master cylinders rebuilt
Right side landing gear Jo Bolts (2) removed and replaced, one new hole drilled
Vacuum regulator rebuilt/repaired
New ELT battery
Windshield reseal *
Oil change
Corrosion spot repaired and repainted (Duct had rubbed/started corrosion,dissimilar metals)
Wing tip replaced and repainted (on the shop)

*I added the windshield reseal since it caused corrosion of the vacuum regulator and the corrosion next to the vent duct on the right side under the windscreen. There was not a constant dripping leak but after hosing the heck out of it it would be damp in and around the vacuum regulator and the original black duct which eventually rotted and exposed the metal to the skin of the aircraft thus,dissimilar metals. The regulator filter, often called the garter filter was replaced for the annual and sent the suction gauge above normal on run up. Upon further inspection there was corrosion everywhere so, they took care of that.

Total damages.......$1,740
 
Not bad. Not bad at all.

How's the hip feeling????
 
flyersfan31 said:
Not bad. Not bad at all. How's the hip feeling????
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It feels pretty good, thanks for asking. Now that the first annual is in the books I should be getting back to a normal nights sleep.

Mary and I can't wait to get out there and start flying places......first up we want to hit Nantucket for the Christmas stroll then the following weekend down to vist family in NC. I'm ready to fly the paint of this bird!!!:yesnod:
 
Wow, for an initial Annual, you can't beat that with a stick. Sounds like you had a really good pre-buy; very few surprises.
 
Glad that you got it back, Gary! Better still that it wasn't a bad annual at all. You got yourself a nice plane!
 
AdamZ said:
Gary wasn't the corrosion spot supposed to be on the seller?
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It was a tiny spot maybe the size of a dime with one small pin hole, i waved it. The prebuy suggested getting it fixed asap, but made some recommendations until i got it taken care of. The spot turned out to be the size of a fifty cent piece and the shop made a solid fix and painted it.
 
Congrats on a reasonable first annual. Mark and Paul are also happy for you.

Now, start making plans to bring it back to Texas. BAC Fest 2010 is in San Antonio.
 
The Old Man said:
Congrats on a reasonable first annual. Mark and Paul are also happy for you. Now, start making plans to bring it back to Texas. BAC Fest 2010 is in San Antonio.
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Bo,

Thanks! Mary and I already have this one on the radar. It sure would be nice to let 08Romeo get another taste of that Texas wx. Please pass along a thanks to Aeromark for me, 08Romeo is a very clean bird.

The overall 1st annual cost wasn't terrible since I sold off the Zaon MRX that came with the plane ($300) and got a surprise with the Reiff heating standard system; 50 watt band heaters clamp around the cylinders and a 100 watt HotStrip element epoxied to the oil sump ($385) which I had intended on buying.


Mary's happy too and thats the most important aspect....now when can we go fly is the her burning question.

Give Sandra a hug from us both and enjoy your Thanksgiving!
 
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Gary have you found a way to plug those heaters in? Are you over at Red Arrow Yet?
 
AdamZ said:
Gary have you found a way to plug those heaters in? Are you over at Red Arrow Yet?
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I will be at Red Eagle as soon as I get my plane home. The 300watt Reiff draws maybe 3 amps so two hundred feet of good extension cord should be fine without much loss.
 
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GMascelli said:
I will be at Red Eagle as soon as I get my plane home. The 300watt Reiff draws maybe 3 amps so two hundred feet of good extension cord should be fine without much loss.
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You will have to attach a dog chain to the extension cord and hook up Rudder (Gary's Dog) to it for security :rolleyes: hmm,... maybe not such a good idea,.. rudder might be a little frozen pup when you arrive in the morning. :frown2:
 
Rob Schaffer said:
You will have to attach a dog chain to the extension cord and hook up Rudder (Gary's Dog) to it for security :rolleyes: hmm,... maybe not such a good idea,.. rudder might be a little frozen pup when you arrive in the morning. :frown2:
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A PUPsicle.....:rofl:

A picture of Killer
 

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I've hooked my dog to the back of the Aztec before to keep him from going anywhere.

When he saw something that got his attention, the plane lurched backward. Hmm...
 
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