Honest reporting on electric airplanes

omg, Dan. My mistake, I thought you’d see a blatant joke for what it was.
 
Let'sgoflying! said:
omg, Dan. My mistake, I thought you’d see a blatant joke for what it was.
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Well, I don't usually take such stuff as a joke. Remember the guy that stole that cracked crank and welded it? Stuff like that happens. And I've seen too many other such "jokes" in airplanes.

There are sometimes people who suggest spray-welding up the worn journals on aircraft crankshafts. The regrinding limit is usually .010" undersize, as opposed to as much as .040" on an auto crank. So .010" undersize bearings are all you can get. Since a new crank can cost many AMUs, the temptation is to use automotive technology to save it.

Sorry if I overreacted, but that's just me and my experience speaking. That crank that failed me had no reason to be in that engine. The cracked spars in that airplane I was flying had no good reason to be there, either, but they were, even after all the annual "inspections" between about 1964 when the airplane was overturned by the wind, putting all the weight on the wingtips and cracking the spars, and about 1979 when the engine failed on another pilot and it got bent. Water in the fuel or something. I once ferried a 172 that took both hands and feet to keep it straight in the air, and after we got into it we found the forward horizontal stab spar broken all the way through, and a whole bunch of other horrors, including no nuts on the wing strut bolts at the bulkhead under the floor. That busted stab spar could have resulted in stab failure if anyone did a spin or spiral-dive recovery. Only the skin was holding it.
 
Dan Thomas said:
Well, I don't usually take such stuff as a joke. Remember the guy that stole that cracked crank and welded it? Stuff like that happens. And I've seen too many other such "jokes" in airplanes.

There are sometimes people who suggest spray-welding up the worn journals on aircraft crankshafts. The regrinding limit is usually .010" undersize, as opposed to as much as .040" on an auto crank. So .010" undersize bearings are all you can get. Since a new crank can cost many AMUs, the temptation is to use automotive technology to save it.

Sorry if I overreacted, but that's just me and my experience speaking. That crank that failed me had no reason to be in that engine. The cracked spars in that airplane I was flying had no good reason to be there, either, but they were, even after all the annual "inspections" between about 1964 when the airplane was overturned by the wind, putting all the weight on the wingtips and cracking the spars, and about 1979 when the engine failed on another pilot and it got bent. Water in the fuel or something. I once ferried a 172 that took both hands and feet to keep it straight in the air, and after we got into it we found the forward horizontal stab spar broken all the way through, and a whole bunch of other horrors, including no nuts on the wing strut bolts at the bulkhead under the floor. That busted stab spar could have resulted in stab failure if anyone did a spin or spiral-dive recovery. Only the skin was holding it.
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That must suck. Because every joke has some element of serious truth to it, so you must never find anything funny or risk, well I’m not sure what the harm is, but you risk whatever it is.
 
Salty said:
That must suck. Because every joke has some element of serious truth to it, so you must never find anything funny or risk, well I’m not sure what the harm is, but you risk whatever it is.
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I have a good sense of humor. I just don't joke about lousy aircraft maintenance. People who suddenly find themselves with a dead engine don't joke about it, either.
 
Dan Thomas said:
I have a good sense of humor. I just don't joke about lousy aircraft maintenance. People who suddenly find themselves with a dead engine don't joke about it, either.
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I've heard of laughing all the way to the bank ... all the way to the ground - not so much! ;)
 
Dan Thomas said:
I have a good sense of humor. I just don't joke about lousy aircraft maintenance. People who suddenly find themselves with a dead engine don't joke about it, either.
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As one of those people I can say for certain you are wrong. I can still joke about people doing stupid things.
 
I used to joke about people that could hide their own Easter eggs.

I understand those types of jokes.

But once my mom got Alzheimer's, those types of jokes lost all their humor.
 
Bob Noel said:
I used to joke about people that could hide their own Easter eggs.

I understand those types of jokes.

But once my mom got Alzheimer's, those types of jokes lost all their humor.
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I’m truly sorry. I know that pain as well, but I feel it’s important to process the grief and humor is one good way to do that.
 
Salty said:
I’m truly sorry. I know that pain as well, but I feel it’s important to process the grief and humor is one good way to do that.
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I realize that some people really need the humor - but for me not that kind
 
Ed Haywood said:
Pretty good rundown on eVTOL infrastructure efforts in FL, suggesting that the FAA is an obstacle.
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Interesting. Considering there are already a number of FAA certified vertiports in the US, I think the premise of the article was more on the eVTOL certification side with its mention of the Paris Olympics. Whatever issues Florida is having is strictly a local issue except for the fact there is no certified eVTOL presently. But that isn’t stopping other cities/states/countries from moving forward on their UAM/AAM infrastructure plans. Some of these places have actually had these plans on the books for years.

Regardless, neither the FAA or the EASA have certified any eVTOL. Is the EASA going to allow Volocopter to fly for the Olympics under a special flight permit… maybe. 2028 is still the going deadline but from what I’ve seen will probably be a bit sooner if it continues at its present pace.
 
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