- Joined
- Jun 13, 2017
- Messages
- 103
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I am am getting to fly a PA-31-350 Chieftain. I like it. It flies like a real plane.
It has new engines, new propellers, some new avionics, and is getting a new interior as we speak. We are going to put it in charter service as soon as we can.
Yesterday I flew it to the interior company with the owner. The owner is a recently retired USAF helicopter pilot. I retired from the USAF a while ago, and flew C-130s, T-38s, and T-1s. The owner has about 100 hours in the plane. I now have 7 hours in it. So while we have a lot of aviation experience we are both new to the Navajo..........and hot starts on Injected Turbo Lycomings.
We had flown over four hours and were behind schedule. 180 TAS, 31 GPH, 38", 2200 RPM, 11,000 then 13,000 ft. The new engine monitor said that was 61% power. The engines ran GREAT.
We didn't fill the nacelle tanks and were getting weird fuel quantity indications so we diverted to a little field and did a quick turn, filling up the mains at a self serve. Turns out our fuel planning and monitoring based on timing and fuel burn was accurate, but better safe than sorry. The turn took maybe 15 minutes.
We had a VERY hard time getting the engines started again. We finally did and when running up the power prior to takeoff, something I will now ALWAYS do in this plane, the right engine rolled back. I pulled the throttles back and tried again, and this time the power held and we took off.
After landing we did some research, and here is what I think happened.
The engines were HOT when we landed and heat soaked the 15 minutes we were on the ground. After we got them started, the right engine fuel lines weren't completely purged of vapor so when it was loaded it leaned out and bogged.
So my questions are:
1. What is the best hot start procedure for these engines?
2. What is the best way to ensure the engines are purged and ready for full power after a hot start?
It has new engines, new propellers, some new avionics, and is getting a new interior as we speak. We are going to put it in charter service as soon as we can.
Yesterday I flew it to the interior company with the owner. The owner is a recently retired USAF helicopter pilot. I retired from the USAF a while ago, and flew C-130s, T-38s, and T-1s. The owner has about 100 hours in the plane. I now have 7 hours in it. So while we have a lot of aviation experience we are both new to the Navajo..........and hot starts on Injected Turbo Lycomings.
We had flown over four hours and were behind schedule. 180 TAS, 31 GPH, 38", 2200 RPM, 11,000 then 13,000 ft. The new engine monitor said that was 61% power. The engines ran GREAT.
We didn't fill the nacelle tanks and were getting weird fuel quantity indications so we diverted to a little field and did a quick turn, filling up the mains at a self serve. Turns out our fuel planning and monitoring based on timing and fuel burn was accurate, but better safe than sorry. The turn took maybe 15 minutes.
We had a VERY hard time getting the engines started again. We finally did and when running up the power prior to takeoff, something I will now ALWAYS do in this plane, the right engine rolled back. I pulled the throttles back and tried again, and this time the power held and we took off.
After landing we did some research, and here is what I think happened.
The engines were HOT when we landed and heat soaked the 15 minutes we were on the ground. After we got them started, the right engine fuel lines weren't completely purged of vapor so when it was loaded it leaned out and bogged.
So my questions are:
1. What is the best hot start procedure for these engines?
2. What is the best way to ensure the engines are purged and ready for full power after a hot start?
