HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
Newsgroups: rec.aviation.homebuilt
Subject: Re: Mazda's Rotary Engine
From: dmunday@miavx1.acs.muohio.edu
Date: 7 Nov 92 01:02:46 -0500
Organization: Miami University Academic Computer Service"

>> I picked up a 1986 Mazda 13B engine last weekend for my Christavia IV. 
>> I'm an ex auto mechanic and understand engines fairly well but never
>> steel.  You should have a look at the muffler on the RX-7's, it's
>> monsterous, it practically goes the entire length of the car.

One of the pictures in the December Kitplanes article looks as if thr Mazda
had udal ignition.  Does the Mazda have dual ig. has it been added, are both
ig. systems magneto driven?

-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dave Munday           | Bitnet    : dmunday@miavx1      Phone: 321-5145
Munday Computing, Inc.| INTERNET  : dmunday@miavx1.acs.muohio.edu
Miami University, Ohio| or        : munday@cinnet.com
                      | USmail    : P.O. Box 695, Oxford, OH 45056-0695
"Renting airplanes is like renting sex:  It's difficult to arrange on short 
notice on Saturday, the fun things always cost more, and someone's always 
looking at their watch."  - Ron Wanttaja
From: Charles.K.Scott@dartmouth.edu (Charles K. Scott)
Newsgroups: rec.aviation.homebuilt
Subject: Re: Mazda's Rotary Engine
Date: 6 Nov 92 17:03:19 GMT
 <1992Nov5.132650.14706@dartvax.dartmouth.edu>  
 <5NOV199208244378@xenon.arc.nasa.gov>
Organization: Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH
X-Posted-From: InterNews1.0a5@newshost.dartmouth.edu

In article <5NOV199208244378@xenon.arc.nasa.gov>
laforce@xenon.arc.nasa.gov (Soren LaForce) writes:

> I would expect the exhaust gas has been
> expanded less (in the engine) and contains a good deal more heat,
> since less thermal energy has been converted to kinetic within
> the engine.  This would account for the higher exhaust 
> temperatures.

You may be correct and I may be oversimpifying things but I seem to
remember somewhere that the Rotory just pumps more exaust cycles into
the exaust system than conventional engines but someone smarter than me
will have to do the math.  The way the rotors work produces more
combustion surface area than conventional piston engines so the
possibility exists for a less efficient combustion and more left over
unburned gas.  This may well account for the hotter exaust.

Corky Scott
From: Charles.K.Scott@dartmouth.edu (Charles K. Scott)
Newsgroups: rec.aviation.homebuilt
Subject: Re: Mazda's Rotary Engine
Date: 11 Nov 92 12:42:26 GMT
 <47950001@hpgrla.gr.hp.com>
Organization: Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH
X-Posted-From: InterNews1.0a5@newshost.dartmouth.edu

In article <47950001@hpgrla.gr.hp.com>
leed@hpgrla.gr.hp.com (Lee Devlin) writes:

> I don't think this is the problem of only rotary engines.

You may be right Lee it's just that this was the only car doing it and
the flame was so dramatic everyone in my spectating area noticed it
right away and it was high noon on a cloudless day.  Maybe it was just
the way this particular person set his car up.

Corky Scott
From: dsnyder@falcon.aamrl.wpafb.af.mil
Newsgroups: rec.aviation.homebuilt
Subject: Re: Mazda's Rotary Engine
Date: 4 Nov 92 14:52:44 EST
Organization: USAF AL/CFH, WPAFB, Dayton, OH

In article <1992Nov4.134114.26363@dartvax.dartmouth.edu>, Charles.K.Scott@dartmouth.edu (Charles K. Scott) writes:
> In article <1992Nov3.214530.7657@tamsun.tamu.edu>
> cgc5437@cs.tamu.edu (Graydon Cecil Chenault) writes:
> 
>> Anyway,  has anyone out there looked into this engine?
>> Can you tell me what you know.  I'd appreciate any info.
> 
> I picked up a 1986 Mazda 13B engine last weekend for my Christavia IV. 
> I'm an ex auto mechanic and understand engines fairly well but never
> steel.  You should have a look at the muffler on the RX-7's, it's
> monsterous, it practically goes the entire length of the car.
>
  Corky,  I have an RX-7 and it's not the muffler that is long it
is all of the catalytic converters.  Three of them.  The dual mufflers
are only 2 feet long.  Talk about expensive, the converters cost $1800
replacement from the dealer.  I had the exhast go out on mine the the noise
wasn't unpleasant at all.  I think it would be great for a homebuilt
aircraft.  Smooth power and reasonable gas consumption.  David-- 

---------------------------------------------------------------------
David B. Snyder                     Logicon Technical Services Inc.
dsnyder@falcon.aamrl.wpafb.af.mil   Wright-Patterson Air Force Base
513-255-7557                        Dayton, Ohio USA
---------------------------------------------------------------------
It is said that GOD doesn't subtract from ones' time on earth, those
hours spent flying.
---------------------------------------------------------------------
1946 Cessna 140 N76234 "The lady in waiting" Owner/Operator
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Opinions expressed are my own and not those of Logicon or the USAF.
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Newsgroups: rec.aviation.homebuilt,rec.aviation.piloting
From: geoff@peck.com (Geoff Peck)
Subject: Re: How accurate can I make a homebrew altimeter?
Followup-To:  rec.aviation.homebuilt
Organization: Geoffrey G. Peck, Consultant, San Jose CA
Date: Tue, 10 Nov 1992 07:00:57 GMT

[someone else wrote]
>> I assume you looked into putting the sensor in an oven.  Are there any
>> major problems with an oven other than warm-up time?

In article <10716@vice.ICO.TEK.COM> shauns@vice.ICO.TEK.COM (Shaun Simpkins)
writes:
> Power, power, power.  An oven would dissipate more power than the entire
> electronic circuitry.  There's really no need for an oven - adequate
> temperature stability can be had with purely electronic means.

There are two types of commercial encoders on the market.  The more
expensive type is basically an ordinary mechanical altimeter attached to a
bunch of switches to produce an electrical read-out.  The less expensive
type, which can be purchased for as little as $200, is electronic.  There
are about a half dozen different brands of these little beasties out
there, and *all* of them, to the best of my knowledge, do use an oven to
heat up the sensor.

One of the annoying things about these electronic encoders is that they
take some amount of time to warm up the oven.  There is typically a small
timer circuit which will inhibit the encoder's output until enough time
has elapsed for the little oven to warm up.  Depending on how your
transponder is set up, you'll need to either put the transponder on
standby or to actually turn it on several minutes before you get
airborne.  If you don't do this, and you're departing from an airport at
which they look for such things, the controller is likely to say "Nxxxxx,
radar contact, I don't have your mode-C data, check mode-C on, say
altitude."  The older mechanical encoders don't have this problem.

						Geoff
From: Charles.K.Scott@dartmouth.edu (Charles K. Scott)
Newsgroups: rec.aviation.homebuilt
Subject: Re: Mazda's Rotary Engine
Date: 8 Nov 92 15:02:21 GMT
Article-I.D.: dartvax.1992Nov8.150221.11579
 <1992Nov2.162431.14400@news.acns.nwu.edu> 
 <1992Nov4.134114.26363@dartvax.dartmouth.edu> 
 <1992Nov4.145244.1816@falcon.aamrl.wpafb.af.mil>  
 <1992Nov7.010247.14089@miavx1.acs.muohio.edu>
Organization: Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH
X-Posted-From: InterNews1.0a5@newshost.dartmouth.edu

In article <1992Nov7.010247.14089@miavx1.acs.muohio.edu>
dmunday@miavx1.acs.muohio.edu writes:

> One of the pictures in the December Kitplanes article looks as if thr Mazda
> had udal ignition.  Does the Mazda have dual ig. has it been added, are both
> ig. systems magneto driven?

The early ones that I worked on when I was an auto mechanic had a big
distributer and two sets, sometimes three sets of points in it.  They
were standard battery fired coil systems.  The engine could be set up
to run with the distributer cap off so that the point dwell could be
set with the engine running. I remember setting all three of them that
way.  The two main sets each had it's own coil to fire.  The engine had
four spark plugs, the leading and trailing sets.  Both of them fired
after top dead center, one of them significantly later.  The reason is
simple, we aren't talking about a piston here, but a triangular rotor
that sweeps by the spark plug.  In order for the combustion to occur
properly, the rotor tip must be *by* the plug before it fires.  If
ignition occurs before top dead center, there's no fuel mixture to
ignite.

Sorry, I know nothing about the more modern ignition systems but the
principle should be the same.

Corky Scott
Xref: sparky rec.aviation:17156 rec.aviation.misc:494
From: tpickett@auspex.com (Tom Pickett)
Newsgroups: rec.aviation,rec.aviation.misc
Subject: Re: Public perception of general aviation
Date: 5 Nov 92 17:23:54 GMT
Reply-To: tpickett@auspex.com (Tom Pickett)
Followup-To: rec.aviation
Organization: Auspex Systems, Inc.  Engineering

In article <1992Nov5.004550.29663@odin.corp.sgi.com>, amazon@sgi.com 
(Stormwind) writes:
> now, i'll agree that you and i make more money
> to fly than your average gas station attendant
> or panhandler, but there's a number of other
> people who live on LESS money than i do, in 
> the same area, who are making it possible for
> themselves to fly.  and they do it because they
> love it.

I sure don't make a lot of money and I manage to fly...

I'm just a poor writer, and I don't make much money either.  I own
a house because of an inheritance, and my wife drives an '83
Honda with 160K on it.

I don't know any rich pilots.


Tom Pickett 
tpickett@auspex.com
SHO  GOZE
Newsgroups: rec.aviation
From: harlan@clinicom.com (Harlan Olson)
Subject: Re: 3 letter codes
Date: Thu, 5 Nov 1992 19:22:38 GMT
Organization: CliniCom Incorporated, Boulder, CO

In article <1992Nov4.184058.15977@cascade.Stanford.EDU> eap@everest.Stanford.EDU (Eric Perozziello) writes:
>Does anybody have a list of the 3 letter airport codes?
>
>Specifically, I'd like to know where STC is....
>
>anybody?
>Thanks!
>-Eric
>
Don't have a list of airports since my retirement from MSP ARTCC on August
3, 1981, but I remember STC is St. Cloud, Minn.

Harlan 

-- 
  -----_|_-----     Happy Landings,
   -----O-----      Harlan Olson   CP-AMEL-ASEL&S-IA, WD0HTV
      o/-\o         harlan@clinicom.com  or
	                         uunet!harlan%clinicom@solbourne.com
From: marks@imagen.com (Mark Salter)
Newsgroups: rec.aviation
Subject: Re: public perception of
Date: 13 Nov 92 02:06:50 GMT
Organization: QMS Inc., Imagen Division

In article <n0e05t@ofa123.fidonet.org> Larry.Mc.Donald@ofa123.fidonet.org writes:
> rogersmf@eplrx7.es.duPont.com 
>   (Mark Rogers) sez:
>
> >> I think that the most effective way to popularize GA would be to have
> >>characters in a popular television show make use of GA. (i.e. Bring back 
>
> > Well, we do have Maggie O'Connell (Northern Exposure).  Overall I'd
> > say she puts GA in a positive light.
>
>   I've watched that show for a year now and I've only seen her 
>plane in the background once. Perhaps we should start a letter 
>writing campaign to get the writers to let her fly more often?
>

Speaking of Northern Exposure, I realized something very odd while
watching the other night. Maurice is an ex-astronaut, ex-Marine Corp
pilot, with a huge portfolio and lots of land next to his house.

Why doesn't he have a plane and landing strip?? Seems like the
perfect scenario, especially living in Alaska. He certainly
portrays someone who is fit and should be able pass a medical.

Just doesn't make sense.

>
>
>... Larry.Mc.Donald, N6ZMB, Fullerton, California!  <cough, cough>
>___ Blue Wave/QWK v2.10
>
>--- Maximus 2.00

Mark Salter
Newsgroups: rec.aviation.ifr
From: stephens@access.digex.com (John Stephens)
Subject: Re: Single Engine IFR
Organization: Severn Companies, Inc., Lanham, MD 20706
Date: Sun, 8 Nov 1992 14:35:21 GMT

In article <1ddvqhINNlrb@topaz.bds.com> ron@topaz.bds.com (Ron Natalie) writes:
>> The fact that I only have one engine doesn't bother me.
>
>How about only one vacuum source?
>

Now the ONE vacuum source bothered me more than the single engine,
particularly in my C-172 with the dry vacuum pump that has a life
expectancy significantly less than TBO and fails without
warning!!!

I solved my problem by installing an alternate vacuum system
(Precise Flight) for $395 + installation at the local FBO.  Good
timing too, because within about 3 weeks, the pump failed.  I was
not flyinmg at the time, (the plane is on leaseback) so I am not
sure whether it was hard/soft IFR or VFR at the time.  Still, I'm
glad I put it in.

The only thing to remeber is that the alternate source (at least
this one) works off manifold vacuum, and to get enough vacuum to
keep the gyros spinning, you have to reduce RPMs.  It is
perfectly manageable at all C-172 altitudes, but the rest of the
trip will be slow.  I calibrated it up to 12,000 MSL (pressure
alt.) and could maintain 65 KIAS with 3-1/2 " vacuum (enough to
run 2 gyros).  Obviously performance is better at lower altitudes.

For just a few hundred dollars, I consider an alt. vac. a cheap
insurance policy in IFR, just like a handheld!!!

Newsgroups: rec.aviation.ifr
From: sims@sauron.msfc.nasa.gov (Herb Sims)
Subject: Icing Question
Keywords: Icing
Organization: NASA/MSFC
Date:  5 Nov 92 12:56:28 GMT

I have a question for all of you IFR pilots.  I always worry/hear about airplane
icing problems.  My question is this:  Is a helicopter just as susceptable to 
icing conditions as an airplane?  I am asking this because you very rarely here
of a helicopter being lost due to icing.

Thanks in advance

Herb




--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
W. Herb Sims                                        sims@sauron.msfc.nasa.gov or
KU0C                                                sims@avdms8.msfc.nasa.gov
MSFC/NASA/EB33					    PPSEL-IFR
Huntsville, AL 35812

           _#      **MMp     g#00   `N##0"     _agN#0P0N#            _#L
          g##       jN##    j##F     J##     _dN0"      "           g##L
        _#]##      _0 ##L  jN##F     ###    g#0"                  _03##L
       gE_j##      #  0## jF ##F    j##F   j##     ______        gE_j##L
     _0"""N##     d"  J##L0  ##F    0##    0##     "9##F"      _0"""5##L
   _gF    ]##    jF    ##0   ##F    ##F    `##k     d##      _gF    j##L
 _g#_    _j##L__g#__   ]N  _j##L_ _d##L_    `#Nh___g#N'    _g#_    _j##L_
`""""    """""'""""'    "  """""" """"""       """""""    `""""    """"""
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: ron@topaz.bds.com (Ron Natalie)
Newsgroups: rec.aviation.ifr
Subject: Re: Single Engine IFR
Date: 6 Nov 1992 14:34:57 GMT
Organization: BDS Systems
Distribution: world
NNTP-Posting-Host: topaz.bds.com

> The fact that I only have one engine doesn't bother me.

How about only one vacuum source?

Newsgroups: rec.aviation.ifr
From: barnett@convex.com (Paul Barnett)
Subject: Re: Single Engine IFR
Date: Sat, 7 Nov 1992 00:52:27 GMT
Organization: Engineering, CONVEX Computer Corp., Richardson, Tx., USA
X-Disclaimer: This message was written by a user at CONVEX Computer
              Corp. The opinions expressed are those of the user and
              not necessarily those of CONVEX.

In <1992Nov4.110153.1@pomona.claremont.edu> jhenderson@pomona.claremont.edu writes:

>How do you feel about flying single engine in IMC? Does it fall under the
>single-engine-over-rugged-terrain category? Or is it even more unnerving?

Personally, I have no problem.  I have never flown over "rugged"
terrain, but I have crossed Lake Michigan several times at 10,000
feet, which results in 10 minutes or so in the middle that I can't
glide to either side.

However, it's my own plane, and no one else abuses... I mean, flies
it.  I take good care of the engine, and trust my mechanic to keep a
close eye on it.

My limited experience: most "IFR" is actually VFR on top.  The only
time I got "unnerved" is when I listened to people in the soup beneath
me reporting icing, missed approaches, etc.  I was en-route to better
weather, but I didn't relish the "opportunity" to make an unscheduled
approach in that mess.

When I have actually been IFR, I was usually making an approach and
far too busy to be worrying about the engine.  I do my worrying about
the engine when I am on the ground and can do something about it!
--
Paul Barnett             Internet: barnett@convex.com
Convex Computer Corp.      Office: 214-497-4846
Richardson, TX        Mobile/Home: 214-236-8438
Organization: Carnegie Mellon, Pittsburgh, PA
Newsgroups: rec.aviation.ifr
Date: Tue, 10 Nov 1992 21:38:46 -0500 
From: Jeffrey Dunkle <jd5f+@andrew.cmu.edu>
Subject: Re: Single Engine IFR

Correction:

In my post I just sent I said a Cub might be slip crash landed
sruvivably into an area the size of a "golf course".....the analogy was
supposed to be "tennis court".  My 70 year old instructor taught primary
flight training to hundreds of cadets during WWII and used to have his
on flying circus.

Everyone will "flame" on the fact that a golf course is easily a
survivable landing sight, and rightly so.  Sorry I mistyped "golf
course" for "tennis court".  Hope you get the point as "food for
thought".

Jeff Dunkle
Newsgroups: rec.aviation.ifr
From: len@Tandem.com (Len Fishler)
Subject: Re: Visual Apch vs Charted Visual Flight Procedure (was Re: Contact VS Visual)
Organization: Tandem Computers
Distribution: na
Date: Fri, 6 Nov 1992 01:49:40 GMT

In article <1992Nov6.005735.22311@adobe.com>, mparker@adobe.com (Mike Parker) writes:

... stuff deleted
|> And while on that subject, what is the character of center radar these days?  I
|> realize that the San Francisco Bay Area has very complete coverage, but it seems
|> like the whole world does.  Between Klamath and Sun River Oregon where there
|> is just plain nothing, one can get rader vectors well below MEA, and thus avoid
|> oxygen or a big detour.  Or off airway in the wilds of southwestern South Dakota
|> and Northern Nebraska I got radar coverage, but of course it's flat as hell there
|> and I was at 10,000.  Where and at what altitudes is there no radar coverage
|> available???
|> 

A couple of data points:  Between Salt Flat and Carlsbad NM, on V102 at 11,000
there was no coverage.  ALso, between Carlsbad and almost to Albuquerque at 9,500
there was no coverage.  A bit closer to home, along the west coast along V27 I had 
no coverage from a point a bit past Mendocino until almost Fortuna, at 10,000.
Also, in large parts of the Sierras there's no coverage unless you are well into
the oxygen altitudes.  I suspect that coverage in mountainous area in general
tends to be rather spotty unless you are quite high.  I don't know of any charts
indicating radar coverage, though it would be useful.

- Len Fishler -
fishler_len@tandem.com
PP-ASEL-IA
Centurion N3784Y RHV
Newsgroups: rec.aviation.ifr
From: jbrown@qdeck.com (Jordan Brown)
Subject: Re: Visual Apch vs Charted Visual Flight Procedure (was Re: Contact VS Visual)
Organization: Quarterdeck Office Systems, Santa Monica CA
Distribution: na
Date: Sat, 07 Nov 1992 02:19:47 GMT

mparker@adobe.com (Mike Parker) writes:
>I got an e-mail message asking if radar is required for a visual approach.
>Having had my face in the regs a lot lately I say, no, what say the net?

Generally, no.  Some charted visual procedures explicitly require radar.
Newsgroups: rec.aviation.ifr
From: reece@eco.twg.com (Reece R. Pollack)
Subject: Re: Icing Question
Keywords: Icing
Reply-To: reece@eco.twg.com
Organization: The Wollongong Group (East Coast Operations)
Date: Tue, 10 Nov 92 00:36:23 GMT


In article <sims.720968188@sauron.msfc.nasa.gov>, sims@sauron.msfc.nasa.gov (Herb Sims) writes:
|>I have a question for all of you IFR pilots.  I always worry/hear about airplane
|>icing problems.  My question is this:  Is a helicopter just as susceptable to 
|>icing conditions as an airplane?  I am asking this because you very rarely here
|>of a helicopter being lost due to icing.
|>
|>Thanks in advance
|>
|>Herb

I'd expect a helicopter to be just as suceptable to icing as a fixed-wing,
if not more so, but I believe relatively few helicopters are IFR certified.
Thus it should be fairly rare for them to encounter icing conditions.

--
Reece R. Pollack
PP-ASEL-IA -- Octopus Flying Club (based GAI)
Newsgroups: rec.aviation.ifr
Subject: Re: Accident statistics (was Re: Night VFR)
From: Jeffrey Dunkle <jd5f+@andrew.cmu.edu>
Date: Fri, 13 Nov 1992 10:23:52 -0500 
Organization: Carnegie Mellon, Pittsburgh, PA

Excerpts from netnews.rec.aviation.ifr: 13-Nov-92 Accident statistics
(was Re.. by Diana L. Carlson@freedom 
> These statistics are only for General Aviation.  The stats were broken down
> by Single Engine Fixed, Single Engine Retractable, and Twin Engine.  A
> significantly HIGHER percentage was on Twins.  Bill hypothesized that this
> was due to the likelihood that in some of the lousy weather, only Twin
> pilots would be likely to "take a chance", because of their perceived higher
> performance equipment (ie, two engines, more sophisticated navigational
> equipment, possibly boots and weather radar as well).

A finesse question for the "physicists" on the net.  I've seen
statistics before that tend to show that the "rate" of accidents in
twins which are fatal is higher than for singles.  I've wondered how
much of that "might" be attributable to the fact that twins generally
have higher stall speeds (they aren't designed to the 61kt max stall
speed of singles) and that, therefore, on average, even if they impact
the ground under some control, it is also with higher kinetic energy?

Jeff Dunkle
Newsgroups: rec.aviation.ifr
From: greg@saltydog.dpsi.com (Gregory R. Travis)
Subject: Re: Alternate Vacuum (was: Re: Single Engine IFR)
Organization: Data Parallel Systems, Inc
Date: Mon, 9 Nov 1992 22:10:34 GMT

In <74124@apple.apple.COM> rcm@Apple.COM (Robert Charles Monsen) writes:

>I'm wondering about reliable alternatives to the manifold pressure alternate
>vacuum system. Why not use a little electric motor to run a vacuum pump? Why
>don't I see these around? Would it be expensive to do? Heavy? Too much load
>on the electrical system? It seems to have the advantage that you can put it
>anyplace there is electricity and a vacuum hose...

>Another advantage is that it runs off the battery, so you don't lose vacuum
>on engine failure (like you do with the manifold pressure alternates). You
>could even hook it up to a vacuum sensor, and have it automatically go on
>when it senses low vac...

From Chief Aircraft's Catalog:

"Aero Safe Standby Vacuum/Pressure System"

"The 'Guardian I' is an electrical motor driven vacuum pump which provides
full alternate vacuum should your primary pump fail."

It's 8.5 pounds and draws 8A at 24V.  A factory option on Cessna 172s on
up and other manufacturers.

ONLY $1495.00 plus taxes and installation.

greg, who has no financial interest in the abovementioned product.

--
Gregory Reed Travis				D  P  S  I
Data Parallel Systems Incorporated   greg@dpsi.com (For MX mailers only!)
Bloomington, IN			     greg@indiana.edu (For the others)
Newsgroups: rec.aviation.ifr