Vlieg in reen weer

[Slider]

Jammer as die al opgekom het, maar met die weer wat ons deesdae het moet n mens daaraan begin dink. If you fly in light / mist rain with the Rotax 503 / 582 could you expect any problems, with the carbs?

[Morph]

Apart from the physical discomfort of being pelted with rain, the inability to see due to your goggles being fogged up and the fact that potentially you are in IFR conditions the motor will run just fine.

[Slider]

Thanks Morph

Will wait for the sunshine

[nicow]

Slider
Ek het myself in so 'n onverwagte reënbui ingevlieg.Die druppels maak seer,maar die motor hou!Ek was papnat toe ek geland het,my vlerk baie skoon,en die 582 motor het nie eens gemis nie.
So-wanneer dit gebeur dat jy perongeluk in reën vlieg,kan jy maar weet die motor behoort nog te werk.

[Slider]

Dankie Nico

[Cloud Warrior]

Doesn't it stuff up a wooden prop?

[RudiGreyling]

Ditto on what morph said motor ran fine...BUT...once we "had" to from Harrismit back to JHB, under some very very low thick clouds very high humidity, with dodging occasional showers. NO IFR stuff, but close...

After 2 hours landing for comfort break , motor cooled down, and just before take-off again I saw a significant vapour droplets on carbs housing. Inspected fuel bowls and viola both of us had water in both fuel bowls, that was not there on preflight earlier the morning. First time ever I had water in fuel bowls, check bottom of tanks from drain valve, no water

How did it get into the float bowls ? Flying was fine earlier, but I'm speculating the stopping duration it condensed enough and droplets ran into float bowls. Enough water in bowls to have me make a mental note of always checking carbs bowls when I see condensation on them in future.

Be Careful out there!

Regards
Rudi

[RudiGreyling]

Doesn't it stuff up a wooden prop?

It can, it has been known in PPL that extensive flying in heavy rain can damage LE on wooden props. Nowadays most props come with some Leading edge protection so you should be fine. Anycase in an open trike you are going to get uncomfortable before the prop does. In closed cockpit a different story.

Regards
Rudi

[Morph]

December 2005 I flew to Stanley's Island outside Plett. Friday night is pee'd down in torrents. Most of us had one or two too many and forgot about covering the airfilters up etc. my plane was a Challenger and they stand nose high when on the ground. The water poured off the wings directly onto the airfilter.

Next morning she started and ran perfectly with sopping wet airfilters. I didn't fly her but she ran perfectly

[shane]

I was told by a microlight pilot that flying in the rain with a trike can cause a problem on the leading edge of certain wings, he said that the water penitrates the leading edge causing the air now to flow through it insted of over it.

[Blue Angel]

I also wanted to go and do a circuit or two, but then I realized that I will have to wash my plane and flight suit again from all the mud from the gravel runway. So I said to myself wait till Sunday

[Aerosan]

I was told by a microlight pilot that flying in the rain with a trike can cause a problem on the leading edge of certain wings, he said that the water penitrates the leading edge causing the air now to flow through it insted of over it.

That was with the old laws of physics. With the new laws, like those from Newton and some of the other old ballies the hiccups has been sorted

Just joking, but seriously I cant see it happening like you were explained

[Morph]

I was told by a microlight pilot that flying in the rain with a trike can cause a problem on the leading edge of certain wings, he said that the water penetrates the leading edge causing the air now to flow through it instead of over it.

Yeah not likely, water is denser than air. If this was the case air would have been flowing though the wing way before it even got wet.

What could happen, especially in an almost waterproof wing, is that water ingress could build up inside the wing by means of a leak somewhere and if you do not have the drain holes that you are supposed to have, a dangerous situation could occur with the balance of the wing being constantly changed by water sloshing around in it.

So if you do build a plane and seal the fabric, remember the drain holes.

[RudiGreyling]

I was told by a microlight pilot that flying in the rain with a trike can cause a problem on the leading edge of certain wings, he said that the water penitrates the leading edge causing the air now to flow through it insted of over it.

Don't know about that, but can tell you from experience that taking of with sopping wet wing that you need a little more speed. i.e. stall speed increase a little bit. It is in some wing manuals as well. Extend take of runs with wet wing

I think, speculating, it has more to do with the slow speed we fly and the water on a sopping wet wing NOT creating perfect airflow over the wing, making a bit more turbulent on the wing surface and hence you loose a bit of lift at least until the water spreads out uniform with the airflow and then everything settles a bit.

While flying you should be fine, but don't tempt that magic stall speed number with a wet wing.

Regards
Rudi

[Morph]

and water/ice apart from breaking up the wind flow adds weight, and a lot of it.