Low and slow XC prep

[Hambone]

I'm planning a 1400 nm cross-country to ferry a single-seat Corben Baby Ace back home. I'll have a handheld radio and an iPad running FltPlan Go.

Any recommendations on training, preparation, and equipment? Range is going to be 150-200 nm at best, and I'll need 100LL. I plan on camping during part of the trip.

Experiences/war stories gladly entertained!

[TimTaylor]

My advice would be to keep the trip as simple as possible. Since this is your first flight in this airplane, you just don't know what issues may crop up. I would forget camping because, until you actually sit in the airplane, how do you know how much room you have? Carry plenty of cash and a couple credit cards and plan to stop for fuel (and oil) at about 1/2 tanks, not less. Also, make sure you know how to hand prop the airplane if you land somewhere with nobody around. I've often wondered how you prop an airplane with nobody in it and no way to tie it down. Carry a set of chocks, I guess. Plan a route based on terrain height, not shortest distance.

[Hambone]

Great advice, Tim! Eliminating camping certainly simplifies things. There will be plenty of time for camping later on.

[3Dreaming]

For hand propping we have a cockpit releasable tie down hook. If the airplane doesn't have one you can make a tie down rope that can be released and pulled into the cockpit once you are mounted up and ready to go. Do a little research on the internet. There was even a guy selling plans to make one from a retractable dog leash.

The little Continental A-65 will run just fine on ethanol free auto fuel, maybe even better than 100LL. Personally I don't like the smell of auto fuel. Make sure to get some Marvel Mystery Oil to add to your fuel. 1-2 ounces per 5 gallons. It will help to prevent valve sticking, especially if using 100LL.

Do you know what kind of mags the engine has? Do they have impulse couplings. Does it have a metal or wood prop? This will effect starting. Sometimes starting the engine when it is hot after a fuel stop can be an issue.

Also if you can find airports with turf runways it will make landings easier for you, and they will tend to be more friendly to your type of aircraft.

[Hambone]

More great advice! Thank you.

The prop is wood, and the seller doesn't know the magneto type. However, he sent a video which showed easy hand-propping. You're right - there are some rather ingenious solutions on the internet to help with single-person hand-propping!

Is ethanol-free auto fuel easy to find? And is it OK running a mixture of auto fuel and 100LL? What about auto fuel with ethanol if that's the only option?

[3Dreaming]

Hand propping when the engine has not been run is fairly easy on most of the A-65's. When they are hat it is a different story.

I would not use ethanol based fuel.! It is okay to mix non ethanol auto fuel and 100LL.

[TimTaylor]

https://backcountrypilot.org/forum/tail ... ping-18885

[Hambone]

Nice idea!

The seller claims that the engine will hand-prop at zero throttle, and the airplane pretty much stays in place at that throttle setting. Would be good to have some insurance, though. I don't fancy chasing it across the field!

[drseti]

About ethanol (I know STCs are not applicable for experimentals, but just as a point of reference):

Neither of the two auto fuel STCs that were popular in the 80s (Petersen or EAA) allowed the use of fuels with any ethanol content. There must have been a reason for that! OTOH, both allowed the mixing of auto fuel with avgas, in any ratio, so that must not be an issue.

[Hambone]

Thanks!

It seems like fuel planning, especially when trying to use grass strips, is one of the more difficult planning tasks. Any resources out there to help with this? FltPlan Go's Fuel Stops utility is helpful, but favors larger airfields.

[3Dreaming]

I did a flight review in a Tri Pacer once. The pilot switched fuel tanks right before take off. At 100 feet in the air without enough runway left the airplane lost power. He switched back to the other tank and all was good. The problem tank had an aircraft rubber fuel line in the wing root that was puckered up on the inside where it looked like a ass hole, not allowing enough fuel through. It was due to some ethanol fuel that was left in the tank for a while. Also some of the Stromberg carbs that were mostly used on the A-65 could have a float needle that would not be compatible with ethanol.

[Hambone]

I'm having the seller get a full annual done before I pay a deposit. Hopefully that inspection will determine if there is any rubber damage from possible past ethanol use.

Edit: Seller says that only 100LL has been used, and yes, the mags do have impulse couplings.

[drseti]

I'm having the seller get a full annual done before I pay a deposit.

I'm a firm believer that no condition inspection done by the seller's mechanic is ever a substitute for a prebuy examination done by the buyer's. I invite you to invest an hour and a half in viewing my webinar "how to buy a used LSA" before proceeding further:

http://avsport.org/webinars/videos/prebuy.mp4

[Hambone]

I'm having the seller get a full annual done before I pay a deposit.

I'm a firm believer that no condition inspection done by the seller's mechanic is ever a substitute for a prebuy examination done by the buyer's. I invite you to invest an hour and a half in viewing my webinar "how to buy a used LSA" before proceeding further:

http://avsport.org/webinars/videos/prebuy.mp4

Thanks! I'll watch that.

I have already planned to have another mechanic do a prebuy after the annual is complete.

[3Dreaming]

I'm having the seller get a full annual done before I pay a deposit.

I'm a firm believer that no condition inspection done by the seller's mechanic is ever a substitute for a prebuy examination done by the buyer's. I invite you to invest an hour and a half in viewing my webinar "how to buy a used LSA" before proceeding further:

http://avsport.org/webinars/videos/prebuy.mp4

Thanks! I'll watch that.

I have already planned to have another mechanic do a prebuy after the annual is complete.

Experimental aircraft don't get Annual inspections, they get condition inspections.