Carenado 206 and that engine/prop...

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Carenado 206 and that engine/prop...

Postby TryHinkel » Sat Apr 15, 2017 3:48 pm

So, got the Carenado 206 out of inspiration: in 1983, Dad and I flew a 206 out of Anchorage (PAMR) to Granite Falls, WA (WA25) via the Al-Can. I should've paid better attention, asked more questions then, but I was overly thrilled by the adventure of it all then, so I used what little I remembered from then on today's flight.

To start, I fly on automixture (iFADEC ;) ); this flight, I took off from nearby (to WA25) Arlington Municipal and the engine seemed too eager to go beyond redline while listening to its noise and monitoring rollout speed...and used a bit much runway for my recollection. Someone once told me that the IO-520 flew "25 and 25" (2500 rpm and 25 inches manifold pressure), and after getting out of pattern and stabilizing a bit at 2700 rpm, I started easing back on the prop, eyeballing revs and MP, and it seemed to require a substantial throttle-up and finagling of the prop to get that 25x25. So, on the short, does anyone know of a tutorial I can consult to grab the concept and fly this thing better?

On a good note: coming into Runway 30 at WA25, which is a 1,470-foot grass strip, I managed to gradually get flaps to 30, adjust power for 60 knots on final glide, cross the fence, flare and touch, taking only 1,000 feet until full-stop with high-moderate braking. So that's a good thing. When Dad and I arrived there in '83, he did far better...especially with no flaps, as the flap motor was fried out by saltwater corrosion.

---- ---- ---- ---- ----

The rest of the story on that 206: Dad and I took Alaska 727 up to PANC in July of '83 to fix said 206, once a Flirite floatplane, and fly it back home. The plane had flipped in open sea, floated out, floated back in, dragged back by a fishing boat. Extracted, flipped, floats pulled, gear put on, the plane ended up with no prop and no interior/instruments. We got there, spent 8 days finding a 3-blade prop, getting the 520 running again, finding two seats and receiving basic instruments and a handheld COM radio via FedEx. Couldn't get flaps to work due to saltwater corrosion. We also used a considerable amount of 100-MPH tape on fairings and wingtips. The windscreen was cracked from L to R, leading edge to leading edge, fixed with drilled holes along both sides of the cracks, safety-wire twist-ties and lots of clear RTV.

Day 1: we got out of Anchorage, fueled up at Glennallen, got to Northway, grabbed lunch, saw a thunderstorm develop nearby. We found another 206, far better equipped, flew their echelon-right through the storm. Windshield leaked like a sieve, soaking us and our sectionals. Got through, crossed the border, made it to Whitehorse for Customs and dinner/hotel.

Day 2: got up, flew the Al-Can down, great weather. Along the way, we encountered a Navajo pancaked on a high bluff over a river valley, circled twice at low-level and called it in...nobody there (we later learned it was a prisoner flight, crashed in IMC. Pilot died, prisoner got out, slid down a mountainside with injury, staggered into town). Got to Fort St. John, fuel pump failed after touchdown and rollout. Lost 3 hours installing new pump. Took off, saw vast amount of land affected by earlier fire, amazing scenery. Flew into Prince George, missed last taxi to town for dinner and motel, went hungry and slept in plane.

Day 3: got up before sunrise, we were freezing. Started plane as sun came up, got cabin warm; just as sun peeked, we rolled to runway, took off, made way towards Fraser Canyon. Fell asleep with my head resting in the side bubble-window, sure made for a wake-up call looking 5,000 feet down. Got through canyon, went west at Hope, traced river to Abbotsford, veered for Bellingham (KBLI), landed there for Customs. Took off again, bee-lined for Granite, flew very low over house to wake up family for a ride home, we landed at WA25 for a perfect touchdown with lots of trim and no flaps. Talk about an adventure for a 16-year-old!

Later, plane was disassembled, freshwater-flushed, reassembled, painted, re-engined, outfitted with new everything inside, put on amphib floats. Owner got many good flight hours out of her until a few years later, trying to land on land during severe gusts, pancaked the plane...which was written off. Pilot suffered minor injuries. </story>
TryHinkel
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Re: Carenado 206 and that engine/prop...

Postby endidsurface » Thu Oct 12, 2023 4:21 am

neighboring thunderstorms are forming. We located a second group ofslope 206 that had better equipment and flew in formation through the turbulence. The windshield was a dripping mess, and we were soaked along with the sectionals. Made it via customs and into Whitehorse in time for supper and a motel.
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