IFR capable plane with auto conversion

[Aerowerx]

.... Now a 55 grain 223 traveling at 3,215 fps might get the job done considering the magazine holds a few more than the .380....

Me, I would prefer a 165 grain 308 with a spire point. 3 times the energy!

... but that's not a carry weapon (at least not yet).

You ever hear of the Thompson Center Contender? There are several rifle calibers available as pistols.

Of course, they are single shot so you had better get it right the first time.

 

[12notes]

Umm, guys? This is a post about IFR with an auto conversion, in General Discussion. A little thread drift is understandable, but it's now close to 3 times as many posts about bears and guns than anything remotely connected to the original question, maybe we should get back the the actual subject?

 

[BJC]

They loved the water!

Probably hard for then to swin, though, weighted down with all that lead.


BJC

 

[BJC]

Are there light props that can handle rain...ect... suitable and durable for IFR

Umm, guys? This is a post about IFR with an auto conversion, in General Discussion. A little thread drift is understandable, but it's now close to 3 times as many posts about bears and guns than anything remotely connected to the original question, maybe we should get back the the actual subject?

Good idea.

The answer has already been provided. The answer is “yes”.


BJC

 

[Daleandee]

Umm, guys? This is a post about IFR with an auto conversion, in General Discussion. A little thread drift is understandable, but it's now close to 3 times as many posts about bears and guns than anything remotely connected to the original question, maybe we should get back the the actual subject?

You are correct and I will digress ...

I don't think there is a single engine plane that I would fly in the clouds or the dark. Admittedly some of the auto conversions are quite reliable. My Corvair conversion has given consistent performance & has been quite trustworthy. But as a Sport Pilot I'm required to always have visual contact with the surface and I'm OK with that.

I would also tend to think that EFI would almost be a necessity as the moisture in the clouds would tend to cause ice in a carburetor equipped engine. Of course using the carb heat constantly would work at lower power settings.

But I know very little about IFR flight so you'll have to "bear" with me ...

 

[way_up_noth]

Umm, guys? This is a post about IFR with an auto conversion, in General Discussion. A little thread drift is understandable, but it's now close to 3 times as many posts about bears and guns than anything remotely connected to the original question, maybe we should get back the the actual subject?

I'd like everyone to know I appriciate the information on this site..it's unique and everyone is ready to add thier 2cents...I don't mind at all if the thread bounces around...off topic is what keeps people coming back to this site...

Many factory build sites I subscribe to are dry and not inviting...here it's the opposite..

I respect the mods ...but at the same time there is something uniques here that makes it a great place to come and read...

 

[TFF]

Bear in mind IFR in a small GA plane is way different than in a big jet. Rules are the same, planes are not. A little rain is fine. Heavy rain, not fun. Clouds in the summer is way different than clouds in the winter. IFR is a very useful tool, but a lot of times it feels like fancy VFR in a small plane. Unless you have away of dealing with ice and a decent autopilot, there is a limit. Hopefully sanity is in control not pushing rules.

 

[Pops]

Two of my main fears in flying. Thunderstorms and icing. I have been in both were I would have traded everything I owned just to be home in bed.

 

[crusty old aviator]

Two of my main fears in flying. Thunderstorms and icing. I have been in both were I would have traded everything I owned just to be home in bed.

Even if there was a bear under the bed?

 

[lakeracer69]

This is Bearly entertaining.

 

[wsimpso1]

You are correct and I will digress ...

I don't think there is a single engine plane that I would fly in the clouds or the dark. Admittedly some of the auto conversions are quite reliable. My Corvair conversion has given consistent performance & has been quite trustworthy. But as a Sport Pilot I'm required to always have visual contact with the surface and I'm OK with that.

I would also tend to think that EFI would almost be a necessity as the moisture in the clouds would tend to cause ice in a carburetor equipped engine. Of course using the carb heat constantly would work at lower power settings.

But I know very little about IFR flight so you'll have to "bear" with me ...

I fly single in the dark (did so last night and for one of the landings, I shut off the landing light as practice for the bulb burning out. I also fly IFR in a single on fairly regular basis. Yes, I would want a lot of proveout on my entire airplane before I start launching IFR or in the dark with it, but it is done widely and safely. Do I fly IFR in the dark? Not any more. Do I fly dark over mountains? Nope. We all have different comfort levels, and that comfort is largely a matter of staying cool while doing these things - panic and incapacity kills way more than equipment issues.

As moisture in clouds causing carb ice, please revisit the texts and physics of carb ice. The thing that causes carb ice is adequate humidity and carb venturi temperatures below freezing. The venturi drops temps a bunch - given enough moisture and temp drop, it condenses vapor water to liquid and then to solid. Liquid water will also do it, but plenty of carb ice incidents have occured in good visual conditions. Going with anecdotes again, I have flown plenty of IFR with carb equipped airplanes and have NEVER had a carb ice issue. Yeah, it has all been behind Lycomings, which have the carb bolted to the sump, so carb ice tends to be infrequent, but that is what the carb heat knob is for.

EFI does tend to eliminate carb ice because there is no carb. You can still coat the airfilter with ice and choke things, but that is what the alternate air door knob is for.

Billski

 

[wsimpso1]

Holy Thread Drift Batman. Seriously off topic.

 

[Turd Ferguson]

I don't think there is a single engine plane that I would fly in the clouds or the dark.

There are few planes I would fly under IFR and/or at night (since in the past I have done exactly that).

They are powered by a Pratt & Whitney PT6 engine.

Would I do it with a converted auto powerplant? Nah.

 

[Daleandee]

There are few planes I would fly under IFR and/or at night (since in the past I have done exactly that).

They are powered by a Pratt & Whitney PT6 engine.

Would I do it with a converted auto powerplant? Nah.

Perhaps I should clarify my statement a bit to read, " there isn't single engine airplane that I can afford that I would fly in the dark or in the clouds."

I have no interest in IFR flight and little in flying in the dark although I've been there and the air is usually smooth, the radios quiet, and the view quite awesome. But if I were gonna consider a night flying I'd certainly want to be IFR rated and current for when I flew into a cloud in the dark ... ...

 

[Heliano]

Aircraft certified piston engines' IFSD (rate of unintentional inflight shutdown) is roughly one every 8000-10000 hours. Therefore an inflight engine failure is a real possibility. If one flies IFR at night with a piston single engine he is running an important risk. Turboprops do much better: a low power P&W PT6A (e.g. PT6A-27, PT6A-34, PT6A-25), very mature engines, IFSD is around 300000 hours. As for flying in rain, engine is not the only consideration: pitot/static ports MUST be heated and precipitation tested (heavy rain may create a layer of water causing obstruction of the static port); internal windshield defog is important; Humidity protection for electrical system components is highly advised; two independent attitude indicators are essential. My advise is: wanto to fly IFR at night with a single engine aircraft? get a turboprop certified for, or at least extensively tested in, IMC flight or in flight through precipitation.

 

[Aerowerx]

Could someone please explain.

Is the chance of an engine failure flying IFR at night any higher than flying IFR in the daytime?

(And, yes, I realize you can't see what you are about to run in to.)

 

[Pops]

Could someone please explain.

Is the chance of an engine failure flying IFR at night any higher than flying IFR in the daytime?

(And, yes, I realize you can't see what you are about to run in to.)

Reminds me of when I was getting my night flying in as a student pilot over the WV hills and mountains. I ask the instructor what would we do if the engine quit. He said put the landing lights on and if you didn't like what you see, turn them off.

 

[BJC]

Yes, according to Murphy, who said, “Anything that can go wrong will go wrong, and at the worst possible time and place [which is up in the air, IFR, at night.]”

Then there is O’Reilly, who noted that Murphy is an optimist.


BJC

 

[Hephaestus]

Reminds me of when I was getting my night flying in as a student pilot over the WV hills and mountains. I ask the instructor what would we do if the engine quit. He said put the landing lights on and if you didn't like what you see, turn them off.

Semi mitigated if you've got a synthetic vision option available to you... Should be able to at least get close enough to get landing lights on a roadway.

It's impressed the heck out of me the last few trips to BC...

 

[TarDevil]

Oh, the risks I used to take.

Any idea how much more impressive it was to take a college girl flying at night than daylight?

(It's a minor reason I'm married to my wife!)