411A:
The simple answer to your question is no.
We pre oiled and on the first start got no oil pressure, shut down after about fifteen seconds.
We disconnected the oil pressure line and there was air in it.
We started again and shut down right away and drained more air out of the line.
We started the engine once more and waited for thirty seconds at low RPM and once again shut down and called it a day as it was late.
The next morning we pre oiled again once again checked the oil pressure line for air with oil pressure from the pre oil, on that start we got normal oil pressure indication.
We have been repairing and operating these engines for decades and do not run them without oil pressure at any RPM above the lowest it will run at, especially at tempertures as low as the temps. that we had that day due to the cold oil will result in excessive oil pressures at any RPM above that at which it will keep running......until we get 40 degrees C we do not exceed lowest RPM it will keep running at.
We determined the oil pressure problem was due to the pressure line and instrument having air or for some other reason failed to indicate pressure as once the pressure started to indicate it was normal.........
Bear in mind the engine was well pre oiled and was not run at any RPM other than that at which it would run with prime due to the temperature being around ten or so degrees C.
During all engine runs both Bob and John were parked in a car keeping warm, therefore their ability to determine what was transpireing in the airplane has to be examined from that basis.....
As to the accusation that we did not monitor the instruments during the high speed runs down the runway, that is ludricious, how did John determine that. He was in the compartment behind the cockpit and it is impossible for him to observe where we were looking....give me a break do you for a heartbeat think that me and my crew would ignore the instrument indications on test runs????
Naw, 411A what we have here is a situation wherein Bob clearly tried to intimidate me into doing things that in my opinion compromized the safety of the operating of that airplane, and the engine runs were not the only problems that we had.
To put it simple, Bob told me before I left Canada that he and John would fly the ferry flight with me and I informed him that in that case he could find another crew.
He then agreed that me and the Edwards Brothers would fix, test and ferry the airplane, with a ferry permit signed by a DAR because the airplane did not meet the standards required for an annual sign out.
I then booked a flight and went to England at Bobs request.
On the third day we were informed that John would sign out an annual and we did not need the DAR, I refused to fly it on that basis and both the Edwards Brothers stated they would not fly in it unless I were the Captain, so Bob agreed to having a ferry permit issued by an FAA DAR.......there were just to many problems that finally ended up with Bob giving me an ultimatum that I was not prepared to accept............end of story.
By the way we pulled the main screen on the engine that had the oil pressure indication problem after the test runs and there was only carbon in it...
However after sitting outside for eight years and never flown who knows what condition the bearings will be in due to possible galling of the surfaces?
Unless the case is split and the bearings checked it is anyones guess what condition the engines are in, the real test will be how long they run once the airplane starts flying.......
And that brings me back to the issue of fuel..........I will only put on enough fuel to safely fly short planned flights until we determine the condition of the engines after all those years sitting outside in the weather.....that way if I lose one I will be at an all up weight that I can safely fly it on one to the nearest airport , river, lake or ocean......
The real crunch came with my being told that they planned on fueling with enough fuel to fly to Dijon France then on the southern Italy before adding fuel to save money.
Then when he informed me he would fly it and my crew would not be flying it during the ferry flight period, I had no choice but to leave.
Anyhow everyone has lost on this one and the airplane has yet to fly......
Bottom line is I have never ever failed to deliver an airplane until this one..........
To walk away knowing I would probably lose two thousand dollars I must have been sure that I was justified to refuse Bob's ultimatum....
Hopefully everyone that reads this will consider what is most important, money, or safety and integrity.
My decision was to leave and I have not had reason to regret it.
Chuck