CSU and Retrac Endorsements
 

Hi Guys,
Doing my CSU and Retrac in the next few days and it is a little pushed for time. Just wondering what reading i should be doing tonight to get ahead on the theory so i can do more practical time? Is there anything in any of the CPL books I should read (the bob tait ones)? OR just read the 182RG manual as i haven't flown it before?

Cheers guys

I'd read the manual first, and on top of that get what info you can on the particular systems you're interested in on that airframe, ie the gear actuation system and the CSU with emphasis on what can go wrong with them.

Identifying failure modes and what the emergency checklist says to do about them wouldn't be a bad start.

I haven't flown the retractable Cessnas but there'll likely be a normal way of getting the gear up and down and something else to do if that doesn't work!

You can get all technical and memorise how the governor and all that magic works. Just need to know when increasing power its Mix-Pitch-MP and when decreasing power its MP-Pitch-Mix in order to avoid doing damage.

Learn the power settings.
Learn the limits for gear extension and operation.
Learn the emergency extension procedure.
And for the 182RG - learn where the hydraulic reservoir is, how to find out the qty and how the refill the bugger.

Apart from that it's pretty straight forward and will take no time at all to master.

G'Day,

I just had a flick to the procedures in the 182RG book and read the relevant system sections in the Bob Tail General Knowledge textbook and I found this adequate for mine.

Rob

thanks for that guys, i shall go through it all.
I now have heaps of time because i just got a call that the plane has gone US for at least 10 days! Just my luck.... :ugh:

Yeh those Bob Tail's books are Doggone handy .... woof! :E

This ones quite handy.

Chris Markham Advanced Aircraft Type Endorsements | Skylines pilot shop

Doing it in a C182RG....DDAC?

If you can get a hold of the flight manual you'll be set.

Everything about the system set up, normal operation/emergency operation and limits are in there. Give it a good read.

Learn the speed limits and the emergency extension procedure before you get in the thing and you'll save a lot of time and hassle.

And 'keep the prop on top!'.

Also if you can get into the habit of doing a check of the gear on short final you may save yourself considerable embarrassment.:ok: All approaches have a short final.

All in all it's very straight forward and I doubt you'll have any problems whatsoever if you prepare properly.

Have fun:8

Sounds like good luck to me :ok: You'll now know your theory a lot better before jumping in the plane, which will give you more bang for your buck when you jump in the plane!

I sincerely hope you're referring to not nosediving into the ground, instead of mindlessly parroting ridiculous old wives tales about "square" power settings.

Unless of course you are indeed an old wife. Then all is forgiven.

"PUFF".............NEVER 4get this when on final ( I still use it after 30+ yrs driving planes inc my latest Frog machine:))............the rest you can bluff yr way thru inc keeping the 'prop on top'...I like that one:ok:

Here's a good little trick to practice when yr out there flying a plane with retracts.Set yourself up for final App flap configured prop pitch etc set as if you where going to land but leave the gear up. Obviously DON'T land just make the App as if you where going to land accept with gear still tucked away. Take note of the pwr settings req'd to maintain a certain App speed & ROD with that gear not down. Now make missed App & do the same with the gear down fully configured for landing noting the power req'd. You will be surprised after a while if you find one day that you need to have the power way back further than normal then it's a fair bet you have 4gotten the Dunlops:):) At least with a Cessna it takes micro seconds to see of the wheels are out there in the breeze, well at least one leg!
This trick was shown to me many moons ago when I was doing a PA31 endo, the diff was amazing!



Wmk2

I know the idea is RED/BLUE/BLACK, but to be honest it really would not matter for the few seconds if you had a moment where detonation might get close to happening.

It is almost an old wives tale too, except that there is a small amount of theory that suggests you could get close to a detonation limit in some cases if you left them in a particular way.

Refer the other thread..........

Fair comment, however common sense must apply. I once had a chief pilot jump up and down yelling and screaming at me because I had increased the power without increasing the RPM first. I cant remember the details, but something like 20"/2400rpm, increased to 24"/2400rpm... Whatever it was, the RPM wasnt supposed to change. When I asked him how I was meant to increase the RPM from 2400 to 2400 he got very agitated.

Lasio

Common sense is writen above.

Your instructor was a nutter when it came to engineering and science. He may have been great at procedures, stick and rudder but knew nothing about converting hydrocarbons into noise and fun.

Simple as that.

Actually the instructor who did my CSU endorsement was certainly no expert on converting anything to fun, but a big proponent of old wives tales.

Thankfully Ive moved on past that mindset. :ok:

As long as you set manual figures, you WILL NOT damage the engine.

Try the phrase "Pitch up, Power down" just in case you get all black knobs.

Thread Drift.... How do you save a drowning All Black?

You can't. Even if you get him to the surface, He'll still choke!:}

Sorry...... Couldn't resist.

MIHC

You have got to be kidding me, you have you not lived!

Do you need a day or two at the Chimbu Chuckles piston aeroplane school? Search his posts. Just in case you do not believe any of mine. ;)

Enjoy the reading:ok:

Not saying they are they only settings available. Just alluding to the over square myths that seem to be around.

Are you saying POH figures WILL cause damage?

Trivia,
Charles Lindburg was "attached" to a P38 Sqn in WWII and suggested different mp/rpm setting in an attempt to increase their range. Confirmed theory with engineers and returned from a sortie with huge increase in reserve fuel over the other pilots.

Ps for the life of me, don't know why I quoted you in last post? Bloody iPad keyboard!

I know it sounds ponderous, but don't just flick the gear switch down and continue on with your landing checklist.

Get in the habit of leaving your paw on it and either saying or thinking "Gear selected down, then Three greens, gear down" and don't remove your paw until you have seen those three green lights.

Saved me some embarrassment once.

Oh, and of course PUF!

What I have been able to take from this so far (and Im still at the green end of the scale, so forgive me) is that you wont do any REAL (detonation, pre-ignition etc.) damage to an engine flying POH figures. Manufacturers publish these figures because around 75% of owners really dont care to do any real learning about correct engine/fuel management for what their flying and are happy enough to pot around at a "safe" setting in their a/c. Anyone who seems serious about engine and fuel management are doing the research and finding that there is some actual science behind it and advantages to be had.

Those owners whom operate at 'safe' settings soon change their attitude once they get the bills that go with a maltreated engine. Even in saying that, very few of the owners that I know actually DO take the time to read the books and literature available to them in order to extract the best out of their engine(s).

The bigger problem lies with guys like myself and many others who fly multiple types, I REALLY need to spend some research time before a flight just to ensure I am operating at the manufacturers parameters.

On the topic of a Retrac Endorsement would it be possible to do it in 2 hours in the aircraft? Is that a fair expectation?

What is it you are trying to say here? :confused:

Fuel is fuel, it does not care what engine it is in, round or flat, turbo or not turbo. The science is the same. Learn the science and apply accordingly.

What you need to be aware of is the section in the POH that is called LIMITATIONS. If there is anything written in there, then take notice. There will most likely be a good reason for anything written in "Limitations". And think about how those might affect your operation. For example if Max Rated Power is limited for say 5 minutes, that means climb outand perhaps using a combination of reduced RPM and the ever reducing MP as you climb to achieve a cetain % power by a certain time, problem solved. You may find that the climb alone gets you out of the limitation zone just by reduced MP. What it does not want you doing is balls to the wall up the beach at 50' for half an hour:ooh:.

It may be a Rev range due to harmonics.....different thing again. Otherwise its an engine. Be a student to the science....its a great thing and it never ends.:)