How to start a plane in Mexico

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Darkhorse
Posts: 555
Joined: Fri Aug 14, 2009 12:32 am

How to start a plane in Mexico

Post by Darkhorse »

Notice the writing on the engine cowl, 100% Alcohol, I don't know if that is what they sell, what the plane uses or what they have been drinking. :lol:

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=40 ... =2&theater
Now we have demonstrable evidence that if you try to lead from behind, eventually the guys up front will stop looking back for instructions.
Government-coerced expression is a feature of dictatorships that has no place in a free country
Pudfark

Re: How to start a plane in Mexico

Post by Pudfark »

I saw where Patty Wagstaff commented..... +1
That's one tough old lady....lol
fatman
Posts: 4677
Joined: Thu Jul 30, 2009 4:40 am

Re: How to start a plane in Mexico

Post by fatman »

Probably a mixture of all three Darkhorse :lol:
HappyHappy

Re: How to start a plane in Mexico

Post by HappyHappy »

Cute video, but the prop was turning before the truck moved
but only by a nanosecond. Maybe it was more like a starter assist.
Very risky, that rope in the prop have may have been a catastrophe.


HH
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ChipznBeer
Posts: 740
Joined: Mon Aug 03, 2009 5:01 pm

Re: How to start a plane in Mexico

Post by ChipznBeer »

Darkhorse wrote:Notice the writing on the engine cowl, 100% Alcohol, I don't know if that is what they sell, what the plane uses or what they have been drinking. :lol:
:lol:
Pudfark

Re: How to start a plane in Mexico

Post by Pudfark »

Why didn't they just hand prop it?
No way I would ever, short of life n death, put that much sideways load on the crankshaft/prop hub.
On top of that...it's a crop duster meaning low altitude and harsh handling ...and 100% alcohol...will rot the entire fuel system. They won't live to be an old, bold, pilot.
Idiots abound in that vid.

It would cost 30,000.00 plus to zero time overhaul that engine...?
HappyHappy

Re: How to start a plane in Mexico

Post by HappyHappy »

Pudfark wrote:Why didn't they just hand prop it?
No way I would ever, short of life n death, put that much sideways load on the crankshaft/prop hub.
On top of that...it's a crop duster meaning low altitude and harsh handling ...and 100% alcohol...will rot the entire fuel system. They won't live to be an old, bold, pilot.
Idiots abound in that vid.

It would cost 30,000.00 plus to zero time overhaul that engine...?

Conversion to alcohol/methanol is not a big deal when the engine and fuel system
are torn down.
Running it on Alcohol is more risky because of water dillution issues
as pure alcohol will deteriorate into water over time...
That said, you are correct, just re-jetting it and running Alcohol would
be asking for trouble.

HH
Pudfark

Re: How to start a plane in Mexico

Post by Pudfark »

When you get up to altitude...say above 5500 feet....vaporization of the fuel would be an insurmountable problem on 100 percent alcohol. That's the why of no (known to me) ethanol gas in "certified" aircraft engines...and again mentioning the corrosive qualities of acohol and ethanol on fuel systems.

When I bought my plane....100LL was $2.10 a gallon, when it went to $5.00+ per gallon, I sold it.
I had an STC for unleaded car gas, which could have made flying more affordable...I never used it.
I did have access to unleaded no ethanol gas that I could have used in my plane....I normally flew under 4000' ASL...vaporization prolly wouldn't have been a problem.

From the vid at the start of this thread....dollar to a dime...sez they burnt the starter out trying to get the engine running on "cat pee"....it ain't difficult to hand prop an airplane engine....unless, it's a turbine.. ;)
Kira1985
Posts: 62
Joined: Thu Oct 22, 2009 3:32 am

Re: How to start a plane in Mexico

Post by Kira1985 »

Calling it Mexico when there's clearly a brazillian flag on the plane. :lol:

As for the 100% alcohol engine not lasting etc etc, it was developed by Technological Institute of Aeronautics engineers, and it's actually cheaper to maintain it.
Image
Pudfark

Re: How to start a plane in Mexico

Post by Pudfark »

Kira1985 wrote:Calling it Mexico when there's clearly a brazillian flag on the plane. :lol:

As for the 100% alcohol engine not lasting etc etc, it was developed by Technological Institute of Aeronautics engineers, and it's actually cheaper to maintain it.
Fuel injected or with a "Carb"?
I would think...if it was safely "do-able" it'd be Fuel Injected and the fuel tanks probably have "bladders" in them? I still believe, without some kind of "additive"? Fuel vaporization at altitude, would be a great concern. Just my two centavos...
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