Fuel Primer Line

[Battson]

Battson I've been looking at pics of your fuel system and I can't see a primer line. Do have a manual primer? If not, have you missed it at all?

Na I haven't got one installed, and I have never wished I had a primer.

I guess if I had no battery power whatsoever for some reason - so little power that I couldn't run the fuel pump for a few seconds - maybe I would want a primer. That would be the worst case scenario... which would only really apply in a true "lost in the backcountry" scenario with no help available. I suppose 99 times in 100 a flat battery happens when the plane's been sitting for weeks / months, not in the middle of nowhere - unless you leave the masters on!

I would like to find out whether I can swing the engine enough to get fuel to the cylinders. To be honest I can't say if gravity plus the engine driven pump would supply fuel to the cylinders or not. I presume it would.

[Mark Goldberg]

Swinging the prop through by hand is not too hard on the 4 cylinder engines. The six cylinder is harder and having those Bushwheels on makes it much harder still. The prop is WAY high up in the air. Mark

[Battson]

I was taught the safest way to hand-swing is to pull the bottom blade, from about the 5 o'clock position - standing beside the plane and walking / running away from the prop as you pull. Using that technique, I think the big tires would be OK. You will see guys standing in front and pulling downwards on the prop - that is a good way to lose an arm / head. Three blade props are the worst to hand swing, especially the lighter ones like the MT (my opinion)

[whee]

Thanks Battson.