Recent content by Ron Wanttaja

I think, under some circumstances, such rights will be granted. Last year, the future head of a federal board publicly named several federal employees who he claimed were contributing to "inefficiency," These people received phone and email harassment, including death threats. Several days...

I believe the last El Al hijacking was in 1970. There's a difference in what security measures you can implement with the aircraft of a single, state-owned airline with ~50 aircraft vs. an international terminal like JFK.... Ron Wanttaja

Started at Boeing in 1981, just down the road from Plant 2 in the Developmental Center (the Boeing plant right across the street from the Museum of Flight). Retired in 2017. Since I worked on space projects almost my entire career, I never had a chance to go to Plant 2 for work. However, did...

There's a major factor that has to be considered, here: The insurance companies. You can whip the FAA into simplifying the certification process, but insurance rates won't be fooled. The insurance company will set rates based on actual accidents; if a particular type of aircraft has more...

Again, though, my results are for Experimental Amateur-Built aircraft, for which there are NO standards that must be followed. If we're talking about an engine that will be used commercially, one would assume that, for liability reasons alone, the manufacturer would expend some effort to ensure...

Auto engine conversions do not have a stellar record in homebuilt aviation. This graphic illustrates the percentage of accidents due to engine mechanical issues for about 22 years of homebuilt accidents. Note that the auto conversions actually come out worse than two-stroke engines. Now...

In the US, the IA's job during the annual inspection is to verify that the airplane still complies with its Type Certificate. If the installed engine is not in accordance with the Type Certificate or a Supplemental Type Certificate, the IA is not supposed to sign off on the annual. Ron Wanttaja

I'd originally heard the story as the states having done it....

George Bogardus, the Oregon Outlaws, and the American Airmen's Association. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/air-space-magazine/barnstorming-the-beltway-12169194/ Sport Aviation, page 36, February 2018. Basically, the CAA allowed homebuilts to fly only for 30 days, while the Outlaws claimed...

That sort of freedom actually resulted in homebuilt airplanes being banned in 47 states by 1940. There was such a casualty rate among homebuilt airplane owners that the state governments took action. Ron Wanttaja P.S. The answer is, "Oregon"

Nope. Probably some glitch in the B&C solid-state regulator. Wouldn't know how to trouble-shoot that, and the workaround is so simple there's no reason to try to figure it out. After I installed the system, I was mighty peeved when the system failed to charge on the first start. Flipped the...

My alternator won't work if it's on when I start the engine. I can cycle the switch and then it works, but now eliminate the middle-man and start with it off. B&C alternator and regulator on a C-85. Ron Wanttaja

I'm in agreement regarding avoiding paper-whipped annuals. Planes DO need to be occasionally inspected. But shouldn't this be based on hours, not calendar days? I fly 25-30 hours a year, but each year, I have to disassemble the aircraft and splay it all out so the A&P can look at it. Then I...

I forwarded the article to one of my fellow retirees, who worked propulsion through his entire career, including developing electronic propulsion. His comment echoed the classic, "Extraordinary claims require extraordinary proof." He says these have come up over the years, but none of them...

Rather stupidly written. Propulsion systems don't produce "Gs" of thrust. pounds of thrust, gram-force of thrust, newtons of thrust, yeah, but not "one Earth gravity of thrust". THAT depends on the mass of the object it is trying to propel. In the text of the article, it mentions that the...