General question to all frieght pilots

Let me clarify-
They work, but they are temperamental at best. If you don't have all the knobs just right, and that overheat breaker (I think it was in the nose wheelwell in the Duchess) pops, you're hosed until you land and reset it. Sucks. I really like the coolant heat in the DA42.
 
Roger said:
How old are they?
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oldest is a 2000, newest 4 are 2008's most have janitrols, some have C&D's. it is also so freaking cold here in the winter that if the heaters didn't work, the seminoles wouldn't fly ever. then again the MX here is top notch!
 
MikeD said:
Going into the WAY back machine here (17 yrs ago)..but didn't the Janitrol burn a 0.5 gal/hr out of the right tank? Or something like that?
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in a 'nole it is 0.5/hr out of the left fuel selector ;)

now a C&D burns 2.0/hr and puts out 10,000 less BTU's :(
 
MikeD said:
Going into the WAY back machine here (17 yrs ago)..but didn't the Janitrol burn a 0.5 gal/hr out of the right tank? Or something like that?
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Sounds right....definitely the right tank, can't remember the GPH. Twinstar systems have taken over that part of my brain, I can't imagine how that piece of info stayed stuck in yours with some of the airplanes you flew!
 
Roger said:
Sounds right....definitely the right tank, can't remember the GPH. Twinstar systems have taken over that part of my brain, I can't imagine how that piece of info stayed stuck in yours with some of the airplanes you flew!
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sigh, i just stated it on the post above yours. :hiya:


2ilzole.jpg
 
1. That's the 'nole fuel system, I learned on the Duchess.
2. IIRC (could be wrong) Janitrol made different models of heaters. Therefore the one in the Duchess could burn a different GPH.
 
Roger said:
1. That's the 'nole fuel system, I learned on the Duchess.
2. IIRC (could be wrong) Janitrol made different models of heaters. Therefore the one in the Duchess could burn a different GPH.
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i missed that part. and AFAIK you are correct. same with C&D they make different models. same concept, different construction; all stainless steel instead of ceramic so less prone to cracking
 
MikeD said:
Going into the WAY back machine here (17 yrs ago)..but didn't the Janitrol burn a 0.5 gal/hr out of the right tank? Or something like that?
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In the Chieftain that's correct, you can also see the fuel flow gauge on the right side flick as it starts up.
 
MikeD said:
[reprinted from JC2003]

That's the world I lived in for a number of years back in the mid-90s. Nothing like having a beat-up Lance/Caravan/Navajo-Chieftain to tool around in hard IFR with.......

But oddly enough, even with the beat-up equipment, there was a note of pride and some satisfaction from recovering to a field out of an NDB or VOR circling approach at mins. I came into Winslow, AZ once during a moderate snowstorm in a PA-31 Chieftain and upon breakout, had to circle for winds (VOR 11, circle to RW 4). WX was snow/freezing drizzle, about 600/1, and I had a frozen co-pilot windshield, was cycling the wing/tail boots, but the hot props didn't appear to be working, since ice would sling off the props into the nose ice shields every 30 seconds or so. I couldn't see the airfield, but did manage to spot a Cessna 441 Conquest parked all by it's lonesome with snow all around it, but couldn't make out the runways or taxiway, plowing hadn't occurred yet and wasn't going to apparently. I was able to maintain circling MDA, could maintain this "airport environment" (of a single parked plane) in sight and could remain within 1.5 miles of the field, so I circled dirty around the airport until I could make out some semblance of which snow strip was actually the runway (the runway lights were covered in snow), and proceeded to land. Upon landing, there was no need for brakes since the snow decelerated the aircraft quick enough; and once I could find a taxiway exit, I was able to generally make out the airport layout based on the positioning of the Conquest, the terminal building, and the lone UPS truck sitting on the ramp. Called FSS to have them pass to ZAB Center that I was actually on the ground. After parking, the UPS guy came over holding a large and heavy chunk of ice shaped like the nose of my Navajo, that had just come off the Navajo's nose. There was varying amounts of ice all over everywhere that didn't have deice or anti-ice protection.

After unloading my boxes and getting my sleeping bag set up in the cargo area, there was time to reflect on a sense of accomplishment in having been able to make the mission happen. As freight dogs, that's what we do. Had I not been able to use some of the breaks I was given on the approach, it would've been missed, try it again, then divert. But a little ingenuity and a few breaks go a long way.
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I don't know who wrote this but;

Just to play the Devils advocate here:
Lets end that scenario differently. You land and, no fault of your own, a tire deflates on touchdown, and you go careening off the side. Besides the ambiguity of trying to keep a paycheck after totaling the a/c, picture yourself defending what you said while a judge is to the right and the administrative prosecutor is in front of you.
Remember, in administrative law, guilty until proven innocent. That's a biggie.

Also, just a small point, but when ice is pelting the side of the airplane, usually a good sign that the prop heat *is* working.
 
Itchy said:
I don't know who wrote this but;

Just to play the Devils advocate here:
Lets end that scenario differently. You land and, no fault of your own, a tire deflates on touchdown, and you go careening off the side. Besides the ambiguity of trying to keep a paycheck after totaling the a/c, picture yourself defending what you said while a judge is to the right and the administrative prosecutor is in front of you.
Remember, in administrative law, guilty until proven innocent. That's a biggie.

Also, just a small point, but when ice is pelting the side of the airplane, usually a good sign that the prop heat *is* working.
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Somehow the mail has to get in, it doesn't matter if you do it, or the next guy does it, that plane will launch, and it will fly if its legal. And, if its legal, there's not a damn thing they can do about it. If a tire deflates and drags you off the runway, no harm no foul if you're not killed. People are doing this all the time. The feds don't think this sort of thing is dangerous, otherwise they'd change the rules to make it illegal. You can fly at the absolute limit of legality every day all day, and nothing is wrong provided your inside your tolerances, and that you don't do anything stupid/careless/reckless while doing it. If you fly through icing more than moderate, your hosed, if braking action is nil, your hosed, if the book in that particular chiefton has a descrepancy titled "tire periodically deflates in flight." and the mechanic hasn't signed it off your hosed. Landing on a runway with a load of snow is no biggie, isn't agains the law, and isn't illegal. In fact, its not even unsafe. Snow makes it less likely you'll carreen off the end of said iced over runway.
 
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