When I want to relax, I fly a no dihedral Hobbico trainer which has many flights and flies well. The 40 size engine was clamped to the mount rather than held conventionally by bolts. It flew well and all of a sudden became difficult to fly and after two cartwheel landings, I discovered that the engine had twisted in the clamps and I inadvertently was flying with about 8 degrees of right thrust when the plans called for none. At slow airspeeds such as on landing, it was near fatal so always check those clamps and your thrust line. The problem was difficult to detect.
Clamped Engines
Sep 19, 2003
7 Replies
This is just my 2 cents but why use clamps in the first place? Why take the risk? Even if you do alot of motor changes its not to much slower to just use bolts and nuts.
I think the idea is that if a begineer crashes the plane the clamped motor can move rather than break the engine mount or firewall. A trainer is probably fine with the clamp, but personally I like bolts better.
The real reason for using clamps is probably to cut costs at the factory. They don't care what plane is being built or what engine will be put on it. All they need is one mount design and one strap design.
Man!!! What ever happened to the good ole preflight check. I have to do em cause I loose enough planes by the stupid way I move the sticks!!! I don't need anything else causing my plane to take a dirt nap. Eddie Fulmer
dirt nap....I like that..!!
jk
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