Lancair 235/320    N19BJ

                                                                                                          Sacramento River Delta      March 2001

When I purchased N19BJ in 1995, it had a 1500 hour O-235 engine with a Warnke wood propeller.  After flying for about 200 hrs, I ordered a IO-320 engine from Lycon.  It took  nearly a year from ordering the engine to first flight in the summer of 1998.  As of January 2008,  I have 584 hours on the IO-320.

The fuel injection system is from Airflow Performance, with the sump modified by Lycon to allow the fuel controller to face forward.  The lower cowl required extensive changes to allow room for the exhaust system and to add the SC-01 cowl scoop from Lancair.   Notice there is a very minimal intake structure along the bottom of the cowl.  A 3-blade propeller and a Mark Landoll harmonic balancer were added.  No modifications to the upper cowl were needed.

The Airflow Performance system has a somewhat unique "Purge Valve" which is used to cool the fuel system for hot starts by circulating fuel back to the header tank with the boost pump before attempting to start the engine.   Fuel flow with purge valve open, full throttle and rich mixture, is 3-4 gallons per hour.   When the engine is hot I first run the boost pump for a full minute with the purge valve open, then start the engine with the mixture  full rich and the throttle about 1/8 inch open.  For cold starts I prime for about 3 seconds by running the boost pump with full throttle and mixture rich,  then leave mixture rich,  throttle to about 1/8 inch.   Usually starts in 1-2 revolutions.   I also use the purge valve to shut the engine down.

March 2004 update:  I have just replaced my 3-blade Felix wood propeller with a 3-blade electric constant speed prop from MT in Germany.  Its designation is MTV-18-C/160-105.  Of course, this made an impressive improvement in takeoff and climb because it allows the engine to rev up to full horspower.   Cruise speed seems to be about the same,  approx 175 knots at 10gph.  The MT prop weighs about 7 lbs more than the wood prop, prop extension, and harmonic damper which were on the engine.

June 2004 update:   I installed a Pacific Northwest Aero vortex generator kit.   The kit came with a diagram of the Lancair wing with VG  locations specified and a template to ensure the correct angle for each pair.  I used the suggested locations, and used the supplied double-sided carpet tape to stick them on.  The VGs changed the stalling characteristics from a very quick and frighteningly steep break to a sort of mush, with the nose staying high.  While the ailerons become soft, you can still gently rock the wings.  Pictures below.

September 2004 update:  The Navaid autopilot has been replaced with the EZ Pilot from Trio Avionics.  This autopilot is driven by the digtal data stream from the GPS.  It works with the Navaid servo, so only the control head was replaced.  This unit will intercept the course line from any direction, and locks on much faster.  It also has a 0-1 mile "track offset" which is useful when approaching an airport.
 

	MT electric constant-speed propeller Click for larger image
	Prop pitch motor and separately adjustable limit switches.  The forward switch limits cruise pitch and the aft switch limits climb pitch.  When a limit is reached, one of the limit switches shorts the motor.  This is sensed by controller and power shuts off.  Diodes embedded in the  switch frame allow motor to be started in the opposite direction.
	Pitch motor slip ring and RPM pickup detail. The slip ring assembly is not visible here.  It bolts to the inside of the starter ring.  The pickup unit has two carbon brushes which provide a connection to the reversible pitch motor and a magnetic sensor which gets RPM information by sensing the passage of the heads of the bolts which attach the slip ring.  The bracket which supports the pickup unit is supplied by MT and fit perfectly, all I had to do was cut a rectangular hole in the baffle.

	Vortex generator closeup.    This is the recommended configuration with VGs configured from fuselage to tip.      In this configuration, cruise speed is reduced by about 5 kts.   With stick full back, nose is very high,  plane is descending about 700 fpm.  Indicated air speed is about 50 kts.
	Current vortex generator configuration:   I found that having VGs only in front of the ailerons gives about the same stall performance, and should be less draggy than the full configuration.  After 3 years, the VGs are still held on by the carpet tape.   I have only lost one.

Airflow Performance purge valve.  Red hose is return line to header tank.  Fuel from controller comes up between the cylinders and into the bottom of the valve. Click for larger image

Picture of the engine installation   Click for larger image

Throttle and mixture cables showing B-nut (Aircraft  Spruce PN 05-16230) on the mixture cable.   Click for larger image

Throttle and mixture cable attachment to Airflow Performance fuel servo (this picture was taken before B-nut was installed)   Click for larger image

Alternate air box.  This gives about  .8" boost. The air box is made of (mostly) pieces of fiberglass tubing.  The flapper is a piece of .036 stainless which engages a slot cut in the vertical shaft.  You can see the air box in the engine installation picture, above. Click picture for larger image

I replaced the avionics in June 2001.  This is the original avionics stack.

KT76A transponder, KY97A comm transceiver, Northstar M1 Loran. Navaid wing-leveler autopilot interfaced to Garmin 195 and Northstar Loran Click picture for full size.

This is the Apollo avionics stack, showing the terrain display.

Apollo MX20, multi-function display  Apollo SL60 GPS/COM Apollo SL70 Transponder

This is the terrain display in the simulator mode, with speed set to 990 knots. Terrain higher than 500 feet below is shown in red,  from 500 to 1000 feet below is yellow,  from 1000 to 2000 below is green,  and below that is shown in black.     Click picture for full size.

        In-flight pictures of the Apollo avionics.         The display is easily readable in bright sunshine.

This photograph  was taken on the way home from the Lancair fly-in  on 9/5/04.   The white spot in the middle of the screen is Mt. Shasta.   Mt. Shasta is also visible out of the left side of the windshield. (This  is a composite of 3 pictures "stitched" together) This picture also shows the controller for the MT propeller below the gyro compass and the Trio autopilot. This is the display I normally use.  "Track-up, arc mode"   Click picture for full size.

Terrain display, in  track up-arc mode. Taken before the constant-speed prop was installed. Click picture for full size.

    Looking up at the Airflow Performance fuel servo.

The sump had two tapped holes in the bottom which made  good attach points for the aluminum angle which holds the throttle cable.  This also shows the ram air/filtered air inlet, with the filtered air coming down from the forward baffling above the starter.   Click picture for full size

      Airflow Performance boost pump, mounted on firewall in front of passenger's feet.

This is a nice place for the pump, but I dread the day that I might have to replace it.   Click picture for full size

      Navaid Autopilot servo mounted under passengers seat.

The control rod reaches through the console and attaches to the bottom of the pilot's stick.   Click picture for full size

     Gear mounted landing light

The landing light is a commercial halogen bulb socket fastened to a curved piece of aluminum which fits over the existing bolt which secures the outer gear door link.  This avoids drilling the gear weldment. To avoid burning anything up, I added a relay which powers the light only when the gear is down.   Click picture for full size.