Flaps....Plain, Slotted, or Fowler??

[bobbysamd]

Seminole fuel system

What is there to debate about a Seminole's fuel system?

If anything, the emergency gear release is debate fodder. It's not described well at all!

There seems to be an ongoing debate as to the number of fuel pumps in a Seminole. This has been controversial because DEs seem to have differing opinions.

Some people believe that the primers and throttle pumps count as fuel pumps, along with the electric boost pumps and the regular engine-driven pumps. Somehow, the Janitrol is inserted in this debate somewhere. These debates abounded at Riddle and were also present to a lesser degree during my FSI days.

I won't take a position here on Seminole fuel pumps here because this is a flap discussion, or, shall I say, a flap over flaps!

 

[Chunk]

Okay...you won't join the fray, but I will.

Old Seminole - 5 pumps (2 mechanical, 2 electrical boost, 1 janitrol)

New Seminole -6 (same as before, but 2 on the "Janitorial" heater) Why 2 on the the heater now? Haven't gotten a straight answer on that.

Chunk

 

[Typhoon1244]

Typhoon is right....these inane discussions get out of hand sometimes here @ FSI.

My favorite FSI checkride question came from a four-striper (whose initials are K.P.) who wanted to know where the Seminole's props are manufactured.

Yeah. That's useful knowledge during an engine failure...

 

[ShawnC]

My favorite FSI checkride question came from a four-striper (whose initials are K.P.) who wanted to know where the Seminole's props are manufactured.

Yeah. That's useful knowledge during an engine failure...

Well I know what I would say:
"Up your a$$, stick to the Oral Guide, and PTS a$$hole."

And no I don't care if he would have failed me for saying that.

 

[Chunk]

I heard a lot about that guy even though he's long gone. I guess he barely fit his inflated noggin in the aircraft.

I heard he got spanked quite a few times for crap like that. I'd almost want to get busted for it just for the chance to b*tch about him....

We have a few ego's around (well, maybe leaving soon)....I still have one more checkride to go, then I'll talk!

Chunk

 

[need2AV8]

Fuel to the fire

A very knowledgeable instructor once showed me that the technical aerodynamic definition of a fowler flap is one that increases the wing surface area by at least 25%. I can't recall where he got the info.

In any event, as long as they drop when I tell em to, its all good.

 

[310]

Don't forget the split flap; always stalled if deployed

 

[SkyWestCRJPilot]

Or there was the check airman who asked how many fan blades there are on the N1 fan for the CRJ. That's real useful to know. (28 by the way) I can see it now, "Captain, we just lost the number 18 fan blade!"

 

[Chunk]

Releases where? Not back to the resevoir, as is commonly thought. Why do the gear come down MUCH faster with more force using the emergency knob?

 

[Booker]

Re: Seminole fuel system

There seems to be an ongoing debate as to the number of fuel pumps in a Seminole. This has been controversial because DEs seem to have differing opinions.

Ditto for where I work. Not to compare apples and oranges, but you'll see that in larger aircraft, too. For example, ACA claims the CRJ has three fuel tanks: two in the wings and a CFT. However, ASA counts five, as they count the collector tanks, which are arguably integral to the wing tanks, separately.

(Don't you hate it when you ask a question and the response you get is, "Depends on who you ask"?)

 

[Typhoon1244]

Examiner questions:

I know a Lockheed Electra veteran who was once asked by a senior I.P. some question like "how many bolts hold the governor assembly onto the engine casing?" Our hero answered "one for each hole." The I.P. (who learned flying in the DC-3/B-17 days) wasn't pleased with that answer.

I liked this one...came up during my last CRJ-200 pro-check.

The question: "is it acceptable to exceed your planned Mach number?"

My answer: "That depends. What am I blocked to that month?"

 

[flywithastick]

It does release back to the resevoir according to the schematic.

As deftone states, it goes back to the reservoir. Where else could it go? Overboard? to the high pressure side? The system stays intact, so fluid relieved must go from the actuation cylinder to a lower pressure portion of the system.

 

[eaglefly]

Actually, the flap design on most all single engine Cessna aircraft are referred to as semi-fowler flaps.

A pure fowler flap will move aft with every extention. Most single-engine Cessna flaps move aft only during the first 10 or 20 degrees.