Aircraft and engine testing

[earl1937]

  One of the things which had to be performed during WW2, or anytime for that matter, were certain testing on the aircraft to see if it was safe to fly. Here are some questions which might be of value to some in our game.

A- Magnetic compass was tested for accuracy by the use of a compass "Rose". What is a compass "Rose"

B- What is referred to as a "dash one"?

C- When testing navigational lights, and standing behind the aircraft, you will see 3 colors. What is their color from left to right?

D- How does a pilot check the "Oleo" strut on a main landing gear assy?

E- Why does the flight crew pull the propeller through several times before starting engines and in what direction, clock wise or counter clock wise?

F-What color should 115/145 grade fuel be?

h- What is a fuel system sump and what is its use in preflight?

I- Formation lights on military aircraft are what color? (Bombers)

J- What is an "APU" and what is its function?

K- What is a "ELT" and where is it generally located in an aircraft?

K- What is a "Bust Bar"?

There are many things which have to be checked on aircraft to see if they are safe to fly and a pilot, even in this day and age, should check the POH for correct pre-flight testing procedures.

One last question for you pilots: prior to takeoff, there is a mental check you can perform to see if everything is in proper order before taxing onto the active for takeoff and it is this: C  I  G  A  R  T  I  P, what does that mean?

[earl1937]

One of the things which had to be performed during WW2, or anytime for that matter, were certain testing on the aircraft to see if it was safe to fly. Here are some questions which might be of value to some in our game.

A- Magnetic compass was tested for accuracy by the use of a compass "Rose". What is a compass "Rose"

B- What is referred to as a "dash one"?

C- When testing navigational lights, and standing behind the aircraft, you will see 3 colors. What is their color from left to right?

D- How does a pilot check the "Oleo" strut on a main landing gear assy?

E- Why does the flight crew pull the propeller through several times before starting engines and in what direction, clock wise or counter clock wise?

F-What color should 115/145 grade fuel be?

h- What is a fuel system sump and what is its use in preflight?

I- Formation lights on military aircraft are what color? (Bombers)

J- What is an "APU" and what is its function?

K- What is a "ELT" and where is it generally located in an aircraft?

K- What is a "Bust Bar"?

There are many things which have to be checked on aircraft to see if they are safe to fly and a pilot, even in this day and age, should check the POH for correct pre-flight testing procedures.

One last question for you pilots: prior to takeoff, there is a mental check you can perform to see if everything is in proper order before taxing onto the active for takeoff and it is this: C  I  G  A  R  T  I  P, what does that mean?

Well, guess no one really cared about these questions, so I will go ahead and answer them for you!

A- During the 40's, a permanent straight line was established on the ramp somewhere, which was 10 feet in length and was aligned with TRUE North. An aircraft was then placed on this line, making sure center line of aircraft was pointing North. Then a tech would observe the magnetic compass in the aircraft and if it was pointing at say, 355, then the compass correction card would show a minus 5 degree correction. This compass "Rose" had all the "cardinal" points of the compass on the ground and the aircraft was usually tested on at least 4 different headings.

B- A "dash one" is kept with the aircraft and is a record of any "squawks" or defects, which maintenance people fixed or replaced.

C- Red, White, Green!

D- By using a "ruler" and measuring the amount of "chrome" showing when the aircraft was loaded! The amount of "chrome" which was required on preflight, varied from aircraft to aircraft, but on the 29 it was 9.5 inches and on the 51 it was 5.25 inches.

E- In large radial engines, the bottom cylinders were prone to collect oil when sitting idle and when the engineer started the engine, sometimes it would shear off the bendix in the starter, hence a "scrubbed" mission to change the starter. In most cases, you would turn the prop by hand in a clock wise direction or to the left if facing the engine.

F- Purple, Green for 100/115, clear for 80 octane!

H- The fuel system sump is the lowest point in the fuel system and if there is any water in the fuel, it will show up in your plastic tube which you drained from the sump.

I- Dark Blue

J- The APU is the "axillary power unit" and is used on the ground, primarly, to maintain electrical systems in the aircraft when engines are not running.

K- The "Emergency locator transmitter" is usually place somewhere In the tail assembly, and if the aircraft crashes, is used to help located the crash site.

L- A "bust" bar is an electrical device which is a junction point for many of the electrical systems in the aircraft. It is not uncommon to have as many as 4 bust bars in large aircraft.

CIGARTIP is an old mail pilots way of checking everything before takeoff. C is check to see if all controls are free and move correctly. I is for instruments, checking to make sure everything is in "Green" before takeoff. G is for GAS. A is for altimeter check and set. R is for runup of the engine and checks. T is for trim tab set and check. I is for interior of the aircraft, check to make sure doors and windows all closed. P is for propeller check. "GUMP" is another mental check you can do prior to landing! G is gas on correct fuel tank selected, U is for landing gear down,  M is for mixture controls set full rich, P is for propellers set to full increase position.

[DaveBB]

CIGARTIP could have saved thousands of lives if pilots used it.  How many crashes have there been just due to wind-locks not being removed before take-off?

[Puma44]

Hey Earl!  When you were active duty, what was the pilot's manual for operating the aircraft called?  When I was active, the operating manual was FXXX-1.  The weapons manual for the aircraft was the same nomenclature with a -34 tacked on.  Our individual aircraft maintenance log bog was referred to as the "781".  Great post, as usual, bud. 

[earl1937]

Hey Earl!  When you were active duty, what was the pilot's manual for operating the aircraft called?  When I was active, the operating manual was FXXX-1.  The weapons manual for the aircraft was the same nomenclature with a -34 tacked on.  Our individual aircraft maintenance log bog was referred to as the "781".  Great post, as usual, bud. 

I was wondering if anyone would catch what I said! You did, the "dash" one is the same as a pilots operating handbook, or POH! If memory serves me, I think the "squawk" sheet was dash 1A for airframe, 1B for engine squawks, 1C for electronic squawks, and 1d for hydraulic squawks. Been a long time guys, but if I remember that was the way it was in my old squadron. There was something in the 700 series of manuals and reports, but can't remember exactly what each was.

[Golfer]

CIGARTIP could have saved thousands of lives if pilots used it.  How many crashes have there been just due to wind-locks not being removed before take-off?

Thousands???

Never heard of that acronym until today. That's more like a mental before takeoff checklist than a quickie handy configuration check just prior to lineup but the way old mail pilots organized themselves is different than a crew environment or what we've learned in the century hence.

Being in proper takeoff configuration and being lined up on the correct runway are big emphasis items.  You might laugh but there's an FAA accepted stamp on my checklist that says farts.

Flaps - Set for takeoff
Air brakes - Stowed/Armed (Altimeters if you so choose and lack air brakes/spoilers)
Runway - Correct for takeoff
Transponder - Pondering (what IS the meaning of life? And why did I stop sniffing glue)
Switches - Seat belt sign, exterior lights as appropriate.

In a basic noncomplex airplane I would think about:

Time - check your watch, fool.
Instruments (DG set, attitude indicator in caged and altimeters)
Transponder - pondering (did I leave the iron on?)
Switches - lights.

That was before Comair crashed at Lexington and everyone added a runway verification check their lineup checklists. I'm not sure where you squeeze that into a TITS check but somewhere in the middle will probably do ya.