Starting

The "Queen of the Skies"
01thomas
Airman
Posts: 13
Joined: 18 Apr 2019, 10:01

Re: Starting (reviving an old thread)

Post by 01thomas »

I have read this thread, I have read the manual (pg 124) and I have watched AviationAtWar's youtube video numerous times and I still can't get the Connie's engines to start manually.
The maintenance hangar says my engines are in excellent shape and not flooded,
- the Damage module is turned off
- all my fuel valves are open,
- the tanks are half-full,
- I have good fuel pressure,
- I have the GPU running so I'm not flattening the batteries,
- the ambient temperature is 15°C and
- I use the primer for 5 seconds only.

One question I have is: how do I know that I've had the inertia-flywheel spinning for long enough? I listen to it and I can hear the whine increase in pitch until it stabilises but is that all? And when is the right moment to engage the starter?

AviationAtWar
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Joined: 30 Nov 2014, 19:07
Location: US
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Re: Starting

Post by AviationAtWar »

Let the starter run until the whine stops increasing in pitch, click the primer on and leave it, then engage the starter. After the engine starts then move your mixture lever and then turn the primer off.

01thomas
Airman
Posts: 13
Joined: 18 Apr 2019, 10:01

Re: Starting

Post by 01thomas »

Thanks AAW but I have never gotten the engine to cough, never mind start, so there may be somethng else that I'm doing wrong?

AviationAtWar
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Re: Starting

Post by AviationAtWar »

Are you remembering to turn the magnetos and master ignition switch on, above the pilot and copilot?

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Paughco
Senior Master Sergeant
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Joined: 30 Nov 2014, 12:27

Re: Starting

Post by Paughco »

Here's how I start my Connie, and it works every time: viewtopic.php?f=133&t=57739&p=446613#p446613.

Only variation is that now I just look left from the FE's seat and operate the mag switches, then look back to the FE panel.

Seeya
ATB
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01thomas
Airman
Posts: 13
Joined: 18 Apr 2019, 10:01

Re: Starting

Post by 01thomas »

Hi
Yes I am.
AviationAtWar wrote: 26 Aug 2019, 13:57 Are you remembering to turn the magnetos and master ignition switch on, above the pilot and copilot?

01thomas
Airman
Posts: 13
Joined: 18 Apr 2019, 10:01

Re: Starting

Post by 01thomas »

Thanks ATB
I'll try it again tomorrow.
Paughco wrote: 26 Aug 2019, 14:29 Here's how I start my Connie, and it works every time: viewtopic.php?f=133&t=57739&p=446613#p446613.

Only variation is that now I just look left from the FE's seat and operate the mag switches, then look back to the FE panel.

Seeya
ATB

AviationAtWar
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Joined: 30 Nov 2014, 19:07
Location: US
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Re: Starting

Post by AviationAtWar »

Any chance of uploading a video showing your starting procedure?

alan CXA651
Senior Master Sergeant
Posts: 2438
Joined: 15 Mar 2016, 08:23

Re: Starting

Post by alan CXA651 »

Hi.
If you cannot do a video as aviation at war asked you to do , then list your starting method, in the order you are doing it , Pimer on for 5 secs seems a bit long , you might be flooding the engine , if this happens turnover the flooded engine with ignition OFF , to clear the flood , then do a restart.
regards alan. 8)
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trisho0
Technical Sergeant
Posts: 751
Joined: 31 Mar 2018, 11:43

Re: Starting

Post by trisho0 »

joers182 wrote: 24 Dec 2016, 18:27 Once you engage the mags try engaging the primer again until the engine catches, then release the primer and put in Auto Rich on the mixture.

Thats how I got it to start. Not sure its 100% correct procedure but it works.
To put in Auto Rich on the mixture. Where is the mixture switch?

trisho0
Technical Sergeant
Posts: 751
Joined: 31 Mar 2018, 11:43

Re: Starting

Post by trisho0 »

Gypsy Baron wrote: 25 Dec 2016, 00:19 There are the three positions....cutoff, auto-lead and auto-rich.

There is a detente for the 'middle one', the auto-lean position.

Are you keeping the MP and RPM up once you start? I usually have the throttles set
for around 10" to 15" MP and RPM at 1500 while I get everything prepared to taxi.

You'll need the parking brake set or she will start rolling quite easily even at those low settings.

Paul

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The 3 positions are from a switch and where is it?

alan CXA651
Senior Master Sergeant
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Joined: 15 Mar 2016, 08:23

Re: Starting

Post by alan CXA651 »

Hi trisho0.
If you look in the connie manual , there are pics of the different panels , showing where things are , but regards to the mixtures they are 4 levers on the engineers paner , they are the 4 on the far right.
one switch that is hard to find , is the avionic master switch , its behind the navigators seat on the flightdeck bulkhead.
regards alan. 8)
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trisho0
Technical Sergeant
Posts: 751
Joined: 31 Mar 2018, 11:43

Re: Starting

Post by trisho0 »

alan CXA651 wrote: 30 Mar 2020, 00:09 Hi trisho0.
If you look in the connie manual , there are pics of the different panels , showing where things are , but regards to the mixtures they are 4 levers on the engineers paner , they are the 4 on the far right.
one switch that is hard to find , is the avionic master switch , its behind the navigators seat on the flightdeck bulkhead.
regards alan. 8)
I realized those mixture commands that I activate them accordingly but how to set mixture as Auto Rich?

trisho0
Technical Sergeant
Posts: 751
Joined: 31 Mar 2018, 11:43

Re: Starting

Post by trisho0 »

alan CXA651 wrote: 30 Mar 2020, 00:09 Hi trisho0.
If you look in the connie manual , there are pics of the different panels , showing where things are , but regards to the mixtures they are 4 levers on the engineers paner , they are the 4 on the far right.
one switch that is hard to find , is the avionic master switch , its behind the navigators seat on the flightdeck bulkhead.
regards alan. 8)
I realized those mixture commands that I activate them accordingly. All 4 engines running nicely. After take-off the plane starts flaming engines and crash. Should I turn the Auxiliary fuel pump switches OFF before take-off?

alan CXA651
Senior Master Sergeant
Posts: 2438
Joined: 15 Mar 2016, 08:23

Re: Starting

Post by alan CXA651 »

Hi trisho0.
With regards to auxillary pumps on/off.
Page126 item 13 of the takeoff chart under engineer aux pumps check they are ON
page128 item 4 of the climb chart under engineer aux pumps OFF if main pumps maintain pressure of 16lbs or more

Also after takeoff , clean the aircraft up ie gear and flaps up , reduce the props rpm needles 12 oclock then throttle power manifold needles 12 oclock climb rate to 500fpm .
this should prevent blowing your engines up , also as the aircraft excellerates down the runway , the RPM/BMP can exceed the max , so you need to monitor these during all phases of flight and adjust throttles/props to keep them within limits else you damage the engines.
regards alan. 8)
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