Page 8 - Contact Newsletter Oct 2023

In the meantime, my hangar neighbor has arrived
to do the honors with winding up the elastic band.
Starting the JAP J99 engine is something of a three-
person job: one to handle the engine controls in
the cabin; one to do the priming and the swinging;
and a third to offer encouragement to the other
two! Fuel is thrown into the air intake which is a
circular air filter that surrounds the exhaust pipe so
as to offer permanent carb heat once you have
some heat being generated by the exhaust gasses.
Suck in three blades with throttle full open and En route to Middelburg – the mist confined to
another three with it closed. Then set throttle, hollows and breaking up
magnetos on both and hope that the old girl
obliges on the first or second swing. The first increases the volume of the engine sound, but
swings are sometimes little more than indication there is no dramatic kick in the back from rapidly
of whether you have over or under primed, or on a increased thrust. Nevertheless, we are trundling
cold winter’s morning, that you have too little along the glass and hoping we can get up to
vaporization occurring. After bidding adieu to my around 50 knots in a few hundred meters. The C3
wife, we carry out this starting drill and are will levitate into the air when it is ready and will
rewarded with the distinctive rough throbbing not be rushed. On this morning, that point of lift
sound that characterize big bore, two-cylinder off is a bit more critical because of the runway
engines. The first thing you have to ensure is that incline but the amazing little bird doesn’t
you don’t let the throttle sit in the infamous flat disappoint and we are into the air about halfway
spot in the carburation otherwise you may have down the runway. With about fifty feet under the
the engine quit on you. This is only likely to happen wings, I stick the nose slightly forward and initiate
during taxying or when chopping power to flare on a turn out east over the mielie fields and away
landing. It can be alarming to the uninitiated, but is from the tree line.
just a peculiarity that you need to be aware of With the Aeronca climbing slowly (at around 150
when flying behind this engine-carb combination.
fpm) I sort out my bearing on a handheld GPS
Taxy out to holding point for runway 21. Some which is hanging on the map pouch which forms
IMG_4512.JPG
trepidation as to whether the take-off is feasible in part of the leather-covered triangle on the back of
this direction. Two chaps in Kitfoxes clogging the the fuel tank. Ahead lies a low cloud bank and the
radio frequency for Petit deciding where they smog from the local power stations. Again, some
should fly for breakfast. One of them is ahead of uncertainty as to whether the visibility is going to
me at the holding point, the other is in the circuit. be sufficiently clear at my low cruising altitude. I
I wish they would reach a decision so that I can line have the C3 at about 1000 feet AGL and as I nudge
up and attempt a take off! At last the reliability and closer to the Witbank area, the mist seems to be in
power of Rotax prevails and they are both the hollows of the landscape and breaking up, so I
airborne. press on, skirting around the major power station
of Kusile.
Pre-take off checks are very limited on this
minimalist craft: check fuel is on and that seat The air is almost dead calm and I can savor the
harness and doors are secure. No flaps and no experience of flying this simple and honest little
trimmer. I do a test of each magneto and check for plane with the sun catching the prop disc. It never
full and free movement of controls. From the fails to raise a chuckle looking at the partially
runup slab of concrete I do a “running start” to the exposed valve stems and springs working away and
threshold so as to gain some momentum as soon throwing occasional globules of lubricant into the
as possible and then apply full throttle. This slightly slipstream and on to the windscreen. To my

Contact! October 2023 Page 7