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By leiafee
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1299682
I've been enjoying how straightforward maintenance is on the microlight since "going over" and how much you can do yourself. But there is the odd gotcha!

Flying a few evenings ago, long turning climbout following a friend (with no chance of catching him but fun to chase) before planning to try out a different aerial on our slightly flaky radio. In the climb with the little twostroke flailing away there's no chance of decent audio so I go to level off and reduce power.
Except I only manage about half an inch movement of the throttle before there's a sudden resistance, sufficient to inject a brief but attention-getting amount of adrenaline into my life.

I go back to full power and then try reducing it again, Same problem. I apply a cautious amount of extra force. The resistance is 'spongy' but firm and I'm still only getting a power reduction to 5800 from the climb at 6100. (Generally I cruise around 5100 solo). I haven't yet trimmed for level, the aircraft wants to climb and I know from previous playing about that it'll easily reach Vno at 5800RPM. It's not a bumpy day, but full speed ahead isn't that comfortable and want time to think. I trim for a sort of cruise/climb and turn away from the other aircraft while I look around.

As soon as I have the aircraft stable and am able to do this I can see the problem. The little screw from a jubilee clip holding the lower fuel filter is sticking out and overlapping the throttle cable. It proves easy to push back out of the way with my fingers and I reduce power and retrim for level. With the throttle at cruise settings the cable runs near or over the clip, but at full power the angle of the lever arm just makes it slip below and allow the clip to get wedged over the cable.

I land and turn the clip around. We changed that filter weeks and weeks ago, one of us doing it and one of us watching and, in theory, checking but neither of us noticed the screw was in the opposite way to all the others or spotted the gotcha. The filter was cable-tied to one of the engine mount poles running up through the pod and must have initially been tucked far enough away to not interfere - athough it must have been touching because the powder coating on the level was worn away.

It's nice having all the control runs visible and accessible for checking and mainteance... But there are gotchas...

Pics.

Throttle moving forward. Note mark where the white powder coating has been scuffed off.


Throttle moving back - jubilee clip obstructing further movement


Clip turned around!
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By Tomahawker
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1299804
...and every time I'm feeling brave enough to come up in the X Air with you, another little problem pops up... :shock: :) ...one day soon hopefully!