This little bipe is the one with all the write-ups on the internet regarding Frank Smith's little airplane that can fly on the back of knapkins.
Unfortunately, after about 120 hours of flying it in the first year of ownership in November 2011 the Franklin engine quit. I was at cruise power over the lake at 800 feet and added power to climb to 1,000 to join up with the otherairplane. The engine immediately shooksomewhat violently the moment I added power. I added carb-heat and the engine quit. Isteered away from the lake, picked a marshy field and announced my intentions to the Pilot of the second plane. I managed to get off the water and maintainbestglide to the tree-line I barely cleared and landed on the other side as the airspeed plumeted. Luckily I three-pointed (maxed the 12.5 Pos G-meter), rolled 8 feet while sinking 14" into the muck before flipping over on it's top wing-(maxing the 4.5 Neg G). Distance travelled was only a few feet from tail impact to tail resting position. I walked two miles for a ride home. We returned the next day to flip the airplane over, strap the tailwheel to a fourwheeler and pulled it home.
FAA's inspection revealed that the gascolator was knocked (forward) from it's retainer. It was concluded that IF thebowl had been knocked loose as a result of the impact, it would have been knocked back and not forward. Perhaps (it's suspected and a likely possibility) that upon applying carb-heat, the shake of the rough engine due to water caused the gascolator to hit against the opening in the cowling resulting in the gascolator bowl being knocked loose. It was noted that safety wire was in place and the thumb nut was in a reasonably secure position. The engine may have lostfuel flow and the engine quit due to starvation. I had just fueled and flown only 8 minutes out of the topped-off fuel tank with an accompanying FAA inspector (a neighbor) piloting the second airplane flying beside me. Talk about luck- or NOT? No injuries, No property damage, Experimental Homebuilt, No careless or questionable flight activity, flight over water in a remote/unihabited area YET a full two-trip to the airplane for engine tear-down and build-up for run-up. Maybe they were in training? They were great guys to work with and the entire experience was a "flight-altering" experience. I usually poke around at 2500agl now on might little sight-seeing trips, epsecially over the lake.
Unfortunately, after about 120 hours of flying it in the first year of ownership in November 2011 the Franklin engine quit. I was at cruise power over the lake at 800 feet and added power to climb to 1,000 to join up with the otherairplane. The engine immediately shooksomewhat violently the moment I added power. I added carb-heat and the engine quit. Isteered away from the lake, picked a marshy field and announced my intentions to the Pilot of the second plane. I managed to get off the water and maintainbestglide to the tree-line I barely cleared and landed on the other side as the airspeed plumeted. Luckily I three-pointed (maxed the 12.5 Pos G-meter), rolled 8 feet while sinking 14" into the muck before flipping over on it's top wing-(maxing the 4.5 Neg G). Distance travelled was only a few feet from tail impact to tail resting position. I walked two miles for a ride home. We returned the next day to flip the airplane over, strap the tailwheel to a fourwheeler and pulled it home.
FAA's inspection revealed that the gascolator was knocked (forward) from it's retainer. It was concluded that IF thebowl had been knocked loose as a result of the impact, it would have been knocked back and not forward. Perhaps (it's suspected and a likely possibility) that upon applying carb-heat, the shake of the rough engine due to water caused the gascolator to hit against the opening in the cowling resulting in the gascolator bowl being knocked loose. It was noted that safety wire was in place and the thumb nut was in a reasonably secure position. The engine may have lostfuel flow and the engine quit due to starvation. I had just fueled and flown only 8 minutes out of the topped-off fuel tank with an accompanying FAA inspector (a neighbor) piloting the second airplane flying beside me. Talk about luck- or NOT? No injuries, No property damage, Experimental Homebuilt, No careless or questionable flight activity, flight over water in a remote/unihabited area YET a full two-trip to the airplane for engine tear-down and build-up for run-up. Maybe they were in training? They were great guys to work with and the entire experience was a "flight-altering" experience. I usually poke around at 2500agl now on might little sight-seeing trips, epsecially over the lake.
