|
Gliding with a rotary engine equipped aircraft was accomplished by keeping the blip switch down, which disconnected the primary current to the coil. The engine continued to rotate with the airscrew, so unburned petrol and castor oil continue to flow through the cylinders. It had a tendency to foul the flugs, so when the blip switch was released, ignition restored, some of the plugs would not fire. This condition was made even more critical by the fact that oil remained in the cylinders and was thrown outward toward the plugs by centrifugal force.
There are rare incidents of a pilot being forced down, then getting out, restarting his engine
and taking off again.
|