Zenith Aircraft Builders and Flyers
Online Community of Zenith Builders and Flyers
700 Hours Plus
N200BE has been a good 601XL. It is a better 601XL-B. "Betty" has been safe, reliable & fun. This a/c has been to Oshkosh, Mount Rushmore & more. Four things I would change about the last five years of flying this Zodiac.
First, tuning the Bing carby was very difficult. After several experiments the best adjustment was to put a divider in the intake tube ahead of the carby. The result of not tuning the carby sooner required me to put new rings on the odd side of the engine. Some valve work was also necessary.
Second, doing the upgrade on the wings and center section was a 100 hour bear. However, the improvements likely saved my life as on more than one occasion as I flew unplanned into rough air.
Third, I put a rear view mirror on the canopy due to the fact that I was rear-ended a while back. The other pilot lost his ticket for that and it cost the owner a bunch to replace my tail section.
Last but not least, I recommend always done annuals and service with another person to double check your work. A few times mistakes were avoided by having others check my work.
Other important improvements were the addition of a light system, a 700 ifly chart & gps tablet and paint on wing tips & tail. I hope this update helps. Fly safe!
Comment
-
Comment by Jim Snyder on October 28, 2012 at 6:50pm
-
Thanks for the info, Mark. I ordered from Jabiru USA in Tenn. The new FWF comes with the Sensenich 60/51 as standard. I already received it --- just need something to mount it to. :)
-
Comment by Mark Ertz on October 27, 2012 at 10:06am
-
Hi Jim,
Your choice of the Jabiru 3300 was a good one. I am assuming it is a new engine. The best divider is the one sold by jabiru. I got mine from Tenn. group. I made one early on that functioned well. Aa homemade divider is simple. But first, understand why it helps. The divider helps the intake air from being rough or/and ram. Rough air over the Bing carby sensors will cause the engine to run rough and rich. The mixture of the fuel to air ratio will not stabilize. With the additon of the divider the diaphram that pushes the needle in the jet can function correctly at any altitude. Basically, the 90 degree intake tube needs to have a vertical divider that leaders the intake air built into it. I used a blade of alumiumn inside and hose clamps on the outside. But the divider from jabiru is best.
The second most important fix was the correct prop. I had a 64x51 sen but it was like being stuck in overdrive. This loaded the engine and it never turned rpms fast enough. So, sensenich recommended the same pitch but shorter prop, 60x51. This made the engine turn 2 book numbers. I hope you choose a prop that fits.
Third, extend the cowling lip below by 3 inches and trim to get good air flow in the cowling. New cowls may be already extended. Read jabiru website for recent bulletins & tips on engine.
Fourth, we moved metal galwing dividers from the top positions to the bottom. These are the little dividers wired between cylinders to direct air flow over cylinders under air ducts. We found better cooling with them on bottom. Jabiru may not agree or recommend this change, but we like it.
You can search Zenith blogs for pictures of the divider, I think a builder (Smith) took pics.. Call Jabiru for more info.
-
-
Mark, I am waiting for my Jab 3300 to arrive any day. Can you provide more info (and maybe pic) of carb intake divider? Thanks.
New from Zenith:
Classified listing for buying or selling your Zenith building or flying related stuff...
Custom Instrument Panels
for your Zenith:
Custom instrument panels are now available directly from Zenith Aircraft Company exclusively for Zenith builders and owners. Pre-cut panel, Dynon and Garmin avionics, and more.
Zenith Homecoming Tee:
Flying On Your Own Wings:
A Complete Guide to Understanding Light Airplane Design, by Chris Heintz
Builder & Pilot Supplies:
Pro Builder Assistance:
Transition training:
Aircraft Spruce & Specialty for all your building and pilot supplies!
How to videos from HomebuiltHELP.com
Developed specifically for Zenith builders (by a builder) these videos on DVD are a great help in building your own kit plane by providing practical hands-on construction information. Visit HomebuiltHelp.com for the latest DVD titles.
© 2024 Created by Zenith.Aero.
Powered by
You need to be a member of Zenith Aircraft Builders and Flyers to add comments!
Join Zenith Aircraft Builders and Flyers