Jim or Others:
In St. Louis it isn’t as hot as Southern California, but I’m paying very close attention to to the oil temps as well. A couple of questions:
1)POH says 240 degrees max. At what temp is it best to start taking precautionary actions? Will 240 hurt the engine?
For the first 1K of altitude, do the max climb (for safety reason, not oil) then lower the nose and adjust for airspeed above 120Kts Temp, Humitity, how hot was the engine prior to taken off, how big the breakfast that you and your passengers consumed etc has an effect) You must start to adjust before it get to 200 F., do it gradual and you wont slow your climb too much.
2)Will the new cowling, with the light on the bottom help the ventilation?
You can gain more by closing off all your leaks inside the engine cowling. Remove the top cowling
thing of yourself as an air bubble trying to escape without going thru the normal way, by the cylinders.
3)Is the best strategy to climb fairly fast (700-800 fpm), thereby reducing the time for the engine to heat up, or do it gradually (200-300 fpm), thereby reducing the stress but increasing the time?
Shalow climb is always best, this will help you make it to TBO. Less to worry about, and you will be cooler too (more airflow)
4)Any weight of oil better than others? Fill to 8 quarts help?
Exxon has a new one that is hi-tech, I have a case in the garage but can’t remember the name… I think I overtemp the only brain cell. An extra oil cooler would help.
5)Does the engine do better as it gets broken in? CD indicated this may be the case?
It depends on what you mean by better. The Hp wont double, the friction will always be there but less of it once all the parts meet each other and get along, and then you can get ride of that oil and put some good stuff in there, yes, it will.
6)Is this unusual for a high performance, tightly cowled plane? Never happened on my Warrior.
Yes, this is why I keep saying, don’t talk about the poker game while the motor is running, you should be running your checklist and get running down the runningway (sorry I couldn’t help that)
7)Assume gross weight increase won’t help situation.
Did you know that bonanzas had rocket motor to help the takeoff?
Well that’s my nickels worth.
Have a great Cirrus X day (SR2"X")
Woor
Thanks for the help.
For family reasons have had to travel constantly between the SF Bay Area, where I’m living, and SBD in southern Calif, to see my parents. Latest trip, over fourth of July, provides PIREP on hot weather performance.
Plane was just at 2900 pound gross.
On takeoff from Concord, KCCR, on the afternoon of July 3, ATIS reported temperature 45 centigrade, 113 F. Jeez louise! Field altitude is just above sea level. Climbed out at about 800 fpm. When I got to 2000 ft, the oil temp was nearing the red line. Leveled off for about two minutes. Went back into green. Climbed at about 400 fpm without further incident to 7500 ft.
Returning the next day, AWOS temperature at SBD was 36 C, 96F. Field elevation about 1200 ft. Plane again just at gross. Had to go IFR because of overcast and scattered t-storms in soutern calif. IFR depature means more or less nonstop climb to 10,000 feet to get over San Bernardino/San Gorgonio mountain range. Climbed at 700-800 fpm without incident to about 4000 ft. Got worried about oil temp, lowered rate of climb to 400 fpm. Had to level off for 1-2 minutes, for cooling, at about 6000 and about 8000 feet. Each time explained situation to ATC, which vectored me around in some S-turns to build altitude before going over the mountains. Got to 10,000 ft, leveled off, cruised without concern from then on (except for the once-in-blue-moon CB clouds through the central valley).
In short: confirmation for my previous view that if you are going to be doing most of your flying west of the 100th meridian, the 22 is the way to go. OTOH, the plucky 20 got off the ground – just required eagle eye to the oil temp (rather than CHT, not an issue either time) throughout the climb.