Bob Matlock

There is always much discussion about what oil to use in radial engines. Some people say to use straight mineral oil for break in. Then switch to an AD oil. Others say to use the mineral oil forever. I prefer to use an oil designed specifically for radial engines. It’s Phillips 25w60. You can use it for break in and then for the life of the…[Read more]

There is always much discussion about what oil to use in radial engines. Some people say to use straight mineral oil for break in. Then switch to an AD oil. Others say to use the mineral oil forever. I prefer to use an oil designed specifically for radial engines. It’s Phillips 25w60. You can use it for break in and then for the life of the…[Read more]

The engine driven generators available for the Warner and Kinner engines are not very good at generating and weigh a ton. A much better alternative is the wind driven Turbo Alternator model BPE-14 from Basic Aircraft Products. I mounted it on the belly of the fuselage, right between the main gear. It puts out about 6 amps at 85mph. It keeps my…[Read more]

You can double the life of your engine oil if you use a filter. I installed the Airwolf oil filter on my Warner 145 and it does a beautiful job. Now I change oil at 50 hours. If you would like to install an oil filter on your OTW, contact me. I have all the paperwork you will need to get it approved for your OTW.

Over the years, people have made attempts to install a shoulder harness arrangement that, frankly, scares me. The shoulder harnesses are attached to the upper cross member that holds the vertical posts of the seats. This attach point is well below the level of the shoulders. This is quite dangerous. Should there be, even a slight forward impact,…[Read more]

Let me know if you need to find new Springs for the shock struts for both the main and tail landing gear. I have a source for both the Springs and the seals.

The space behind the rear instrument panel severely limits the choices for panel mounted radios that can be installed in the OTW. However, I found a radio that fits beautifully and works very well. It is the Trig TY91. It has flip flop freqs and a built-in intercom. It also has a memory and can be interfaced with certain GPS units. I mounted the…[Read more]

I use Sta-plex Extreme Pressure Premium Red Grease on the rocker arms of my Warner 145. The melting point of this grease is around 525F so it doesn’t melt and run away during operation. I’ve used it for nearly 450 hours with no problems. The book says to grease the rockers every 25 hours. Even though the greases we use today are better than they…[Read more]