Aerolite 103 (Kawasaki 340 swap) — Normal and Emergency Procedures

Part 103 Operating Limitations limitations

NOTEThis aircraft is operated as an ultralight vehicle under 14 CFR Part 103. It has no airworthiness certificate and no N-number, and the pilot needs no certificate or medical.
Single occupant only
Day, visual conditions only
Not over congested areas or open-air assemblies of people
Not in Class A, B, C or D airspace without prior ATC authorization
CAUTIONPart 103 imposes no maintenance or inspection requirement. Nobody else is checking this aircraft. The preflight is the entire inspection programme.
CAUTIONWeight check after the engine swap: the twin and the added battery are heavier than the single they replaced. Confirm the aircraft still meets the Part 103 empty weight limit, because exceeding it makes this an unregistered aircraft rather than an ultralight vehicle.

Preflight Inspection preflight_inspection

Cockpit
Master switchOFF
Ignition switchesOFF
Fuel shutoff valveOFF
Restraint harnessCONDITION CHECKED
Control stick and pedalsFREE, FULL TRAVEL, CORRECT SENSE
Airframe
Wing struts, lift struts and attach boltsSECURE, SAFETIED, NO CRACKS
Sail and fabricNO TEARS, SEAMS INTACT, LACING SECURE
Control cables, pulleys and clevis pinsCONDITION, SAFETY PINS PRESENT
Tail surfaces and hingesSECURE, FREE MOVEMENT
Landing gear, tires and bungeesCONDITION, INFLATION
Engine and propeller
WARNINGTreat the propeller as live at all times. A two-stroke can fire on a single blade movement with the ignition off if a switch or ground lead has failed. Keep the propeller arc clear and never stand in it.
Propeller blades and boltsNO NICKS OR CRACKS, TORQUE MARKS ALIGNED
Engine mount and rubber isolatorsSECURE, NO CRACKS
Exhaust system and springsSECURE, NOT CRACKED
Both carburettorsLINKAGE FREE AND EVEN, SYNCHRONISATION MARKS ALIGNED
New with the twin. An out-of-sync pair makes one cylinder work harder than the other, which on a two-stroke is a path to a holed piston. Not applicable to the single-cylinder baseline aircraft.
Fuel lines and primer bulbNO CHAFING, NO WEEPING
Fuel quantity and mixCHECKED, CORRECT OIL RATIO
Confirm the premix ratio against the Kawasaki manual for this engine and oil. It is not necessarily the same ratio the previous engine used, and running a two-stroke on straight fuel will seize it.
Fuel sampleCLEAR, NO WATER
Electrical (added with the swap)
Battery terminals and mountSECURE, NO CORROSION
CAUTIONThere is no alternator. The battery starts the engine and is not recharged in flight. A battery that turned the engine over slowly today will not start it at a away-field, and nothing in Part 103 requires anyone to notice that before you go.

Engine Start (Kawasaki 340, electric) engine_start

Rewritten from the parent: the twin's dual carburettors and the added electric start make the single-cylinder sequence inapplicable.

Area behind aircraftCLEAR
WheelsCHOCKED OR BRAKES HELD
Fuel shutoff valveON
Primer bulbFIRM
ThrottleCLOSED
Choke, both carburettorsON TOGETHER AS REQUIRED FOR TEMPERATURE
Both must come on and off together. Choking one side only runs that cylinder rich and the other lean.
Master switchON
Call "CLEAR PROP"
Ignition switchesBOTH ON
StarterENGAGE IN SHORT BURSTS
ChokeOFF PROGRESSIVELY AS ENGINE PICKS UP
Warm upPER ENGINE MANUAL BEFORE ADVANCING THROTTLE
The twin takes longer to reach even temperature across both cylinders than the single did. A cold run-up is the classic path to a seizure.
Both cylinder head temperaturesRISING AND ROUGHLY EQUAL
A persistent split between cylinders points at a carburettor sync or air leak problem. Nothing on the baseline single-cylinder aircraft corresponds to this check.

Before Takeoff before_takeoff

HarnessTIGHT AND LOCKED
ControlsFREE AND CORRECT
Ignition checkEACH CIRCUIT, DROP WITHIN LIMITS
Full throttle static RPMPER ENGINE MANUAL FOR THIS PROPELLER PITCH
Different from the baseline aircraft: both the engine and the propeller pitch changed. Establish the correct figure for this combination and placard it.
Both cylinder head temperaturesIN RANGE
Windsock and trafficCHECKED
Engine failure planBRIEFED
Decide before takeoff where the aircraft goes if the engine stops at 50 feet, at 200 feet, and at circuit height.
CAUTIONA two-stroke should be treated as an engine that will stop without warning. The twin is smoother than the single it replaced, which makes it easier to trust and no more likely to keep running. Do not depart over terrain that offers no landing option.

Engine Failure After Takeoff engine_failure_after_takeoff

Engine stops or loses power after leaving the ground with insufficient height to return

WARNINGDo not attempt to turn back to the runway. At this aircraft's altitude, speed and glide performance a turn back will stall it.
NoseMEMORYLOWER IMMEDIATELY TO GLIDE ATTITUDE
Landing areaMEMORYSTRAIGHT AHEAD, WITHIN 30 DEGREES
Fuel shutoff valveMEMORYOFF
Ignition switchesMEMORYOFF
Master switchMEMORYOFF
Added with the electrical system. The baseline aircraft has no master switch to turn off.
HarnessTIGHT
Flare and land, accepting damage to the aircraft to protect the occupant

Shutdown and Securing shutdown

ThrottleIDLE
Ignition switchesOFF
Ignition switchesCONFIRM ENGINE STOPS WITH SWITCHES OFF
If the engine continues to run with both switches off, the ignition ground has failed. Stop the engine with the fuel valve and do not fly again until the fault is found.
Fuel shutoff valveOFF
Master switchOFF
Added with the electrical system. Leaving it on flattens a battery that nothing recharges in flight.
Chock, tie down or hangar the aircraft