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Bad Vibrations? Check The Isolators

We wish all airplanes had the unique engine mounting design of the Meyers 200 shown here. The engine mount connects directly to the steel cabin structure, which connects to the center section of the wing. Thanks to Dean Siracusa for the image.

Judging by the condition of the engine mounts (technically called engine isolators) we’ve seen on aging piston singles and twins, it’s no wonder that gyro failures, cracked interior components and even structural failures are a nagging problem for some owners. And while some airframes inherently have more perceived vibration than others, aero engineers place vibration into categories: Normal and Abnormal. 

If you think your aircraft has more bad vibes than it should, trust your instinct and have it checked. While prop balancing issues can cause substantial vibration, your mechanic may have to dig deep to smoothen it all out. Here’s a review.