THE RPTR HAD VHF RECEPTION DIFFICULTY. THE RPTR HAD LESS THAN FORECAST VISIBILITY -- A MARGINAL 3-4 MI. THE RPTR'S ENG BEGAN RUNNING VERY ROUGH. TO AVOID CLOUDS AND LOW VISIBILITY AND TO HAVE GLIDING OPTIONS IF THE ROUGH RUNNING ENG SHOULD FAIL THE RPTR CLBED INTO THE CLASS B AIRSPACE WITHOUT BEING ABLE TO ESTABLISH TRACON VHF COM.

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ON NOV/XA/95; I BEGAN A VFR XCOUNTRY FLT FROM BAY BRIDGE ARPT (W29); MD; TO KOKOMO MUNICIPAL ARPT (OKK); IN. THE PLAN WAS TO FLY VIA THE VFR CORRIDOR (FLYWAY) BTWN THE BALTIMORE AND WASHINGTON TFC AREAS; THEN PROCEED DIRECT TO MARTINSBURG (MRB) VOR AND CONTINUE ENRTE. AFTER SEVERAL ATTEMPTS TO CONTACT LEESBURG FSS; I WAS FINALLY SUCCESSFUL AND ACTIVATED THE FLT PLAN N OF FREEWAY ARPT (W00). I REMAINED AT 1500 FT UNTIL N OF COLLEGE PARK ARPT (CGS); THEN BEGAN A CLB TO JUST BELOW 2500 FT (THE CLASS B FLOOR AT THAT POINT). THE FLT CONDITIONS WERE QUITE HAZY; ESTIMATED 3-4 MI VISIBILITY (LESS THAN FORECAST). SOON AFTER LEVELING OFF; THE ENG BEGAN RUNNING VERY ROUGHLY. THE NEAREST ARPT WAS MONTGOMERY COUNTY (GAI) APPROX 7 NM AHEAD; HOWEVER; THERE WAS ALSO A LAYER OF CLOUDS AHEAD THAT APPEARED TO EXTEND TO ABOUT 5000 FT. THE HAZE PREVENTED ANY ESTIMATE OF THE CEILING BELOW. I STARTED TO TURN BACK BUT THE VISIBILITY TO THE E WAS VERY POOR AND I COULD NOT SEE THE GND (LOOKING TOWARD THE MORNING SUN MADE IT WORSE). SO I ELECTED TO CONTINUE CLBING; IN THE DIRECTION OF GAI IN ORDER TO MAINTAIN VMC; HAVE BETTER GLIDING RANGE; TRY TO RESOLVE THE ENG PROB; AND OBTAIN ASSISTANCE FROM APCH CTL. I ATTEMPTED TO CONTACT BWI APCH ON 2 FREQS; WHICH WERE VERY CONGESTED; WITH NO SUCCESS; THEN TRIED TO CALL LEESBURG FSS FOR ASSISTANCE. AFTER THE THIRD OR FOURTH TRY I MADE CONTACT; INFORMED THEM OF MY ENG PROB; AND ASKED FOR ANY OTHER APPROPRIATE CTL FREQ. LEESBURG GAVE ME 2 FREQS FOR ZDC. AGAIN; I COULD HEAR OTHER CALLS BUT RECEIVED NO RESPONSE (ATTEMPTED BOTH FREQS ON BOTH RADIOS). I CHANGED BACK TO FSS; ASKED FOR ADDITIONAL FREQS; AND WAS GIVEN TWO FOR DULLES APCH. WHILE ATTEMPTING TO MAKE RADIO CONTACT WITH A CTLING AGENCY AND TRYING TO DIAGNOSE THE ENG PROB; I HAD CLBED TO 6500 FT STILL HDG NW; AND WAS THEN VMC OVER AN UNDERCAST WHICH APPEARED TO EXTEND TO THE GAI ARPT AREA. WHEN I CONTINUED HAVING TROUBLE MAKING CONTACT; I TURNED BACK E TOWARD AN AREA WHERE I COULD SEE THE GND AGAIN (BARELY); SINCE I DID NOT WANT TO DSND THROUGH THE UNDERCAST IF THE ENG FAILED; ESPECIALLY NOT KNOWING THE WX CONDITIONS AT GAI. NOW AT 7500 FT (HEADED E); I FINALLY CONTACTED DULLES. AFTER EXPLAINING MY SIT; I WAS INFORMED THAT I WAS WELL WITHIN CLASS B AIRSPACE. SINCE I HAD BEEN MORE CONCERNED ABOUT DETERMINING THE ENG STATUS; MAINTAINING VMC; AND TRYING TO CONTACT A SUITABLE CTLING AGENCY; I WAS NOT SURE OF MY EXACT POS AT THAT TIME. I HAD OBVIOUSLY FLOWN INTO THE NORTHWESTERN CLASS B AREA (ABOVE 3500 FT) WHILE CLBING TOWARD GAI (AGAIN; TO MAINTAIN VMC AND HAVE MORE ALT FOR GLIDE RANGE WHILE ATTEMPTING RADIO CONTACT AND TROUBLESHOOTING THE ENG). DULLES HANDED ME OFF TO BWI APCH FOR FLT FOLLOWING AND VECTORS. I WAS ALSO TOLD TO CONTACT DULLES APCH BY PHONE AFTER LNDG. I DID SO AND WAS TOLD THAT I HAD BEEN TRACKED (BY XPONDER) INSIDE CLASS B AIRSPACE WITHOUT CLRNC AND THAT A DEV RPT WOULD BE FILED.