A PLT OF AN EXPERIMENTAL VZ10 EXPERIENCED AN ENG FIRE ALLEGEDLY CAUSED BY AN OIL LEAK. THE INCIDENT TOOK PLACE ON TKOF ROLL AND THE PLT ABORTED; EXITED THE ACFT AND EXTINGUISHED THE FIRE.

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THIS SUMMER WAS A HOT ONE IN MORE WAYS THAN ONE. ON TKOF IN HAYS; KS; ON JUL/XX/96; I WARMED UP THE 0-200 VARIEZE ENG AT 2000 RPM; AND POINTED ITS NOSE DOWN THE RWY. THE WIFE CALLED OUT THAT THE ENG DIDN'T SOUND RIGHT. I AGREED AND WAS CHKING THE MIXTURE; CARB HEAT; ETC. WHEN NO ENLIGHTENMENT HIT ME; I PULLED THE PWR AND BRAKED. AT SOME POINT LOOKING AROUND; I SAW FLAMES EMANATING FROM THE COWLING AND WAS OUT OF THERE; HOLLERING AT THE WIFE TO 'GET OUT; GET OUT; GET OUT' AS I WENT FOR OUR 2 FIRE EXTINGUISHERS. GIVING HER ONE; WE ATTACKED THE FLAMES. JUST THEN; A PATROLMAN PULLED UP AND WITH 1 GOOD SQUIRT FROM HIS BIGGER UNIT; THE FIRE WAS PUT OUT. THIS APPEARS TO BE AN OIL FIRE; NO GAS WAS INVOLVED. I BELIEVE IT STARTED DURING RUNUP WITH THE R EXHAUST GETTING TOO HOT. BOTH COWLINGS WERE DAMAGED BEYOND REPAIR AS WELL AS WIRES TO THE WING LEVELER; SOME STYROFOAM AT THE TRAILING EDGE OF THE INBOARD WING AND EDGE OF THE AILERON MELTED. ON THE BURNED PORTIONS OF THE COWLING; THE FIBERGLASS WAS SCORCHED BUT INTACT BUT ALL EPOXY WAS BURNED OUT. WHEN WE LEFT HOME 3 WKS EARLIER; WE HAD STOPPED IN BATTLE MOUNTAIN; NV; FOR GAS AND NOTICED THE L SIDE LEAKING OIL. WE ELECTED TO FLY TO OGDEN AND REPLACED THE REAL GASKETS WITH REGULAR GASKETS. THE R SIDE WAS NOT LEAKING. COMING BACK FROM KANSAS CITY; WE HAD STOPPED IN HAYS TO SEE WHY OUR DYNAMO QUIT. TAKING OFF OUR COWLING; TOP AND BOTTOM; WE FIXED THE BROKEN WIRE THAT WAS THE PROB; REINSTALLED THE COWLING AND WERE READY TO LEAVE THE NEXT MORNING.