Improve the engines:

And there is no reason that the private industry can't do this.  Lycoming
started out making sewing machines and bicycles, they got into engines
because of demand in the market place.

There is no reason for the big two to do anything to improve anything. There
is only the bottom line. They have a totally captive audience. You have to buy
OEM parts by law.
They have a giant cash cow running now. Why screw around with it. If they
could think of a way to ship you an empty box with Lycoming stamped on the side,
and get away with it, they
would be doing that. It’s just business to them.  


Every year at OSH and SNF there are new engines.  And then the following
year they are gone.  The people that show up with them must not be racers.


Well now, if that was United Technologies standing there with that new design
instead
an average guy with a great idea and no money, would it be successful? You
can bet the farm it would. United Technologies would lowball request for quotes
from airframe builders, who would be idiots not to use the new "Pratt and
Whitney" Which P&W is going to give away (in effect) in large quantities to all of
the major airframe manufacturers.

How so? There is a filter manufacturer that makes a very high (aircraft and
submarine) quality line of products. Let us call them Giant Filter Corp. Their
catalogue is on the shelves of every airplane and ship manufacturer. So
airplane builder Skunk Works, publishes a top drawing with size and performance
data. Burst strength, absolute micron rating and so on, for a 4,000 PSI hydraulic
flight control system, on the new Skunk Works model Whatever.

A number of filter manufacturers submit drawings with the same values as
those specified on the Request for quote top drawing, Along with their best price
per unit and quantity price break structure. So let us say that three
companies are around $2,200.00 per unit. But our friends at Giant Filter Corp come in
at $125.00, and a much better price break structure. Everyone in the filter
industry knows that Giant Filter Corp is going to loose their butts on every
unit. But (excuse the pun) Giant Filter doesn't care because they will then be
the OEM for a total of thirty two filter assemblies on the Skunk Works model
Whatever. When your beloved Federal Government starts buying replacement elements
and complete assemblies, the price is now $12,000.00, and the replacement
element is $2,650.00.  Out year sales for this filter alone are estimated at 5.5
million. And they own thirty two filters on this airframe. That same Giant
Filter Corp filter is also in their commercial catalogue with a different part
number, as is the element. The price is $2,200 and the elements are $125.00
each.



The prices would come down because we the people, could start our own engine
company.

There is no reason why this can't happen.  The point I have been trying to
get across is that there have been dozens of attempts to create viable
aircraft engines by very qualified and well funded people.  Orenda's
Chrysler conversion comes to mind as a group of "racers" that tried to make
big block Chryslers run with the larger Lycomings and even turbines.  Lets
not forget Porsche and their PFM-3200 engines.  One can hardly suggest that
the Porsche company does not have the "racers" to back up its 50 year
history of performance cars.  They got the engines certified, Mooney built
planes for them, and they got STC's to install them in C-172s.  These and
others were far from backyard efforts.  They were economically unviable for
some reason.


First you should point out that both engines are outstanding pieces of
engineering. And years ahead of the big two, lacking only a big price advantage that
would have generated any interest at all.

The price would have to be low enough that the conversion would make some
kind of sense to potential customers. I think the Orenda is a proprietary casting
along BB Chevy lines.

Neither effort was well funded. United Technologies could buy both operations
and run them through a shredder with a weeks worth of the coffee fund.

If you want to play, set aside 100 million and be prepared to support that
investment for ten years before you get back anything. But by then all new
airframes will be equipped with your new design, because you will be practically
giving them to Piper and others. The big two will be making sewing machines
again. Or airboat motors that won’t kill my friends when it swallows a valve.

Drop in to Sun&Fun and take a look at the rotary engine parking row at the
west end of the show line. Maybe a rotary will win the Sun 100 again. If Tracy
would let me work over his engine for a few weeks, he could put that record
speed up where no piston engine could ever find it.

Lynn E. Hanover.