Return-Path: Received: from mail.viclink.com ([66.129.220.6] verified) by logan.com (CommuniGate Pro SMTP 4.1.3) with ESMTP id 2583843 for flyrotary@lancaironline.net; Thu, 18 Sep 2003 00:12:13 -0400 Received: from viclink.com (p083.AS1.viclink.com [66.129.192.83]) by mail.viclink.com (8.11.7/8.11.7) with ESMTP id h8I4BTY08888 for ; Wed, 17 Sep 2003 21:11:29 -0700 (PDT) Message-ID: <3F692FD6.1040508@viclink.com> Date: Wed, 17 Sep 2003 21:08:54 -0700 From: Perry Mick User-Agent: Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Win95; en-US; rv:1.0.1) Gecko/20020823 Netscape/7.0 X-Accept-Language: en-us, en MIME-Version: 1.0 To: Rotary motors in aircraft Subject: Re: [FlyRotary] Rusty - You think you have it BAD! References: Content-Type: multipart/alternative; boundary="------------080606020301070208070803" X-RAVMilter-Version: 8.4.3(snapshot 20030217) (mail.viclink.com) --------------080606020301070208070803 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii; format=flowed Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Ed Anderson wrote: > Hi Rusty, > > You clearly don't need any more advice/suggestions {:>). But > (yep! some more of the same), I feel you truly should consider the > project a "long term" evolutionary project. Yes, I know we all want > to blast off at 5000 fpm rate of climb and hit 250 mph on 6 gph on the > first flight, but it generally takes a little fine tuning to get there > {:>). > > There was one year (after I flew off my 40 hours) that I got 2 1/2 > hours of flight time. It was one major thing after another until if I > had any good sense I would have tossed in the towel (fortunately I > don't ). Tracy will tell you a similar story (perhaps not as extreme). > > The cooling system is now on its 6th rendition ( if you count my > experimenting with reducing my radiator inlet area. My second set of > radiator cores, my second oil cooler. I am on my second PSRU as well > as 13B block. As someone mentioned, I am working on my 4th or 5th > intake system (tough to keep track sometimes). My EFI system is the > second one on the aircraft. Its the third ignition CPU. I've taken > apart my engine several times (fortunately not the current one). Lets > see oh, yes. > > The only major items FWF that are left on the aircraft that were there > for its first flight are > > The motor mount > The exhaust headers > The Propeller and Spinner > The ignition components (well the wires have been changed and the > spark plugs {:>)) > The fuel system (and its had blast tubes added for cooling) > > EVERY thing else has been changed at Least once. > > On the other hand, I must tell you (if not already apparent) I LIKE > tinkering with my set up - one of the reason I went this route. Heck, > with a Lycoming I would be bored to tears and broke {:>). > > While I believe my situation somewhat extreme and have a > certification to that affect from Real World Solutions entitled the > "Lightening Strikes Six Times (or More)" award for discovering the > most unlikely failure modes in a rotary powered aircraft (and I might > add, surviving them), I have found that you need to change one thing > at a time. Otherwise, it gets real hard to tell what the effect of > any change is. > > My aircraft weighed approx 140 lbs heavier than the "standard" RV-6A > at its initial weigh-in, so I understand your feeling about the > weight. Also my CG is at the forward limit which adds that damn trim > drag (I have a faster top speed loaded to the gills than when near > minimum weight). Even with my weight reduction effort, it weights > (empty) over 200 lbs more than Tracy's RV4. But, I am still working > on bringing the weight down. > > I think trying to solve all problems at once can get your enthusasim > down with perhaps no apparent results in any area. Take it one > problem at a time, isolate it, think about it (I know you do) and take > a course of action. Anything that might make you pucker from time to > time would be the first thing on my list to fix {:>). If you really > have your heart set on something (like the turbo), don't abandon > anything just because it may have teething problems - at least not > until you have spent at least six months trying to get the bugs out. > I mean I've been flying 4 years and I'm still changing (hopefully > improving) things. > > Now either this tale puts your situation in a clearer perspective or > you need to go buy a Lycoming {:>) (Kidding of course) > > Best Regards > > Ed Anderson > > : > > I agree Ed. I've been flying over four years and 420 hours, and I'm still changing things. I'm working on a new oil cooler installation now. Maybe someday the plane will be "done". -- Perry --------------080606020301070208070803 Content-Type: text/html; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Ed Anderson wrote:
Message
Hi Rusty,
 
    You clearly don't need any more advice/suggestions {:>).  But (yep! some more of the same), I feel you truly should consider the project a "long term" evolutionary project.  Yes, I know we all want to blast off at 5000 fpm rate of climb and hit 250 mph on 6 gph on the first flight, but it generally takes a little fine tuning to get there {:>). 
 
 There was one year (after I flew off my 40 hours) that I got 2 1/2 hours of flight time. It was one major thing after another until if I had any good sense I would have tossed in the towel (fortunately I don't ).  Tracy will tell you a similar story (perhaps not as extreme).
 
The cooling system is now on its 6th rendition ( if you count my experimenting with reducing my radiator inlet area. My second set of radiator cores, my second oil cooler.   I am on my second PSRU as well as 13B block.  As someone mentioned, I am working on my 4th or 5th intake system (tough to keep track sometimes).  My EFI  system is the second one on the aircraft. Its the third ignition CPU.   I've taken apart my engine several times (fortunately not the current one).  Lets see oh, yes.
 
The only major items FWF that are left on the aircraft that were there for its first flight are
 
The motor mount
The exhaust headers
The Propeller and Spinner
The ignition components (well the wires have been changed and the spark plugs {:>))
The fuel system (and its had blast tubes added for cooling)
 
EVERY thing else has been changed at Least once.
 
On the other hand, I must tell you (if not already apparent) I LIKE tinkering with my set up - one of the reason I went this route.  Heck, with a Lycoming I would be bored to tears and broke {:>).
 
  While I believe my situation somewhat extreme and have a certification to that affect from Real World Solutions entitled the "Lightening  Strikes Six Times (or More)" award for discovering the most unlikely failure modes in a rotary powered aircraft (and I might add, surviving them), I have found that you need to change one thing at a time.  Otherwise, it gets real hard to tell what the effect of any change is.
 
My aircraft weighed approx 140 lbs heavier than the "standard" RV-6A at its initial weigh-in, so I understand your feeling about the weight.  Also my CG is at the forward limit which adds that damn trim drag (I have a faster top speed loaded to the gills than when near minimum weight).  Even with my weight reduction effort,  it weights (empty) over 200 lbs more than Tracy's RV4.  But, I am still working on bringing the weight down.
 
I think trying to solve all problems at once can get your enthusasim down with perhaps no apparent results in any area.  Take it one problem at a time, isolate it, think about it (I know you do) and take a course of action.  Anything that might make you pucker from time to time would be the first thing on my list to fix {:>).  If you really have your heart set on something (like the turbo), don't abandon anything just because it may have teething problems - at least not until you have spent at least six months trying to get the bugs out.  I mean I've been flying 4 years and I'm still changing (hopefully improving)  things. 
 
Now either  this tale puts your situation in a clearer perspective or you need to go buy a Lycoming {:>) (Kidding of course)
 
Best Regards
 
Ed Anderson
 
:
 
   
I agree Ed. I've been flying over four years and 420 hours, and I'm still changing things. I'm working on a new oil cooler installation now. Maybe someday the plane will be "done". 
-- 
Perry

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