flyrotary@lancaironline.net Mailing List Archive

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I agree in part about the reliability FWF, Rusty. However, if you read the accident reports, you will find that FWF reliability is just as bad a problem with Lycomings in RVs. Something like 20-30% of all homebuilt crashes happen during take off and are fuel related and as you know the vast majority are Lycoming powered. I don't know what our percentage would be but I would bet in the same ball park.

I am aware of two fatalities during early stages of flight with Rotary's and a third one that occurred with a rotary powered RV years after its first flight and after several hundred hours of flight. So that's three I am personally aware of. Last time I counted there were something like 30+ rotary powered aircraft (that I could find and that was several years ago), so even if there were no more than that number, that would put us in the 10% fatality range. Could be higher, could be lower, but I would say in the same ball park as the overall Homebuilt accident rate - NOT that is good by any stretch.

I do agree that we need to do better in that area. However, as YOU know we are all experimenters - willing to try a different approaches. I think its very clear that should you follow Tracy's, Bill Eslicks, or (heaven forbid)even my approach - or any FWF configuration that has been proven over several hundred hours or more of flight - the odds are good you won't have a failure. But, being experimenters, we want to try out our own ideals or are forced by our FWF configuration to try a different approach - which as we all know do not always work out successfully.

We possibly could standardize on a "safe" configuration - but then we would no longer be "experimenters" {:>)

----- Original Message -----

From: Russell Duffy

To: Rotary motors in aircraft

Sent: Monday, May 22, 2006 6:11 PM

Subject: [FlyRotary] Re: Rationalization was [FlyRotary] Re: Questions from a potential rotaryphile

However, I believe,  there is plenty of objective evidence that says the rotary is comparable or better than the Lycoming in just about any aspect you want to consider.

Hi Ed,

I would agree with the above statement, but unfortunately, the one key area where the rotary clearly hasn't demonstrated superiority is "FWF reliability".  The rotary group has had way too many failures in the past couple years, and this needs to be the area we work on.  Most of it has been silly things, and I'm certainly ashamed for my contribution to the problems.

Even the Aviation Sport article supports that conclusion

Does anyone have an electronic copy of this article they could send me? I guess I'm the only one who hasn't read it.

certainly cost less (even if you have to buy engine parts new), etc., etc.   So no doubt there is some rationalization- but I'm not certain over what?

I would argue cost, and have in the past. I would (actually have) bet real money that the $21k Lyclone I just installed on the RV-8 will work out to be cheaper than a rotary engine installation over the few years (at least) that I hope to fly this plane. This factors in resale of course.

IF somebody would take the rotary and produce a reasonably price FWF kit, I believe you would find the rotary installations would expand exponentially. Most folks are understandably a bit daunted by the challenge of designing and putting that all together on their on.

Amen brother!!! This is certainly what would need to happen.   Powersport made a great engine installation, but at such a high price that not too many people bought it. If someone like Eggenfellner would make a rotary package, it would be expensive, but from a name that people know (whether they can spell it or not), and trust. I would certainly hope that people would see the value of a rotary over the Subaru given the same price, and FWF producer.

Better get started on that article now :-) Actually, I was wondering if the rotary group could put together it's own fly-off between similar planes.  It would have to be well documented, but we have enough engineers here to make sure of that.  Heck, in the not too distant future, we should ( <--- key word <g>) have a 2 and 3 rotor RV-8 to test against my Lycoming.

Cheers,

Rusty (T-minus about 53 hours until I'm back home)

PS, can't wait to hear how the 500HP Lancair flies!