Return-Path: Sender: "Marvin Kaye" To: lml@lancaironline.net Date: Wed, 22 Dec 2004 09:09:32 -0500 Message-ID: X-Original-Return-Path: Received: from mta9.adelphia.net ([68.168.78.199] verified) by logan.com (CommuniGate Pro SMTP 4.2.5) with ESMTP id 576571 for lml@lancaironline.net; Wed, 22 Dec 2004 08:54:42 -0500 Received-SPF: pass receiver=logan.com; client-ip=68.168.78.199; envelope-from=glcasey@adelphia.net Received: from worldwinds ([70.32.213.236]) by mta9.adelphia.net (InterMail vM.6.01.03.02 201-2131-111-104-20040324) with SMTP id <20041222135413.UELS14945.mta9.adelphia.net@worldwinds> for ; Wed, 22 Dec 2004 08:54:13 -0500 From: "Gary Casey" X-Original-To: "lancair list" Subject: Re: [LML] airspeed vs. power X-Original-Date: Wed, 22 Dec 2004 05:41:10 -0800 X-Original-Message-ID: MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="Windows-1252" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit X-Priority: 3 (Normal) X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook IMO, Build 9.0.2416 (9.0.2910.0) Importance: Normal X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V6.00.2800.1106 <> There's not much to find. Using either fuel flow or manifold pressure as a surrogate for engine power is an approximation. A problem with either method is that the engine requires significant power just to operate itself ("friction" horsepower), and what you are really looking for is "brake" horsepower or the power left over after the engine takes its share of the "indicated", or total power. From the fuel flow number, assuming a constant air/fuel ratio, or manifold pressure you need to subtract the fuel required for engine friction. For manifold pressure I somewhat arbitrarily - SWAGGED - subtracted 4 inches from the manifold pressure in line 2 above. I don't know of any published friction horsepower number for these engines, but from comparisons I have made with automotive engine friction numbers I can say that they are quite efficient. The question is what to subtract from the MAP or fuel flow number to use for this correction? Since the engine is "efficient" and the BSFC is relatively flat when running LOP there have been people that say just to multiply fuel flow times a constant to get horsepower. That is probably accurate enough for our purposes. Maybe someone has some accurate friction horsepower numbers for these engines. Gary Casey