From: ZAKSPEEDE@aol.com
Message-ID: <0.4e6003f0.254b3c6f@aol.com>
Date: Fri, 29 Oct 1999 14:07:43 EDT
Subject: LPE or ZEHRBAC engines
To: rlperry@juno.com
CC: lancair.list@olsusa.com
Mime-Version: 1.0

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I saw your e mail on the fantastic fuel burn reductions that you got from 
having LPE - ZEHRBACH rework your Lycoming 360.  15% is a whopping reduction. 
 That matches the reductions stated by other LPE-ZEHRBACH customers in the 
testimonial letters which were on display at Oshkosh for just the ceramics 
and not counting the electronic fuel injection and ignition system results 
that I saw letters on.  The fact that your results match everyone elses 
letters sure supports Zehrbach.  Some of the customers tests showed 25% 
reductions in fuel burn with the combination of electronics and the ceramics. 
  

What now has me absolutely intrigued is the water cooled engine results.  In 
a package of test results sent to me was the results of a customers third 
party tests on one of the Zehrbach engines where the engine returned an SFC 
of .32.  Since Continental hopes to get .36 out of the diesel they are 
developing it would appear that Zehrbach has been able to beat the diesels by 
12% on fuel burn.  That must come out in total to at least 1/3rd less fuel 
burn on the Lancair IV when comparing the Continental vs the Zehrbach water 
cooled engine.  The other factor is going to be the cooling drag advantage.  
With such good thermal efficiency the cooling drag should be way down on the 
IV with the Zehrbach engine.  I would bet that the cooling drag is probably 
about 30% of the total drag on the IV so a big reduction there would mean 
lots of speed and more than just pouring horsepower on the situation.  I 
would guess that the cooling efficiency is why the Eagle engine package has 
that enormous ugly bug catcher on the belly to go with that geared auto 
conversion instead of everything being inside the cowl like I understand is 
being done with the Zehrbach engine.

I understood from the Zehrbach literature that you must be the man putting 
the inverted, direct drive, 500 hp., twin turbo charged and intercooled V8 in 
his Lancair IV and who has one of their air conditioners in their plane now.  
Your email implies that fact.  Is that correct?  I really like the design of 
that direct drive engine.  Keeping the rpm down to 2700 will sure help the 
engine life along with getting rid of all of that gearbox weight behind the 
prop.  It also seems that gearboxes are the pox of the attempts of all of the 
auto engine converters like the Engine Air or Eagle to run V8 engines.  

You said that the temperatures were falling every time you flew with the new 
engine.  After you get some more time on it I would like to hear the final 
lows on the temperature changes.

Thanks,  

Zak.

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