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bbradburry@allvantage.com wrote:
I am new to be reading this list and I seem to be terribly uneducated and
stupid. I know that this is true because I am seriously considering putting
a rotary in a Lancair Legacy Fixed Gear.
I wish someone would clarify some things for me.
What is the difference in the 4 port and 6 port Renesis, and why should I
choose the one that I should choose?
What does P Port mean and how is it different from the normal port? Does
the Renesis (either one) have a P Port and should it be modified to have one
put in it?
It seems to me that some of the mods needed to put the rotary in a plane are
pretty well figured out by you guys...Intake, Exhaust, EC2, Etc.. Some
other things, cooling for oil and water, still being invented but with some
idea of what to do. Other things that seem to be pretty basic and should
have been solved by the certified industry 100 years ago, like how to run
gas from the tank to the engine and back, are still being debated like we
just realized we needed to consider it.
I would really appreciate some help here. I would like to build a plane and
fly it. Low on the build and high on the fly part. I am not interested in
doing R&D or starting a business building parts.
There is a lot of discussion about the gentleman who died as to whether he
had his fuel system set up correctly....How can this be? How many different
CORRECT ways to do it are there? Is the fuel system for the rotary totally
different from a REAL airplane engine?
I know that this sound really critical, but I don't mean it to be.
Please help!!
Bill Bradburry
I think that John answered pretty well; I might expand on his answer to the question about fuel system design. This issue isn't limited to the rotary, or even to experimentals. Any time the fuel system is more complicated than single tank/gravity feed, there's a chance of problems with either design or management. A number of years ago here in MS, a guy ditched in a big lake on final approach when he selected <off> instead of <both> in a Cessna. Some Cessnas have problems with not taking on the placarded fuel quantity. The also have problems with trapping water in folds in the same type of bladder that causes limited capacity. Quite a few have crashed due to both problems.
There are, at a minimum, dozens of 'correct' fuel delivery systems in certified a/c ( & several that aren't so 'correct', even though the FAA gave them their blessing).
Most kit type homebuilts have proven fuel delivery system designs if you run the recommended engine, but even then you can have problems if, for instance, you move an oil cooler from the prototype's location (unplanned radiant heat problem). A few Continentals use a 'bypass' type fuel pressure regulator & return fuel to the tank, but no certified system I'm aware of uses high pressure sequential port injection like automotive systems.
I feel your pain on the desire to just build & fly. Realistically, you could probably buy a flying example of your favorite design for not much if any more money than you will spend building. I'm currently flying my 4th purchased homebuilt & all were purchased for less than the parts would have cost me to build them. I'm currently building because I want the satisfaction of doing it myself & I'm accepting the time penalty.
As far as the rotary installation goes, you just have to evaluate whether you are willing to invest the extra time to do an alternative engine development program (each installation is unique in some way) and much more importantly, try to honestly evaluate whether you have the necessary skills to create a 'safe & effective' installation. That might be the hardest thing for a pilot to be objective about.
Charlie
(*really* want an alternative to the Lyc, & trying to do that honest evaluation)
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