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Bob,
I could not have said it better myself !! I could have had my project in the air years ago
if I had settled on the lycoming but I have what Tracy calls "Fire in the Belly" about an
alternative powerplant in our case the Rotary.......I have watched the development of
the Rotary for aircraft since the late 70's when a few hardy souls began to put them in
the air........I was in the process of designing a HTD belt drive to install a 12A Rotary
in a Cassutt in the 80's after being scamed out of money (and an engine) by a fellow
by the name of Dan Duncan........A fellow Oklahoman that a few on this list will
recognize........
All of this did not dampen my opinion that the Rotary would make a reliable and
robust A/C engine with the proper attention to all the systems that are needed to make
it all work........I think it go without saying the Tracy Crook has beeen the main driving
force that has put the development of the Rotary where it stands today........
The minute that I read that Tracy had developed an ignition system (His first product)
I and a lot of others were after him to build them for us.......That was the end of his
retirement to play with his toys........We all have hounded him ever since to build all
of the products that we all now enjoy that allow us that do not have his expertise to
put the Rotary in the air reasonably safely.......
This hobby of our will never be without risk and if you are not confident that you can
use good common sense during the building phase or are not willing to listen to good
advise from fellow builders that have been there perhaps another hobby is in order
before you cause yourself injury.......IMHO
--
Kelly Troyer
Dyke Delta/13B/RD1C/EC2
-------------- Original message from "Bob Perkinson" <bobperk@bellsouth.net>: --------------
Everything will fail, just a matter of how, and when.
My decision to use an engine that is manufactured to work principally in an automobile was based only on personal perception. That perception is automobile engines take a lot of abuse and keep on ticking, they have to because the general public wouldn’t have it any other way.
I am not under the illusion that this is going to be easy, cheep, or without risk. In fact if I were installing a Lyc I probably could have it installed in half the time with about the same money, and Insurance wouldn’t be a problem. Flying behind or in front of one of these engines is not for the mechanically challenged. They are not a kick the tires and light the fires operation, although we might like them to be. An intimate knowledge of all the systems is a must. The configuration of these systems will be as different as the individuals that installed them, but they will all have the same goal in mind, to make that system as safe, efficient, and reliable as possible. There is not one person on this list that would intentionally make a bad decision. Decisions are made in our own best interest with the knowledge at hand at the time that it was made. That is where this list and the wiki come into play, THE TRUTH IS OUT THERE, it is just a matter of finding it, and putting it to use. For myself that truth might need to be thrown in my face for me to see it, so if I come up with a far fetched idea and post it to the list don’t call me a DUMB A** just explain to me how and why I am going to hurt myself.
Bob Perkinson
Hendersonville, TN.
RV9 N658RP Reserved
If nothing changes
Nothing changes
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