Wow! What a ringing endorsement !
Thanks Lynn.
Product support is (or should be) a major factor in the choice of
a lot of products. In a market nitch as
small as this one it takes on a whole new dimension. I plan to be around for a long while
but companies as small as RWS can
disappear overnight if the health or life of a single person goes away. That is one reason I tried to make the RD-1
series gear drive as user serviceable as possible. Most of the critical wear-prone parts can be
bought from multiple sources and replaced by the end user. Haven’t gotten around to that yet but
I intend to compile a list of parts and sources and a service guide for the
drives.
The same idea is not practical on things like the engine
controllers and avionics products but I am trying to document all the products
and processes used to make them well enough that the assets of the company
would be attractive to a business buyer that could continue to build and
support them.
Next, I need to ask for help (again) from the FlyRotary
group. It has been people here who have
connected me with manufacturing resources needed to make this stuff and
I’m hoping it might happen again.
Due to businesses closing down and others who have (I assume) gotten
cold feet about being connected with anything to do with aircraft, I will soon loose all three of my CNC machine
shop suppliers. I am amazed at how hard
it is to find replacements. The ones who
have given quotes and built prototypes (including one of the biggest
aftermarket automotive parts suppliers) have produced stuff that that I would
not use in my kid’s soap box racer let alone an airplane (see attached
photo of spline fit). I’ve got
lots of $500 paper weights sitting around the shop.
If you know of a good CNC machine shop supplier, please let me
know. The key capability is that they
should be able to produce male splined shaft parts.
The photo shows the fit of a recent prototype male spline part
fit. When I showed them this photo and
pointed out the point contact at the tooth edges, the maker said not to worry,
it would wear in and be fine! OMG
Tracy
----- Original Message -----
Sent: Saturday, March 31, 2007 11:09 AM
Subject: [FlyRotary] Re: American Rotary Engine: Redrive
Patrick Panzera wrote:
>
>> What's the consensus on this?
>>
>> http://www.americanrotaryengine.com/id10.html
>>
>> Thanks!
>>
>> Pat
Well the 2.29:1 is a little tall for a
rotary with over 70" of prop. But not real bad. 3056 prop RPM at 7,000
engine RPM, 2,838 Prop RPM at 6,500 engine RPM. 2,620 prop RPM at 6,000
engine RPM. 2,401 Prop RPM at 5,500 engine RPM.
The offset thrust line is of benefit for
a longer prop. But then there is the ratio problem.
It is all custom parts, with only one
source.
Adkins has a nice web site.
The price is a deal killer.
Tracy's reduction at 2.78:1
can swing a long prop or a three bladed prop for more ground clearance.
2,517 prop RPM at 7,000 engine RPM. 2,338
prop RPM at 6,500 prop RPM, 2,158 prop RPM at 6000 engine RPM, and 1,798 prop
RPM at 5,500 engine RPM.
Tracy's system is lighter.
Tracy's system uses over the
counter Ford parts.
Tracy's system has a zillion
hours in the air, in a large number of airplanes.
The designer of Tracy's
system (Tracy)
is still alive and can be contacted via phone and Email.
You can sleep at Tracy's house for the fly-in.
Tracy will
overhaul your Tracy
redrive every year if you like.
Tracy's system is available
now.
Tracy's system is available
for other than rotary engines.
Tracy has a nice web site.