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Gerhard Ungerer wrote:
Are there any examples of flying RX-7 or RX-8 engines that went straight
from the vehicle to the airplane including its controllers, etc? What would
the HP be for an non-converted 13B or RX-8 engine?
Gerhard Ungerer
www.randombitcorp.com/cozymkiv
There might be, but I'm guessing very few. A completely stock rx engine is very tall and would require a pretty tall cowling, because the stock intake structure is coiled on top of the engine , as are many of the peripherals. An unattractive buffalo hump would result, or you would have an abnormally lower thrust line, with less prop clearance.
So.. SOME modification will need to be done to the intake/throttle system to fit in an ordinary cowls constraints.
If you want to use the stock ECU you can, with all of its attached sensors. Keep in mind that unless you monkey with it a bit, as another flyer has done, you will not have any mixture adjustment, so your engine will run at a best power setting instead of a best economy setting pretty much at all points above 3000 rpm. This is a few gallons per hour. The stock ECU with its oxygen sensor wont tolerate much lead fouling so you may need to limit your fillups to autogas, which can be problematic on cross country flights during non business hours, or when limiting yourself to paved fields.
I have heard, but have not verified, that the stock ECU is designed to protect the engine and reduce power if certain parameters get out of spec. This can mean the difference between ruining the engine and saving it, but it can also mean the difference between landing off field and breaking the plane, versus landing on field and needing a new engine. Overtemp for instance. And most new installs have had cooling probs until the bugs are worked out in the cooling system on an individual basis.
The downside to the aftermarket ECU's, Not just Tracy's.. are that they are essentially Do-It-Yourself installs. You install it, you instrument it and you program it. If thats not your forte, it may be painful and frustrating. But thats the price we pay for having one-off installs. If you want a FWF package, contact Mistral, and for 30,000 USD you can bolt on their rotary, psru, ECU and radiator. Chris and I have prolly spent right at $10,000 USD and have most of it sorted out so far (for the engine/peripherals)
This is not to say the stock ECU is unsuitable. Its quite suitable for the application it was designed for - cars, and somewhat useful for what you intend to use it for. Just have to know the limitations.
Dave
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