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Date: Sun, 7 Nov 2010 12:15:22 -0600
Message-ID: <AANLkTin0_Y9Fy=_5ds1jh7Yo-UOBry==8terLDfh+--a@mail.gmail.com>
Subject: Current "state of the art" in rotaries - potential Bearhawk install
From: Dustin Lobner <dmlobner@gmail.com>
To: Rotary motors in aircraft <flyrotary@lancaironline.net>
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Hi everyone!

This is my first message here.  My name is Dustin, I live in the Rockford
area in Illinois.  I'm going to be starting a Bearhawk in the next couple of
months and am strongly considering a rotary conversion for it...it'll be a
few years before I'm at the "need an engine" point, but I want to know what
I want to do before I get there, hence research now.  The three sentence
background on the Bearhawk: It's a 4-place utility/STOL aircraft that's
pretty much my dream plane.  Typical engine installs are O-360s and O-540,
max HP set at 260HP due to the weight of a 300 HP Lycoming.  I'd be
comfortable running about 300HP on it, with a max complete engine weight of
400 pounds.

I'm a metallurgical engineer at an aerospace company here in town.  This,
along with family, keep me very busy.  As such, I'm interested in as close
to a "turnkey" option that I can get (without forking over $+60k for
something like a Mistral).  I have extensive experience working on cars and
motorcycles (and several friends who have a lot more), none working on a
rotary though.  I also have welding experience and will be buying a TIG
welder as part of this project.

With all that in mind, how I want this to work out is to buy the big pieces
and bolt them together and work out things like intake, exhaust, etc.  I'm
an engineer, I do like figuring out how to do stuff and engineering
solutions to problems...but I worry about never finishing, hence wanting
people who know what they are doing to make the big parts.

On with the questions...

#1a) I'd like to have an engine builder build me a "core engine", minus EFI,
intake, exhaust, etc.  Any recommended builders out there?
#1b) I emailed the folks at www.rotaryengine.com.  I laid out my
requirements and asked "what do you think I should do?"  They aren't an
aviation engine builder, so it'll be interesting to see what they come back
with.  In particular, they have all-aluminum engines (they bill themselves
as the "home of the 3 rotor all-aluminum engine").  Any thoughts on them as
a company or on the all-aluminum concept?
#2) I was planning on using Tracy's ECI3/EMS3/RD-1C reduction drive.  I see
that Tracy is active here, which is awesome.  (Tracy, you seem like a nice
guy, so no offense intended on the next statement here): Are there any other
viable options for a rotary reduction or ECI/EMS system out there?
#3) Are there any recommended modifications to the engine to make it more
reliable?  There are a ton of things recommended by www.rotarengine.com (who
sells the stuff, so take it with a pound of salt).  These things include
ceramic coatings of rotors to prevent detonation, various porting mods,
oil-flow enhancement, cooling flow enhancement, installation of more dowel
pins, etc.

I had (somewhat arbitrarily) set the cost I was willing to spend at $15k,
about the cost of a decent used Lycoming O-540.  If the cost of this can
stay below that, awesome.  I'd rather spend a bit more and get something
"done right" than skimp and then have an engine or redrive blow up on me.

Tracy, I sent you an email with most of the above laid out.  Feel free to
ignore it, reply here if you wish.

Thanks in advance for any replies!

Dustin

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Hi everyone!<br><br>This is my first message here.=A0 My name is Dustin, I =
live in the Rockford area in Illinois.=A0 I&#39;m going to be starting a Be=
arhawk in the next couple of months and am strongly considering a rotary co=
nversion for it...it&#39;ll be a few years before I&#39;m at the &quot;need=
 an engine&quot; point, but I want to know what I want to do before I get t=
here, hence research now.=A0 The three sentence background on the Bearhawk:=
 It&#39;s a 4-place utility/STOL aircraft that&#39;s pretty much my dream p=
lane.=A0 Typical engine installs are O-360s and O-540, max HP set at 260HP =
due to the weight of a 300 HP Lycoming.=A0 I&#39;d be comfortable running a=
bout 300HP on it, with a max complete engine weight of 400 pounds.<br>
<br>I&#39;m a metallurgical engineer at an aerospace company here in town.=
=A0 This, along with family, keep me very busy.=A0 As such, I&#39;m interes=
ted in as close to a &quot;turnkey&quot; option that I can get (without for=
king over $+60k for something like a Mistral).=A0 I have extensive experien=
ce working on cars and motorcycles (and several friends who have a lot more=
), none working on a rotary though.=A0 I also have welding experience and w=
ill be buying a TIG welder as part of this project.<br>
<br>With all that in mind, how I want this to work out is to buy the big pi=
eces and bolt them together and work out things like intake, exhaust, etc.=
=A0 I&#39;m an engineer, I do like figuring out how to do stuff and enginee=
ring solutions to problems...but I worry about never finishing, hence wanti=
ng people who know what they are doing to make the big parts.<br>
<br>On with the questions...<br><br>#1a) I&#39;d like to have an engine bui=
lder build me a &quot;core engine&quot;, minus EFI, intake, exhaust, etc.=
=A0 Any recommended builders out there?<br>#1b) I emailed the folks at <a h=
ref=3D"http://www.rotaryengine.com">www.rotaryengine.com</a>.=A0 I laid out=
 my requirements and asked &quot;what do you think I should do?&quot;=A0 Th=
ey aren&#39;t an aviation engine builder, so it&#39;ll be interesting to se=
e what they come back with.=A0 In particular, they have all-aluminum engine=
s (they bill themselves as the &quot;home of the 3 rotor all-aluminum engin=
e&quot;).=A0 Any thoughts on them as a company or on the all-aluminum conce=
pt?<br>
#2) I was planning on using Tracy&#39;s ECI3/EMS3/RD-1C reduction drive.=A0=
 I see that Tracy is active here, which is awesome.=A0 (Tracy, you seem lik=
e a nice guy, so no offense intended on the next statement here): Are there=
 any other viable options for a rotary reduction or ECI/EMS system out ther=
e?<br>
#3) Are there any recommended modifications to the engine to make it more r=
eliable?=A0 There are a ton of things recommended by <a href=3D"http://www.=
rotarengine.com">www.rotarengine.com</a> (who sells the stuff, so take it w=
ith a pound of salt).=A0 These things include ceramic coatings of rotors to=
 prevent detonation, various porting mods, oil-flow enhancement, cooling fl=
ow enhancement, installation of more dowel pins, etc.<br>
<br>I had (somewhat arbitrarily) set the cost I was willing to spend at $15=
k, about the cost of a decent used Lycoming O-540.=A0 If the cost of this c=
an stay below that, awesome.=A0 I&#39;d rather spend a bit more and get som=
ething &quot;done right&quot; than skimp and then have an engine or redrive=
 blow up on me.<br>
<br>Tracy, I sent you an email with most of the above laid out.=A0 Feel fre=
e to ignore it, reply here if you wish.<br><br>Thanks in advance for any re=
plies!<br><br>Dustin<br>

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