Can you build it for this price?

Henning said:
I believe I said, "Straight and level fine". I have nothing againdt the VW or Corvair as long as they run a PSRU. As long as I can remove the gyroscopic forces from the rear main (not just crank but cap as well) and spin the engine up to cruise at 3600 and max at 4200, I'm quite happy with them. With those conditions met I can take a VW and make a reliable 180-200hp engine out of it
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Anything over 80-100 hp in a steady state (cruise) situation is a real struggle for VW's and their derivatives. They simply lack the fin area to reject the heat.

As to Tom's question. You probably couldn't build it for the cost of parts. The problem is that for most people, the firewall forward setup of that airplane just isn't going to make them happy, so they are gonna need to spend $25k replacing the Subie with a Lycoming, making the all-up cost way outta line.
 
SkyHog said:
If by problems you mean "efficiency, reliability, and modernness" I agree...but then you and I have a different definition of problems.
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You gain neither efficiency (the BSFC of a Subaru is worse than either a Continental or Lycoming) nor reliability with a Subaru nor will you save money. It's more likely that at the 2000hr mark the Subaru will have cost more to put out 250+hp Continuous Duty w/ 325-350 T/O power available and will have require 5 times the service hours.

The only thing you gain with a Subaru over a Continental is EFI, and since it's experimental, there's no reason you can't put EFI on a Continental, kits are available.... The good Subaru motors aren't cheap, then getting them ready to put out continuous duty HP and spinning a prop, you're gonna be spending $25k or more on the Subaru.

All the great technology leaps in gasoline engines since the 50s has been developed around short bursts high rpm high load acceleration with 80% or greater of operations are <25% power, but those traits are counter productive in low RPM high displacement engines.
 
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On the topic of auto conversions, anybody played with the mini merlins?
 
Skylane81E said:
Suzuki V6, I know that they are liquid cooled and that bugs many folks
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What makes it a "Mini Merlin"? Might be an interesting engine to play with. I'd also consider using an outboard motor powerhead. They are much better adapted for aircraft than auto engines.
 
It's offered for the T-51 marketed as such, reduction unit and all.
 
Don't know, but if it works well enough there then there are a lot of other EXPs that use a similarly powered engine.
 
steingar said:
Which is why I wouldn't buy one. That, and I'll bet money that folks spent a LOT of time tweaking those those things.
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You cannot imagine the hours spent on tinkering, but... I personally enjoy the challange of pushing the envelope and machining metal.... As for cost,,, I have around 14,000 grand in my 345 Hp V-8 prototype and the recent prices I have seen for 300 HP Lycs are right at 50,000 bucks. I think I am ahead of the game there... I would do it again but putting a auto engine conversion on a plane and making it work is not for everyone, in fact I advise against it. That is unless you are as crazy as me and then you will need as much mental therapy as me.:goofy::goofy::goofy:.

Ben
www.haaspowerair.com
 
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