"Richard Kaplan" wrote
So why hasn't someone developed an inexpensive, reliable turbine engine for
experiental airplanes?

First off, that's in process. There's already an RV-4 flying with
one, and there's a company now developing them.

sufficient mechanical stability, so everything moves too much. Note
that the two modern aviation piston engines - the Thielert and Orenda
- have abandoned that nonsense.

What planes are these used in? Do you have any references about these?

The Thielert is used in the new Diamond twin. The Orenda is used in
certain agricultural aircraft, and is an STC'd replacement for the
King Air.

Well as one example I experienced a sudden catastrophic engine failure this
year in my 1999 Toyota minivan. An engine cooling fan circuit malfunctioned
and the engine overheated while driving in a snowstorm. I pulled over right
away but nonetheless the engine block had melted and I needed a new block
and new cylinders... $8000 in warranty work repairing the engine due to
failure of a $125 part.

You are the only person I know who has had that happen. It's
extremely rare. On the other hand, I can name quite a few such
situations with certified engines that happened to people I know.
I've had an engine die because a little rust clogged the fuel
injectors. Turns out the drain plug in the fuel servo was steel. No,
it was not an illegal replacement - it was steel by design. If I were
to replace it with non-rusting brass or aluminum, that would be
illegal. A friend had an engine die because the drive to his dual-mag
sheared. Bad metal. Another had an engine die on takeoff because the
scat tube that carried the air collapsed. It was an STC'd
installation. When he replaced the scat tube with aluminum, that was
illegal. I could go on and on.

Well can anyone do BETTER than FAA certified airplanes? Who in your mind
can produce an airplane with a more reliable engine than an FAA certified
engine?

Any professional operation. Toyota, Honda, GM, Ford, Bombadier -
ANYONE. But not some guy working in his garage. The fact that some
guy working in his garage on a shoestring budget can come close should
tell you what a disaster the certified engine is.

Michael