wrote in message
...
On Jan 8, 12:34 pm, " wrote:

What IS needed are aluminum head-castings having twice as much fin-
area as what's presently available. This won't fit on a bug or bus so
there is no start-up money. Coming up with the cores should have been
done by the EAA -- about fifty years ago. The fact it wasn't is good
evidence that it won't.

As I lay there taking my afternoon nap my mind wandered over this
subject and the thought came to me that we, at least I, have strayed
from the essence of this discussion and lost site of what we really
need to accomplish. Our goal. A real, hold in your hands, VW head
with adequate cooling capacity for aircraft power settings..

It has become quite clear that other than maybe 3 of us reading this
thread that the casting of things of this nature, "on the cheep" to
steal a phrase, is about as likely as being able to buy a Moller at
the local auto mart in the next decade. Even those that can grasp the
concepts needed to cast and machine some VW heads still need to build
or buy a whole set of new toy ..., er a ... tools. This doesn't get
any one closer to flying behind a VW conversion which is kind of the
point of this whole thought exercise isn't it?

-----------much more snipped, new post begins-----------

At the obvious cost of proving myself a heretic regarding VWs....

We could go back into the old debate about whether a nearly stock VW engine
could be a reliable 50 to 60hp powerplant with the right sort of pressure
cooling system. With all due respect to Bob, a/k/a Veeduber, I am still
convinced that it can; but he has also convinced me that it makes little or
no sense and will result in marginal performance.

The reality is that, as the displacement approaches 2.2 litres, the result
looks more and more like an over weight and under strength Jabiru. Worse
yet, the price difference narrows dramatically. And, if you place much
value on your time, the VW conversion becomes the more costly.

I admit that I still like the VW. But I also have to admit that, with the
Rotax and Jabiru as competition, it really belongs on a sngle seater.

Peter