500 built? I'm skeptical. I did a search of the FAA database using
"V-6,"
"STOL,", "Defunky", "Javelin" and "Blanton" as terms (with the typical
variations of "V-6". When you eliminate all the Zenairs and "R V-6"es, I
maybe
35 hits. Five hundred flying aircraft is about the same as Fly Babies,
and I
don't think the Blantons are as common.


I'll admit that I don't have any source but Blantons writings for that one.
Could be wrong. This far in the future, and 35 IDENTIFIABLE still flying
isn't doing that bad. I know of several here in Alaska that have never been
registered.


Blanton was a controversial figure, back then, and there were those who
were
skeptical of his veracity, and, at times, his sanity. Scroll about
halfway down
here...

Yea, his name here on RAH was nearly as bad as Zooom's after one fellow (who
was that?) got done with him.

Blanton's claim that you could get 230 reliable HP out of it was vigorously
debated.

With open intake, open exhaust, ported heads, big cam and carb, and forged
rods and pistons for reliability my desktop Dynamometer program shows over
330 HP at 6500 RPM, and 278 HP at a more sedate 5000 RPM possible, without
forced induction. Dyno2000 is usually very close to right. Blanton claimed
260 HP, derated to 230 HP.

The commercial version of the Ford 3.8 L with the Northwest Aero belt PSRU
attached that shipped with the Adventurer amphib put out around 200, but it
was not modified as described above. The ported heads alone would be worth
the extra 30 HP.