Canard or Mooney

"Dave S" wrote

The rotary is SLIGHTLY less fuel efficient than a normally aspirated lycoming
engine when the lyc is tuned properly and run LOP. Being able to use car gas
in a rotary obliterates any cost penalty on that marginal fuel economy issue.

Cost per mile is cheaper in the rotary. And it can be rebuilt for less than
the cost of ONE new lycoming jug, or replaced for the cost of 3 new jugs.

Do the math yourself and you will see.

Not so terrible now, is it?

Not so bad, if you can figure out how to keep the oil and water cool enough, and
keep the exhaust pipes from melting, and radiating all of the heat to the
cowling. (which if it fiberglass, will tend to make it get soft as play-dough)

Hint: almost all of the lost fuel economy is lost in the form of lots of heat
radiating from the engine, mainly the exhaust gasses.
--
Jim in NC

Morgans wrote:


Hint: almost all of the lost fuel economy is lost in the form of lots of
heat radiating from the engine, mainly the exhaust gasses.

The inefficiency is derived from the long, shallow "combustion chamber"
formed by the rotor at its top dead center. Flame front progression is
slow to advance, resulting in slightly incomplete combustion, and
results in more heat going out the pipe, rather than being turned into
motion.

I would hope that I know this. I've built a rotary and had it running on
an airframe, alas not without problems (not with the rotary itself, but
part of a builders learning curve)

Dave

"Dave S" wrote

I would hope that I know this. I've built a rotary and had it running on an
airframe, alas not without problems (not with the rotary itself, but part of a
builders learning curve)

Then you are well aware of the problem of dealing with all of the excess heat
the rotary produces.

I am not an anti auto engine person; far from it. I like some of the things the
rotary brings to the table, in fact.

I am not sure that I would want to have to deal with the problems, though some,
including you, have been willing to.
--
Jim in NC

"Morgans" wrote in message
...

"Dave S" wrote

I would hope that I know this. I've built a rotary and had it running on
an airframe, alas not without problems (not with the rotary itself, but
part of a builders learning curve)

Then you are well aware of the problem of dealing with all of the excess
heat the rotary produces.

I am not an anti auto engine person; far from it. I like some of the
things the rotary brings to the table, in fact.

I am not sure that I would want to have to deal with the problems, though
some, including you, have been willing to.
--
Jim in NC
That does sum it up. The rotaries just take a lot more dedication that I'll
ever have.

Peter

On Tue, 6 May 2008 23:11:56 -0400, Peter Dohm wrote:

"Morgans" wrote in message
...

"Dave S" wrote

I would hope that I know this. I've built a rotary and had it running on
an airframe, alas not without problems (not with the rotary itself, but
part of a builders learning curve)

Then you are well aware of the problem of dealing with all of the excess
heat the rotary produces.

I am not an anti auto engine person; far from it. I like some of the
things the rotary brings to the table, in fact.

I am not sure that I would want to have to deal with the problems, though
some, including you, have been willing to.
--
Jim in NC
That does sum it up. The rotaries just take a lot more dedication that I'll
ever have.

Peter

I have a great pair of rotary mechs for /autos/, not sure that
translates well into aircraft.

On Tue, 06 May 2008 16:12:20 -0500, Dave S wrote:

Morgans wrote:


Hint: almost all of the lost fuel economy is lost in the form of lots of
heat radiating from the engine, mainly the exhaust gasses.

The inefficiency is derived from the long, shallow "combustion chamber"
formed by the rotor at its top dead center. Flame front progression is
slow to advance, resulting in slightly incomplete combustion, and
results in more heat going out the pipe, rather than being turned into
motion.

I would hope that I know this. I've built a rotary and had it running on
an airframe, alas not without problems (not with the rotary itself, but
part of a builders learning curve)

Dave

Did you end up dumping or keeping therotary?