VW?

Possibly, or maybe there just aren't THAT many builders here?

----------------------------------------------------

Don't be silly. Lookit Oshkosh. If you include trailer trash and the ones
freighted in from Oz there must of been five, six hundred homebuilts there last
year.

-R.S.Hoover

Veeduber wrote:

Possibly, or maybe there just aren't THAT many builders here?

----------------------------------------------------

Don't be silly. Lookit Oshkosh. If you include trailer trash and the ones
freighted in from Oz there must of been five, six hundred homebuilts there last
year.

-R.S.Hoover

Sorry Robert, I meant here on the list.

On my home field we have 12 (or more?) VW powered airplanes.
That's out of about 100 planes based here.

wrote in message . ..

Not exactly off topic (only half off) ... but I am seeking info on a
1/2 VW and a comparison between a 1/2 VW and a 1/3 Corvair.

Cost ? Weight? Power? And most importantly, fuel consumption.

Opinion follows................................

Cost? Depends on what you can scrounge up. The 110 Hp Corvairs are
getting kind of hard to find. All of us airplane types are buying
them up. But other than a slightly smaller size due to the shorter
stroke there really is nothing wrong with the older ones.

Weight? Based on my comparisons (and I have both sitting here in my
shop) I'd be willing to bet the 13/ Corvair is going to end up just a
bit heavier.

Power? Both the VW and the Corvair are limited in continuos power
output by their waste heat dissipation. 100 Hp Corvair conversions
have proven reliable so you could probably expect a mid 30 Hp 1/3
Corvair to be reliable.

Other differences? There is a greater supply of parts for the VW than
the Corvair, but lots of them are junk. You can still get good VW
parts. You just have to know what to look for.

You can buy a good counterweighted crank for a VW and cut it in half.
You will have to weld your own for the Corvair.

The oil pump housing in the Corvair is cast with the rear case
housing. If the housing on a VW pump gets worn you just replace the
whole thing.

Can't put dual plugs in a VW head due to where they put the
camshaft(at least and have them symmetrical in each head and easy to
service). Dual plugs in a Corvair head is easy.

The Corvair has hydraulic lifters. Good hydraulic lifters for VW's
may not exist.

How many Gal/Hr at minimum power settings? ... say 50% & how many HP
does this represent?

For all practical purposes the 1/2 VW and the 1/3 Corvair will use the
same amount of fuel for the same Hp. Nothing we mere mortals can do
to change this. If you want good fuel efficency for duration records
find a water cooled motor, a Diesel would be best. Look at the Briggs
and Stratton Vanguard 3 cylinder diesel. Made by Diahatsu and can be
had with factory turbo. About the same weight and rated at 30 HP -
continuos.

If you decide on a 1/2 VW check eBay. I should have a fresh set of
heads for sale soon............nice ones, not the welded creations
most have.
=================================
Leon McAtee
Quickie with 1/2 VW - 55% finished

Any response appreciated, thinking of attempting a world record
flight, but need hard info.

Thanks,

Possibly, or maybe there just aren't THAT many builders here?

----------------------------------------------------

Don't be silly. Lookit Oshkosh. If you include trailer trash and the ones
freighted in from Oz there must of been five, six hundred homebuilts there last
year.

-R.S.Hoover

Sorry Robert, I meant here on the list.

On my home field we have 12 (or more?) VW powered airplanes.
That's out of about 100 planes based here.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Out of 100 planes on my home field, there is but one VW example.
After the third engine failure, it and the KR-2 it is attached to
appear destined to remain earthbound forever more.


Barnyard BOb -

Many homebuilts on my field with engines mostly Rotax and Jabiru. Two
with VW. There were three VW but one had engine failure after takeoff
and was destroyed. A visiting aircraft with VW had engine failure on
downwind and was destroyed. As previously said, there's no need to use
VW now that low cost used Rotax and Jabiru are available.
Don

RU ok wrote in message

Out of 100 planes on my home field, there is but one VW example.
After the third engine failure, it and the KR-2 it is attached to
appear destined to remain earthbound forever more.


Barnyard BOb -

Don wrote:

Many homebuilts on my field with engines mostly Rotax and Jabiru. Two
with VW. There were three VW but one had engine failure after takeoff
and was destroyed. A visiting aircraft with VW had engine failure on
downwind and was destroyed. As previously said, there's no need to use
VW now that low cost used Rotax and Jabiru are available.
Don


Depends on what do you consider "low cost"?
A new Rotax 912 might as well be a Lycoming, price wise...


Ricahrd

RU ok wrote in message

Out of 100 planes on my home field, there is but one VW example.
After the third engine failure, it and the KR-2 it is attached to
appear destined to remain earthbound forever more.


Barnyard BOb -

Me! A Sonerai, but I'm at least a couple of years from flying. Haven't even
bought the engine yet.

Ed Schrom


"Richard Lamb" wrote in message
...
Richard Lamb wrote:

I'm just kinda curious about who here might be flying
(or building?)
a VW powered airplane?

Richard


Oh come on now!

There are only two of us actually playing with VW planes?

On the whole list?

VW let me down twice, would not fly behind one again even if it meant
I had to give up flying forever, which I almost did flying behind a VW.
When I first got into homebuilt aircraft there were many airplanes using
VW's, you do not see many anymore for a reson. YMMV

Jerry

Don wrote:
Many homebuilts on my field with engines mostly Rotax and Jabiru. Two
with VW. There were three VW but one had engine failure after takeoff
and was destroyed. A visiting aircraft with VW had engine failure on
downwind and was destroyed. As previously said, there's no need to use
VW now that low cost used Rotax and Jabiru are available.
Don

RU ok wrote in message

Out of 100 planes on my home field, there is but one VW example.
After the third engine failure, it and the KR-2 it is attached to
appear destined to remain earthbound forever more.


Barnyard BOb -

A Rotax 503 with reduction drive swinging a 60" prop would provide
much more thrust at greatly reduced weight than a direct drive VW.
Should be able to pick up a dual ignition 503 with a few hundred hours
for less than the cost of a VW conversion.
Don

Richard Lamb wrote in message
Depends on what do you consider "low cost"?
A new Rotax 912 might as well be a Lycoming, price wise...


Ricahrd

(Don) wrote in message . com...

As previously said, there's no need to use
VW now that low cost used Rotax and Jabiru are available.
Don

I don't know where your finding all of these cheap motors. Sure isn't
in TAP or on Barnstormers (or I'm just not looking in the right place)
and with the euro exchange rate the Rotax isn't such a good buy now.
The OZ dollar is starting to gain also.

As for VW reliability they get a bad reputation because the majority
of the ones that quit could be expected to quit. The VW is NOT a
simple motor to work on. You have to know it's quirks. Back when I
was build'n em for a living I lost a bunch of work to the "guy down
the road" because he would do a rebuild for $600 when I charged $800
"for the same thing". I generally had to charge $900, or more, to
redo the other guys work - if the customer had any money left 6 months
later.

Point is there are just too many "experts" that have built a 1/2 dozen
or so buggy motors that think they can build a reliable VW aero motor.
They generally can't. After you've built a few hundred and lived
with them through their life span then you begin to get an idea of
what works and what doesn't. Then you get to start all over with that
knowledge base and adapt it to the unique demands of pulln' or pushn'
a plane.

So don't disparage the VW just because some are junk. Just like the
airframe they power, if properly built and operated within a
reasonable envelope they are just as reliable as any
powerplant..................in my opinion.

=====================================
Leon McAtee
"Puttn' my money where my mouth is"
Quickie with 1/2 VW %55 finished