Altitude ceiling engine choices

You guys are giving bad advice. I fly a Glastar with an O-320 E2A in
it. I have flown dozens of hours at density altitudes above 15000 ft.
And that is with the plane loaded to GW. With the plane loaded lightly
I have had it above 21000 density altitude (which was right at 18000 ft
MSL) using autogas, just to see how high I could go. I have flown
across the Rockies half a dozen times at VFR altitudes of 13500, 14500
and 15500, depending on which way I'm going. Those flights were at
density altitudes typically 2000 to 3000 higher than the MSL altitudes.
The Slick mags never misfired even at 21000 ft, but the plane was at
it's service ceiling of 100 fpm there and I'm sure any misfiring would
have resulted in a descent. I enjoy high altitude XC flights using O2
and a pulse oximeter, the air is smooth, cool and the plane runs great.
Don't blame your engine for limits imposed by your airframes.
Justaguy

wrote:
You guys are giving bad advice. I fly a Glastar with an O-320 E2A in
it. I have flown dozens of hours at density altitudes above 15000 ft.
And that is with the plane loaded to GW.


I agree, I have flown my RV-6 at 15000 ft several times when I had a
O-320 E2D on it and it was still climbing with no problem. I used to fly
across the mtns. in my Tripacer at altitudes of 14,500. John Ammeter
something does not sound right that you could not get your RV-6 above
13,500.

Jerry

"Jerry Springer" wrote in message
...
wrote:
You guys are giving bad advice. I fly a Glastar with an O-320 E2A in
it. I have flown dozens of hours at density altitudes above 15000 ft.
And that is with the plane loaded to GW.


I agree, I have flown my RV-6 at 15000 ft several times when I had a O-320
E2D on it and it was still climbing with no problem. I used to fly across
the mtns. in my Tripacer at altitudes of 14,500. John Ammeter something
does not sound right that you could not get your RV-6 above 13,500.

Jerry

Someone with 150 hp and a cruise prop might not be able to generate a whole
lot of rpm and therefore power at that altitude. It goes back to the
compromises you make with a fixed pitch prop. Also, it depends on how
heavily loaded the RV-6 was. I list my 160 hp, fixed pitch RV-6's gross
weight at 1675 lb, and the climb and altitude performance really suffer with
the last 50 lbs or so.

KB

It might have been the payload.... I know we were at or slightly over
gross... The stick had a very light "feel" to it, like we were close to
the stall..

John

Jerry Springer wrote:
wrote:

You guys are giving bad advice. I fly a Glastar with an O-320 E2A in
it. I have flown dozens of hours at density altitudes above 15000 ft.
And that is with the plane loaded to GW.



I agree, I have flown my RV-6 at 15000 ft several times when I had a
O-320 E2D on it and it was still climbing with no problem. I used to fly
across the mtns. in my Tripacer at altitudes of 14,500. John Ammeter
something does not sound right that you could not get your RV-6 above
13,500.

Jerry

that sounds like my situation...

John

Kyle Boatright wrote:


Someone with 150 hp and a cruise prop might not be able to generate a whole
lot of rpm and therefore power at that altitude. It goes back to the
compromises you make with a fixed pitch prop. Also, it depends on how
heavily loaded the RV-6 was. I list my 160 hp, fixed pitch RV-6's gross
weight at 1675 lb, and the climb and altitude performance really suffer with
the last 50 lbs or so.

KB

Plane is telling you to skip desert!


"John Ammeter" wrote in message
...
that sounds like my situation...

John

Kyle Boatright wrote:


Someone with 150 hp and a cruise prop might not be able to generate a
whole lot of rpm and therefore power at that altitude. It goes back to
the compromises you make with a fixed pitch prop. Also, it depends on
how heavily loaded the RV-6 was. I list my 160 hp, fixed pitch RV-6's
gross weight at 1675 lb, and the climb and altitude performance really
suffer with the last 50 lbs or so.

KB