X-Virus-Scanned: clean according to Sophos on Logan.com Return-Path: Received: from fed1rmmtao105.cox.net ([68.230.241.41] verified) by logan.com (CommuniGate Pro SMTP 5.2.12) with ESMTP id 3526793 for flyrotary@lancaironline.net; Wed, 04 Mar 2009 10:26:28 -0500 Received-SPF: none receiver=logan.com; client-ip=68.230.241.41; envelope-from=alventures@cox.net Received: from fed1rmimpo01.cox.net ([70.169.32.71]) by fed1rmmtao105.cox.net (InterMail vM.7.08.02.01 201-2186-121-102-20070209) with ESMTP id <20090304152549.JQIZ15318.fed1rmmtao105.cox.net@fed1rmimpo01.cox.net> for ; Wed, 4 Mar 2009 10:25:49 -0500 Received: from BigAl ([72.192.133.251]) by fed1rmimpo01.cox.net with bizsmtp id P3Rq1b0015RcKeo033Rqze; Wed, 04 Mar 2009 10:25:50 -0500 X-Authority-Analysis: v=1.0 c=1 a=O0MOTgCEIzYgmJy3ZW4A:9 a=ZZNcTikSUYaYM6tcmu4A:7 a=bS4n1u3On-7Abiexfhfexv0OP30A:4 a=vNGxQsTWjH8A:10 a=ksJDfLOxo3fehbP_:21 a=A114UHaRdWF3mmO8:21 a=nTmsuX3UO8CiSMijIrkA:9 a=QSlqDNZYMRcAadBxPnUA:7 a=sVVwOYqzLbMoE1a889wdrS-mAGoA:4 a=37WNUvjkh6kA:10 X-CM-Score: 0.00 From: "Al Gietzen" To: "'Rotary motors in aircraft'" Subject: Fuel economy - Date: Wed, 4 Mar 2009 07:27:01 -0800 Message-ID: MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: multipart/alternative; boundary="----=_NextPart_000_0013_01C99C9A.9BF28A30" X-Priority: 3 (Normal) X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook, Build 10.0.6838 Importance: Normal Thread-Index: AcmczCtFU57Z2OKhSH2pBZu5MNpfWQADU98g X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V6.00.2900.5579 In-Reply-To: This is a multi-part message in MIME format. ------=_NextPart_000_0013_01C99C9A.9BF28A30 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Mark wrote: Most are just plain scared to run their engines lean of peak where they = are able to get close to the "advertised" bsfc. =20 That seems to be the rule. I chatted yesterday with a hangar neighbor = with his beautiful Lancair Legacy with Continental 550. Does he run lean of peak? =93Eh-h, well, I tried it, but it sounded different, and I hear = the valves don=92t last as long; so I run it rich of peak. It=92s a few = more dollars, but cheap insurance=94 =20 Alcohol and possible vapor lock are the only issues I know of, and with = a properly designed EFI fuel system, vapor lock isn't an issue. As long = as they don't start blending alcohol in the fuel in my neck of the woods, = I'll keep burning mogas and pocketing the difference. =20 I did the ethanol test on my auto fuel yesterday. Within the accuracy of = the test, the fuel had between 4 and 6% ethanol =96 consistent with what = Mike said regarding CA fuels. So I got out my light and little my mirror and = stiff wire with a sharp end; and inspected my fiberglass/EZpoxy fuel tanks. No sign of any softening of the surfaces; no sign of anything happening. Nothing in the fuel filter. So far, so good. So I=92ll keep runnin=92 with auto fuel =96 certainly when near my home = base. Saves close to $15 for every hour of flying =96 including the 6 =96 8 = cents/ga for the 2-cycle oil (SuperTech 2-stroke oil, $10.97/ga at Walmart, mix = =BE oz per ga.). =20 You stated, "But really the biggest motivation was to do something a = little different." As for that statement... I couldn't agree more, but how do = you quantify something like that? =20 I like to put it differently: "But really the biggest motivation was to = do something a little better."=20 Al G =20 ------=_NextPart_000_0013_01C99C9A.9BF28A30 Content-Type: text/html; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable

Mark wrote:

Most are just plain scared to run their = engines lean of peak where they are able to get close to the = "advertised" bsfc.

 

That seems to be the rule. =A0I = chatted yesterday with a hangar neighbor with his beautiful Lancair Legacy with Continental 550. =A0Does he run lean of peak? “Eh-h, well, I tried = it, but it sounded different, and I hear the valves don’t last as long; so = I run it rich of peak.=A0 It’s a few more dollars, but cheap = insurance”

 

Alcohol and possible vapor lock are = the only issues I know of, and with a properly designed EFI fuel system, = vapor lock isn't an issue.  As long as they don't start blending alcohol = in the fuel in my neck of the woods, I'll keep burning mogas and = pocketing the difference. 

I did the ethanol test on my auto = fuel yesterday. Within the accuracy of the test, the fuel had between 4 and = 6% ethanol – consistent with what Mike said regarding CA fuels. =A0So = I got out my light and little my mirror and stiff wire with a sharp end; and inspected my fiberglass/EZpoxy fuel tanks. No sign of any softening of = the surfaces; no sign of anything happening. Nothing in the fuel filter. So = far, so good.

So I’ll keep runnin’ = with auto fuel – certainly when near my home base. =A0Saves close to = $15 for every hour of flying – including the 6 – 8 cents/ga for the = 2-cycle oil (SuperTech 2-stroke oil, $10.97/ga at Walmart, mix =BE oz per = ga.).

 

You stated, "But really the biggest = motivation was to do something a little different."  As for that = statement... I couldn't agree more, but how do you quantify something like that?  =

=
=

I like to put it = differently: "But really the biggest motivation was to do something a little better." = ;

Al G

 

------=_NextPart_000_0013_01C99C9A.9BF28A30--