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Message
Hi Rusty,
You clearly don't need any more
advice/suggestions {:>). But (yep! some more of the same), I feel you
truly should consider the project a "long term" evolutionary project. Yes,
I know we all want to blast off at 5000 fpm rate of climb and hit 250 mph on 6
gph on the first flight, but it generally takes a little fine tuning to get
there {:>).
There was one year (after I flew off my 40
hours) that I got 2 1/2 hours of flight time. It was one major thing after
another until if I had any good sense I would have tossed in the towel
(fortunately I don't ). Tracy will tell you a similar story (perhaps not
as extreme).
The cooling system is now on its 6th rendition ( if
you count my experimenting with reducing my radiator inlet area. My second
set of radiator cores, my second oil cooler. I am on my second PSRU
as well as 13B block. As someone mentioned, I am working on my 4th or 5th
intake system (tough to keep track sometimes). My EFI system is the
second one on the aircraft. Its the third ignition CPU. I've
taken apart my engine several times (fortunately not the current one).
Lets see oh, yes.
The only major items FWF that are left on the
aircraft that were there for its first flight are
The motor mount
The exhaust headers
The Propeller and Spinner
The ignition components (well the wires have been
changed and the spark plugs {:>))
The fuel system (and its had blast tubes added for
cooling)
EVERY thing else has been changed at Least
once.
On the other hand, I must tell you (if not already
apparent) I LIKE tinkering with my set up - one of the reason I went this
route. Heck, with a Lycoming I would be bored to tears and broke
{:>).
While I believe my situation somewhat
extreme and have a certification to that affect from Real World Solutions
entitled the "Lightening Strikes Six Times (or More)" award for
discovering the most unlikely failure modes in a rotary powered aircraft (and I
might add, surviving them), I have found that you need to change one thing at a
time. Otherwise, it gets real hard to tell what the effect of any change
is.
My aircraft weighed approx 140 lbs heavier than the
"standard" RV-6A at its initial weigh-in, so I understand your feeling about the
weight. Also my CG is at the forward limit which adds that damn trim drag
(I have a faster top speed loaded to the gills than when near minimum
weight). Even with my weight reduction effort, it weights
(empty) over 200 lbs more than Tracy's RV4. But, I am still working on
bringing the weight down.
I think trying to solve all problems at once can
get your enthusasim down with perhaps no apparent results in any area.
Take it one problem at a time, isolate it, think about it (I know you do) and
take a course of action. Anything that might make you pucker from time to
time would be the first thing on my list to fix {:>). If you really
have your heart set on something (like the turbo), don't abandon anything just
because it may have teething problems - at least not until you have spent at
least six months trying to get the bugs out. I mean I've been flying
4 years and I'm still changing (hopefully improving)
things.
Now either this tale puts
your situation in a clearer perspective or you need to go buy a Lycoming
{:>) (Kidding of course)
Best Regards
Ed Anderson
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