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Message
Ask yourself this question. With all the added complexity
(turbo, extra
cooling, control systems), would it be simpler and lighter just
to add a
rotor and go with a 20B?
If I were building a plane that was meant to
have more power and weight than an O-320, I would go with a 20B over a
turbo 13B. As the old saying goes, there's no substitute for cubic
inches. In my case, I knew all along that I might have to remove the turbo
if the weight and balance didn't come out OK, and it's far easier to remove a
turbo, than an extra rotor. I also never planned to push the power limit
of the turbo 13B, since the plane isn't meant to handle it.
If I could go back in time about 6 months,
knowing what I know now (weight, required boost, etc), I would not have
installed the turbo. I would have looked harder at the 2.85 gear
option though. There's plenty of power in the 13B if you're willing to
turn the rpms, and frankly, I believe it's safer to turn the rpms, than to use a
bunch of boost.
Tracy- when you get the bugs worked out of
the 2.85 gear set, will it be possible to convert an RD-1B to
an RD-1C? I'm assuming that all the expensive parts would have to be
changed, so it would likely not be cost effective, but as you know, I "have" to
ask :-)
Thanks,
Rusty (just don't know)
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