Good morning all. I purchased Bob Darrah's 20B project a couple of years ago. I am still planning on using it on my BD-4 project that I am currently working on. Slow but steady progress. I am planning on computer controlled fuel and ignition via a Megasquirt
3 EMS. I will be using this system as my EIS as well. I am currently planning on a NA set up, but depending on performance, will consider turbo-normalization for sound mitigation and altitude performance. Cooling will be with a ventral scoop that will start
off oversized, and slowly reduced with information obtained during test flights.
The engine is sitting nicely tucked away in several layers of plastic wrap, waiting for it's rebirth/rebuild when the airframe is closer to completion.
Hi Finn and Charlie
At one point I was hopeful of the 16 coming out but that appears very unlikely.
My 4 Port Renesis is one of their original test engines.
It would be interesting if they had a supply of the 16’s that they sold off as they did the early Renesis.
I’ve just finished a significant rebuild of our cooling system and will test fly tomorrow after 6 months of redesign and building.
You know how it is, change one things and then a new problem and repositioning of other systems presents itself.
My big challenge was seeing if I could get air from the left nostril into my new radiator on the righthand side so keeping the cowl original.
Tomorrow morning will tell! The forecast is 41C 106F so a good test of the new system.
Thankfully it will probably be only 30C 86F when we lift-off.
If all works out I’ll share my new data and design.
Cheers
Steve
On 12 Jan 2024, at 11:35 am, Charlie England ceengland7@gmail.com <flyrotary@lancaironline.net> wrote:
Reading those old Contact! articles made me wonder what the rotary roster looks like now.
With the steep increase in Lycoming engines and their long (2 - 4 years) lead time, I'm wondering why/if they're an increased interest in DIY rotary engine installs. With 200 RWS PSRUs out there (even if most of them may be 2.17:1) that's still a good supply
of reasonably priced PSRUs.
Is it that there are relatively few real experimenters out there or that we're not really promoting the rotary? I know our most repeated statement is: "If you just want to go fly bolt on a Lycoming, if you want to tinker do an autoconversion". But with prices
and lead times, does that still hold true?
Finn\
If the 16X makes it into production, and someone steps up with a well-debugged drive for it, it might mean a real resurgence in interest. But I'm afraid that the
13B/Renesis might be too 'old tech' for new guys coming into the market. It used to be the lightest option by far in its HP class, but now there are quite a few piston engines that can beat them in pwr/wt, without having to build a custom intake.
I'd love to see the 16X be available.
Charlie