Hey Tom,
Couldn't help reading your comment:
"Microtech isn't that cheap and sofar not proven that reliable
overall."
That sort
of comment REALLY, REALLY gets up my nose, especially coming
from someone who is inexperienced in these matters. I've been selling and
tuning these things since the early '90s!! I was also involved in the
early development of them for rotaries as far back as '1992. So let's
tackle your assertions:
PRICE
Firstly,
price wise, they are $1250 AUD here in Oz. If anyone is silly
enough to pay double that in the US, then good luck!!! At
current exchange rates (76 cents), that's UNDER a grand
USD. Plus $85 AUD for a 3 Kg EMS courier bag, (gets there in a few
days, ask Todd Bartrim), plus whatever fees, taxes, and
import duties you pay at your end. That price includes the hand
set. The LT-8/LTX-8 units, without the handset, are
$1050/1095 AUD (around $800/830 USD). For another $150 AUD ($115
USD), you get the laptop dongle and software for a full EIS display
on a computer screen, and includes full Data Logging etc.
See:.
So for Under $2,000 USD (plus taxes and import
duties etc), you can have COMPLETE redundancy (buy two units and one
handset), plus a full EIS display, plus Logging!!! Compare
that with whatever else is available on the market!!!! NOTHING even comes
close price wise!!!!
RELIABILTY
Secondly, there have been literally THOUSANDS and THOUSANDS of
units sold here and overseas over a period of 12 years, `and they are
VERY, VERY, VERY reliable. If you can't afford a Motec or
an Autronic, then the ONLY (in my opinion anyway) other reliable
option is a Microtech. But PLEASE don't blame the equipment when it
is the OPERATOR!!! Which brings me to the next point ...
TUNABILITY
Thirdly, as with any fuel injection/engine management system (doesn't
matter WHAT brand), you still need to have the engine tuned
correctly. I have already stressed on several occasions in my
correspondence to Paul Conner that he MUST get the engine tuned
properly. If he can't do it himself, then PAY a professional to do
it. It 'ain't hard if you know what you are doing. It's almost
impossible if you DON'T!! Get the Pro to check out the rest of the EFI
system while he's at it.
You either understand how an engine works, or you don't. If you
don't, then pay a Pro to do it for you. Just like you don't attempt
to fix your own teeth, or set your own broken limbs, or remove your
own appendix!!!.
With the aid of a good Air/Fuel ratio meter, I can set up a Microtech
pretty close in about an hour. That's all it takes. The
instructions are clear and precise. But as engine tuning is a "black
art", it does require a certain amount of experience, and a great
deal of understanding. Tuning engines while flying is just asking for
it!! Which brings me to the next topic ...
RISKY BEHAVIOUR
Considering the risks Paul has taken so
far, (the potential loss his aircraft, not to mention
others), and not to mention his own life & limb
(and possibly those of others), I am of the opinion that he should take
the engine out of the aircraft, take it to a professional engine tuner and
stick it on a dyno, and get it properly tuned. CHEAP
insurance!!!
Al Geitzen did his tuning on a dyno. Al's
smart, even if we don't agree on BMEP and running turbo rotors in NA
aircraft engines!! (}:>) (Yea Al, I luv youse too!!).
See, Al now knows exactly how much grunt he's got from his 20B,
and at what RPM. No guesswork here. So he can go to a prop
manufacturer and get exactly the right prop first go.
So why is it all so hard to do things properly???
If bux are really tight, (and I don't think that's a problem,
otherwise we wouldn't be talking about buying a couple of Ellisons or a
Cessna would we??!!) Then at least tie the plane down and get a
professional tuner to come out and tune the sucker at the airport, and
make sure it is reliable on the ground (lots of high speed taxi testing with the
turkeys) before trying to soar with eagles.
You are just asking for trouble if the engine isn't
tuned properly, and especially if all the bugs
aren't ironed out of the EFI system and fuel supply etc. Who
actually knows what caused the fan to stop in Paul's case? Water in the
fuel, blocked tank vent? Blocked fuel filter?? Pump
failure?? Electrical failure?? Why blame the EFI??
Anyway, that's my handful of very abrasive
industrial diamond paste for today.
Cheers,
Leon
----- Original Message -----
Sent: Wednesday, February 09, 2005 3:13
AM
Subject: [FlyRotary] Re: Bad day at the
airport
Paul, Ellison is a substitute for a carburetor, some kind of 'new'
technology that's been around for some time and seems to be simple &
successful and has a good reputation. Avgas only, like a Cessna.
While there's no venturi they still recomend carb heat.
I'm sure there's a size that's overkill for the motor now on
your bench. They offer units for hp greater than most of these
rotaries can put out.
Your statement of 'carburetor or Cessna' really rang a bell with me, kind
of a wake-up call. As for expense, for me I wouldn't have to deal with
the cost or issues you're encountering with the fuel-injection setup.
Microtech isn't that cheap and sofar not proven that reliable overall.
Rusty, why would you need more than one? Consider
Tracy's current intake setup for his Renesis, essentially remove the injector
hardware and replace his throttle plate with an
Ellison.
I've been sketching manifolds this morning and i can see they'd not be
that difficult to make out of either aluminum or steel.
Warning, I have no first-hand experience with Ellison's. Just what
I've gleaned from magazines and the internet.
My .01cent
Tom
Paul <sqpilot@bellsouth.net> wrote:
Does an Ellison throttle body have injectors,
or is it a substitute for a carburetor? Paul Conner
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