I usually just read but I have to say something now. I have been in aviation my entire life, mostly in helicopters for the army.......automotive engines are a lot better choice and they don't need redunant systems. When lyco and cont made engines magnetos were very unreliable so they put 2 on incase one failed. With 2 magnetos you have to have two wiring harnesses and two spark plugs. Modern automotive engines use a electronic ignition that takes years of abuse and hundred of thousands of miles with no maintenance at all.............you never work on your ignition system all you do is change the wires and plugs and for the most part they work flawlessly. If you look at it realistically milllions of people operate their car daily, and really abuse it compared to the operation of a aircraft engine, and it never needs maintenance..........automotive engines are alot more reliable than people give them credit for........and since I take care of several cessna's, beeches, stearman and a p51 and have been doing this most of my life i got a pretty good look at the whole picture.
David Mikesell 23597 N. Hwy 99 Acampo, CA 95220 209-609-8774 [email protected] www.skyguynca.com ----- Original Message ----- From: "larry flesner" <[email protected]> To: <[email protected]>; "KRnet" <[email protected]> Sent: Sunday, January 11, 2004 9:47 AM Subject: Re: KR>Engines - Certified versus automotive conversions > > >Yes, aircraft engines have specific requirements. Yes, standard automotive > >engines do not meet all of these requirements, especially the redundancy > >principle (no single failure must lead to catastrophic failure). > >Serge Vidal > ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++= > > REALITY CHECK....... > > Beyond the dual mags, harness, and plugs, the aircraft engine has > no advantage over any other engine when it comes to redundancy. > > Loose a connecting rod, bearing, piston, crank, cylinder, oil line, > cam, carb, engine control cables, etc., etc., etc., and ANY engine > is reduced to a weighted object bolted to the airframe that will help > keep the W.& B. correct and the aircraft controlable until you reach > the landing/crash site. > > The only true redundancy is to fly a twin engine aircraft and that > opens a whole new can of worms. > > Pick an engine that you are comfortable flying behind so you can > enjoy the flight hours you get until it someday fails and do your > best to postpone that event as long as possible. I've been lucky > in that with nearly 1000 flight hours I've not had to deal with that > situation but, if I continue to fly, I'm sure some day I will. I can > only hope it will be a very unexciting story for me to tell my friends. :-) > > Larry Flesner > Carterville, Illinois > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > see KRnet list details at http://www.krnet.org/instructions.html
