I think Bernie Pietenpol pioneered the use of the Corvair - concluding it was the perfect engine for his design. Since then, a number of very skilled engineers have been improving things and I suspect there are hundreds of well-designed and well-maintained Corvairs flying with nary a problem. With the latest and greatest crank and using the best quality parts in the rest of the engine, including putting an Ellison on it, a well-fitted out and maintained Corvair seems to my mind to be a smooth, six-cylinder dream engine. Not cheap . . . but ask Dan Heath what he paid for the engine he's putting in his Panther :-)!
Between Mark Langford and William Wynne and the others who engineered the fifth bearings and the new crank, I suspect everything is known there is to know regarding this engine. Re the VW, many years of development have gone into making it a fine aircraft engine. Mistakes like using cast cranks have long since been corrected and the rest of Larry's list of VW problems are all solved. Simply not overheating the engine for extended periods solves most of its issues. The VW engine is a real trooper and as reliable as anything in the air, turbines excepted. However, using the highest quality parts and the most careful engineering and assembly goes for naught if the engine is run hot over time. Keep it within healthy temperature parameters and, to my mind and in my experience, it's as reliable as any "real aircraft" engine. "Bob Hoover's Lectures" are loaded with just about all one needs to know about the VW. Joe Horvath of Revmaster - another great VW fundi. Re "real aircraft engines" . . . an old A&P who taught me how to use his Sioux valve grinding machine told me he has frequently found that genuine Continental and Lycoming valves come out of the box without being perfectly true. There's no better way to guarantee engine problems down the road than fitting a valve right out of the box, without checking and truing it if necessary. In other words, presuming excellent quality simply because the parts came from a certificated supplier is not wise. I've treated my GP 2180 as if it were a "real aircraft engine" and it has served well. I have as much confidence in it as any engine I've ever flown behind - especially once I'd taken it apart and put it back together. That's the only way to know what you've got. In any event, I don't consider my KR engine any riskier than the one in my Suzuki or Oldsmobile. Whether VW's, Corvairs, Lycs or Continentals, putting it together with great care while using the highest quality components - and operating and maintaining it properly guarantees (at least in my mind) a trouble free existence. For those who may not know about the magazine, Contact Magazine is and has been devoted for many years to car engine conversions. Reading the back issues, just as with going through the KRNET and CORVAIRNET archives, provide an advanced education on the subject. I don't have a subscription to Contact these days but for those with an interest in converting car engines for aircraft use, Contact is a great resource. Mike KSEE ____________________________________________________________ Drink This Before Bed, Watch Your Body Fat Melt Like Crazy Diet Insider http://thirdpartyoffers.juno.com/TGL3141/5ceedd52d334a5d526b1est03vuc _______________________________________________ Search the KRnet Archives at https://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/. Please see LIST RULES and KRnet info at http://www.krnet.org/info.html. see http://list.krnet.org/mailman/listinfo/krnet_list.krnet.org to change options. To UNsubscribe from KRnet, send a message to [email protected]
