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V8 Long EZ


goatherder

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So I’ve been trying to find out something out about Gary Spencer’s V8 Long EZ for awhile now, and after some google searching I found Contact! magazine. Cool little rag, and in issue 70 back in ’02 there was a writeup by the man himself about his plane. It’s a cool plane, and it goes 250 mph. Here are a few details if anyone is curious:

 

Seems he stuffed an aluminum small-block Ford in the back of his plane. He’s driving a 58” 3-blade prop directly off the crank with an adapter and a 5” extension. The engine sits up so the crank centerline is on the thrust line (?) of the plane (the prop is where it’s supposed to be), so the valve covers need bulges in the upper cowl. He’s chopped down a Victor Junior manifold to gain a low profile, and used a Holley 2BBL carb with adjustable metering plate for leaning. Looks like he’s got flat little K&N filter on top of that, which is being fed directly from a little “hood scoop” on top of the upper cowl.

 

The engine is a Ford Racing aluminum 302 block, with a forged stroker crank and forged pistons. 360 cu-in. Aluminum heads, water pump, oil pump (?), lightweight starter, roller valve gear, dual MSD ignition. 2 lb, 8 amp alternator. 8 individual exhaust pipes exiting where the cowls join in the stern. He’s got a12 x 24 x 2” radiator under the oil pan that’s fed from a NACA belly scoop. Engine weight is 338 lb dry, and he claims 260hp at 3500 RPM. About 6 gph at 200 mph, and 250 top speed. Total plane weight of 1060 lbs.

 

Very cool plane. I want one.

Marc Oppelt

Olympia, WA

http://picasaweb.google.com/oh.u8it2

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I read somewheres about the $moolah$ he put into it....

Yowzda!!!

You sure you still want one!!!?????:)

 

I sure do like his trailing edge exhaust. Schweeet!

I would like to maybe do my "six-shooter" exhaust like his!!!

post-4661-141090169848_thumb.jpg

Self confessed Wingnut.

Now think about it...wouldn't you rather LIVE your life, rather than watch someone else's, on Reality T.V.?

Get up off that couch!!! =)

 

Progress; Fuselage on all three, with outside and inside nearly complete. 8 inch extended nose. FHC done. Canard finished. ERacer wings done with blended winglets. IO540 starting rebuild. Mounting Spar. Starting strake ribs.

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Can't help but think I saw a velocity at RR last year with a spanky V-8. Had a fighter rumble, but remember seeing heat blemishes on the prop where the hot waste came out of the cowl. Only drawback I see is loss of coolant at altitude........doubt it would keep purring like a rotary would. Funny thing, I thought the fuel burn at 200 would be closer to 16 than six:D

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In the article he claims that his fuel burn w/ the V8 at 200mph is the same as it was with the 235 at 175mph.

 

He said he's got 13k in the motor....probably alot of it in the bottom end. An aluminum 351 block is $3300, heads for this application can be had assembled for a grand,a 4340 stroker crank/H-beam rods/forged piston balanced rotating assembly can be had for about $2200, then roller cam kit & rockers, intake, ignition, gaskets, oil and water pumps and timing set shouldn't cost more than another couple grand. Well...then you need a prop and adapters and engine mount and radiator(s) and some exhaust pipes.

 

Hmmm. 13k might even be a bit light.

 

But 250 MPH!

 

Woo Hoo!

 

Oh yeah...that exhaust is cool. Not ideal from a power standpoint...but I'll bet it sounds great.

Marc Oppelt

Olympia, WA

http://picasaweb.google.com/oh.u8it2

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13 in parts [whats costly is the labor added to that, unfortunately]

His machinist fabrication was what I thought was very expensive.

I could be wrong.

Hey, if it's that cost effective for you...you are good to go, goatherder!!

 

This sells as, the "Berkut" exhaust, that another Cozy540 has on it. It's my other alternative....

Though I may end up with it...I am not feelin' it.:(

post-4661-14109016985_thumb.jpg

Self confessed Wingnut.

Now think about it...wouldn't you rather LIVE your life, rather than watch someone else's, on Reality T.V.?

Get up off that couch!!! =)

 

Progress; Fuselage on all three, with outside and inside nearly complete. 8 inch extended nose. FHC done. Canard finished. ERacer wings done with blended winglets. IO540 starting rebuild. Mounting Spar. Starting strake ribs.

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What makes Gary Spencers application simple and better is that it is direct drive no psru. I have seen his plane a couple of times It is a nice looking installation. I still think I will stick to my Lycoming.

Steve Harmon

Lovin Life in Idaho

Cozy IV Plans #1466 N232CZ

http://websites.expercraft.com/bigsteve/

Working on Chapter 19,21

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Moneywise goatherder, I have seen a couple of o360's that were midtime and clean, advertised recently for 11-12k. That would make a very fast 180 hp powerplant, though a bit heavy, for you. Add Waynes DD inlet package and go. If you wanted more hp, change out the pistons to a higher compression.

 

But yea, this V8 Longeze is a one of a kind machine.

I think you should build the second one!!

[you are building a LongEze, aren't you?]

Self confessed Wingnut.

Now think about it...wouldn't you rather LIVE your life, rather than watch someone else's, on Reality T.V.?

Get up off that couch!!! =)

 

Progress; Fuselage on all three, with outside and inside nearly complete. 8 inch extended nose. FHC done. Canard finished. ERacer wings done with blended winglets. IO540 starting rebuild. Mounting Spar. Starting strake ribs.

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Yeah, I want to build a Long EZ...but no money for it right now.

 

This financial crisis has screwed up the international markets for fish so bad that half the fishing fleet I work in has been tied to the dock for most of the year...including the boat that I was supposed to be running this summmer. No market for the fish equals no job for me.

 

I was trying to trade one of my personal boats for a Long EZ project about 100 miles from here but the guys wife wouldn't go for it. Wouldn't let him have my bigass KTM dirt bike either. Go figure. She's the one that made him give up on the Long EZ in the first place...and now she's making him build an RV Nine instead. Poor old bastard.

 

Anyway, I'll come up with a project before long, and then I'll be a glue-sniffing fool like the rest of you guys.

 

I do like the idea of a direct drive V8 though...if I could pull it off. They're butt-simple and I can build it and fix it and tune it myself. And it'll cruise at 3000 rpm's all friggin day. If you can cool it.

 

Oh man...the wife just came here in lingerie and lookin all tasty. Enuf of this airplane stuff for now.

Marc Oppelt

Olympia, WA

http://picasaweb.google.com/oh.u8it2

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Ok, here is the article:

 

http://picasaweb.google.com/oh.u8it2/SpencerLongEZV8#

 

Click on page 1, then click the Zoom icon on the upper right, then click and drag on the image to scroll up and down.

 

Click the arrow above the image to advance to the next image.

Marc Oppelt

Olympia, WA

http://picasaweb.google.com/oh.u8it2

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Oh man...the wife just came here in lingerie and lookin all tasty. Enuf of this airplane stuff for now.

Sheesh. Well just leave THEN!!!

Well.....A guys gotta do what a guys gotta do. I think your priorities are all wrong. :rolleyes:

Too bad you're not more committed to talking about building airplanes here on our effervescent forum...In a few minutes you going to be pining, "I coulda had a V8"...instead of that lingerie stuff. That you can have anytime.;)

Self confessed Wingnut.

Now think about it...wouldn't you rather LIVE your life, rather than watch someone else's, on Reality T.V.?

Get up off that couch!!! =)

 

Progress; Fuselage on all three, with outside and inside nearly complete. 8 inch extended nose. FHC done. Canard finished. ERacer wings done with blended winglets. IO540 starting rebuild. Mounting Spar. Starting strake ribs.

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That was an interesting short article on the v-8 conversion, seems he addressed many areas where weight became the issue. I am personally going with the 13b with crook redrive. I am stretched 13" (firewall to canard) and will undoubtedly have some fun when it comes to weight/balance stage.

The doggone fuel burn is good, and camII racing fuel could easilly be exchanged for the 100ll. On pint engine oil in 4800 miles is absolutely awesome. I am wondering how he is capping his RPM? Rev limiting? :confused:

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Prop - yeah... limit rpm using engine load and a given air inlet size. There is also a "throttle stop" device that bracket racers use to increase their ET consistancy.

 

Maybe he is just using his throttle setting...

 

My mama used to tell me that I didn't need to have my right foot all the way down.

Marc Oppelt

Olympia, WA

http://picasaweb.google.com/oh.u8it2

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I am stretched 13" (firewall to canard) and will undoubtedly have some fun when it comes to weight/balance stage.

 

One problem I have been told, with the stretched fuselage is the canard placement at the new F.S. location due to the 12"stretch. The canard needs to be in the same F.S. or the canard shortened to offset the added lifting arm to mitigate it's new, built in, aft CG.

???????

Needless to say, I am glad I didnt stretch my fuse, just the nose.

YMMV.

Self confessed Wingnut.

Now think about it...wouldn't you rather LIVE your life, rather than watch someone else's, on Reality T.V.?

Get up off that couch!!! =)

 

Progress; Fuselage on all three, with outside and inside nearly complete. 8 inch extended nose. FHC done. Canard finished. ERacer wings done with blended winglets. IO540 starting rebuild. Mounting Spar. Starting strake ribs.

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just curious about overspeeding a prop, you know, mach at prop tip=!@#$%^

the high pitch prop will limit your RPM until you get up to top speed and then you control the RPM with throttle setting as you would in any plane. with a climb prop you would have to watch your throttle setting a little closer but not hard to do. the last thing you would want is a device that is going to limit your RPM and have that device fail. the less gadgets you have the less that can fail.

Evolultion Eze RG -a two place side by side-200 Knots on 200 HP. A&P / pilot for over 30 years

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the last thing you would want is a device that is going to limit your RPM and have that device fail. the less gadgets you have the less that can fail

.

 

Yeah, no kidding. I can see the results of that failure. Best to just use throttle.

 

Here's a question: anybody have an idea how fast you can spin one of these small diameter wood/glass composite props like the Hertzelers and such? Assuming it's properly balanced and trued, of course. Maybe 3500rpm?

 

Anybody know of a test where they spun it until it failed?

Marc Oppelt

Olympia, WA

http://picasaweb.google.com/oh.u8it2

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the last thing you would want is a device that is going to limit your RPM and have that device fail. the less gadgets you have the less that can fail

.

 

Yeah, no kidding. I can see the results of that failure. Best to just use throttle.

 

Here's a question: anybody have an idea how fast you can spin one of these small diameter wood/glass composite props like the Hertzelers and such? Assuming it's properly balanced and trued, of course. Maybe 3500rpm?

 

Anybody know of a test where they spun it until it failed?

Marc Oppelt

Olympia, WA

http://picasaweb.google.com/oh.u8it2

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thats right edge, you change the dynamics when you lengthen the tub. I thought this through before stretching, and I know I won't be carrying around ballast like a cozy. I just wanted the extra room in the back for luggage!!:D

No doubt, baggage room wanted!!

So in your pre-thinking, calculating, how much shorter will you be making the canard?

Self confessed Wingnut.

Now think about it...wouldn't you rather LIVE your life, rather than watch someone else's, on Reality T.V.?

Get up off that couch!!! =)

 

Progress; Fuselage on all three, with outside and inside nearly complete. 8 inch extended nose. FHC done. Canard finished. ERacer wings done with blended winglets. IO540 starting rebuild. Mounting Spar. Starting strake ribs.

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thats right edge, you change the dynamics when you lengthen the tub. I thought this through before stretching, and I know I won't be carrying around ballast like a cozy. I just wanted the extra room in the back for luggage!!:D

the stretch has nothing to do with why a Cozy needs the ballast. in the side by side you are adding ballast when you do not have a copilot in the front seat. if you stretch a cozy the problem of ballast still exists and even worsens . if you stretch a cozy and move the pilot back then you lessen the ballast problem but loose the extra space in the back. in a tandem the front seat always has a pilot so there is no need for the heavy ballast. the copilot is sitting on the C of G. In a stretched tandem the back seat is just longer and the extra 12" does not give enough room for real luggage. in a side by side the 12" stretch and the extra width might give you enough space for small luggage. its still not enough room for luggage for four so it is still a two place with a larger luggage compartment.

Evolultion Eze RG -a two place side by side-200 Knots on 200 HP. A&P / pilot for over 30 years

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thats right edge, you change the dynamics when you lengthen the tub. I thought this through before stretching, and I know I won't be carrying around ballast like a cozy. I just wanted the extra room in the back for luggage!!:D

Folks making major aerodynamic changes to canard aircraft scare the crap out of me. Chris Esselstyn had CG issues when first flying his stretched MKIV, and I worked with him extensively to determine an appropriate CG range. Scott Carter's stretched MKIV (very similar to Chris') first few flights were unstable due to his misunderstanding of an appropriate CG range, about which he consulted nobody. I still do not have confidence that he has an appropriate CG range for his airplane.

 

Lynn is absolutely correct that stretching the fuselage does not in any way change the requirement for ballast in a two front seat canard aircraft of this type. If you believe that it does, then you don't understand the aerodynamics behind the situation. And as far as Dennis' (Edge 513 - I can't stand these pseudonyms - if I were the administrator, people would have to use their real names) statement that:

 

"... or the canard shortened to offset the added lifting arm to mitigate it's new, built in, aft CG."

 

That's only one possible solution, and not the optimal one (nor one that anyone who's stretched a LE or COZY has implemented). And it's a misleading statement to say that there's a "new, built in aft CG". The CG RANGE is what's changing, and the actual CG must me adapted to fit the new range.

 

I've said this before, and I'll say it again. The aerodynamics of canard aircraft are more complex and more subtle than conventional aircraft. Modifying aerodynamic qualities should be done by qualified people or at least with the consultation of qualified people. When statements such as "I won't need ballast because I'm stretching the fuselage" are made, that's a clear indication that neither of the above criteria have been met.

 

And those who are not trained in the structural or aerodynamic regimes should try hard to refrain from giving advice or regurgitating bits and pieces of poorly understood discussions.

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I'm on record here as not giving advice about anything. I didnt mean to say that shortening the canard was the solution...but as a possible solution to the exacerbated aft CG range [thanks Marc for the added word], what did a guy come up with, if that was contemplated? Airwrench didnt bite, so his solution isnt posted. But I was interested in what he had come up with, and hoped he would post.

Thanks Marc, for your post.

 

I do offer this for those who entertain stretching between the canard and the main wing station. It was interesting to me how two different people expressed to me how displeased Scott was with his planes performance due to his "similar 12 inch stretch" like Chris' and resultant aft CG. Not sure what these guys did to improve it, but something was in order.

 

Peace, out.

Self confessed Wingnut.

Now think about it...wouldn't you rather LIVE your life, rather than watch someone else's, on Reality T.V.?

Get up off that couch!!! =)

 

Progress; Fuselage on all three, with outside and inside nearly complete. 8 inch extended nose. FHC done. Canard finished. ERacer wings done with blended winglets. IO540 starting rebuild. Mounting Spar. Starting strake ribs.

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