Lynn Erickson

Very sad news. she was a great person

ten years ago is when I started looking and I am still looking, there have been many improvements in the systems for the engine since then. this is true. but I think it will be another ten years before these systems have proven to be reliable. even if you consider the current systems as reliable there is the issue of installation and packaging. how every thing is mounted and connected can play a big part in the success of the project. there is no standard proven way to package the whole thing. all it takes is one hose to rub on something , a wire to chafe, a bolt to vibrate loose. these are the things that I see happening to builders and they may not cause it to fall out of the sky but they have had a lot of builders walking home to get parts or trailering the thing home to make repairs. most builder have no idea how many little things can cause you a to be grounded. Murphy does not live at your home airport. this is a fact that most builder do not think about and I almost never see added to the price of an auto engine installation. yes there are some successful installations flying. but I know if you dig a little further you will find that none of them are flying the first generation of their design. most of them are on version 15 or 16. none of them installed the engine and went flying without making at least one or 20 changes to the installation. if you want to experiment thats fine but be aware that you will be experimenting and there will times you wish you were not. lets hope that it is not 100 ft after take off. you also have to except the extra time and money it will take.

Trying to figure out where that comes from. I also get the same Factual information but I read it from a experienced aircraft mechanics point of view. I have a 13b sitting in my shop. I have owned and Raced an NSU R 080, owned Mazda Rx2 Rx3 and Rx7. Raced A 13B powered sport racer. have I flown one. NO, not that I won't, as I said I felt it would take me another two years to develop the systems to aircraft standards at the time I was looking. ten years ago rotarys were just starting to be developed and and the PRSU's were crap. maybe they have done a lot of advances but I still don't see one I want to fly with.

On a O-320 the 122 is fine. the 149 was developed for the larger engines before we had geared starter motors

well said. that is the same thing I tell people. don't like to discourage people from experimenting but would like them to know just what they are really getting into. the problem is that most want to do the experimenting with a different engine right off the bat and do not have any experience flying the plane they are putting it in. You are right, they have not experienced the reality. flying along and all the time wondering what will fail next is not much fun but it is part of the reality of experimental engines. Buly, also removed his rotary and went for a Lycoming

I never said it won't work or or that some do not fly far with a rotary. The point here is the extra time it takes to get a rotary to be that good flying machine. it takes a lot more work and time to build the engine with its support systems then a conventional aircraft engine. the aircraft engine comes with all the systems designed and installed by bolting them on. the rotary requires you to fabricate the systems and then install and test them. even if the parts are patterned after someone elses design they still have to be fabricated and that takes time. and then there is the testing time, how do you know what the TBO will be for the newly designed parts, the only way to know is to fly until it fails. I was not at the round up in Texas. how many planes did show up? how many were rear engine aircraft?

I have always been a fan of the rotary, also like the idea of the v8 like Gary Spencers but the fact that almost every one of these project adds abut two years to the project is what keep me from doing the experimental thing on the engine. most have found that even after they spend the added time that they also need more testing time. and then there is the time required to make changes on all the things that you thought would work, that did not. this seems to be the reason that most conversion engine aircraft log so few hours. that and the fact that many have been scared out of the sky by problems encountered by engine experiments gone wrong.

http://www.mcmaster.com/ package of 12 for about $4

maybe someone should tell all the auto manufactures about that. is that why they don't use much chrome anymore. Actually it is true that chrome plating can cause Hydrogen embrittlement in high strength steel alloys. it causes the surface to have many microscopic cracks from the high pressures build up from the hydrogen infused during the plating process. this problem came be cured by a relief process done after the plating process. the fact that the steel used on the FHC brackets is mild steel means they will not be effected by chrome plating to the point that they will crack. also the the fact that they are about 500 times stronger then they need to be means there will not be any flexing of the steel to allow the micro cracks to turn into a crack that would fail the part. good thing it does not effect the mild steel or we would be in danger of all the chrome car bumper falling off on the hyway

why not gust weld out the steel ones and have them chromed or nickel plated cost about the same as the water jet cutting. they are already fit to the plane many places do custom chrome for the low rider industry. they like their chrome. that way they do the polishing. do you know what you are getting into polishing the SS? I do and that is why mine are aluminum besides the weight. when you look at the cost of the polishing of SS vs chrome they are about the same. there is also a chrome coating that can be used. http://coatofchrome.com/ how about black chrome? or colored chrome? but if you do that you will have to buy a Lambo to go with the plane

Full production? how about just finishing the prototype. even the products they have in production never get produced in a timely manner. if a product that should take weeks to produce take years then a product that takes years to produce we can expect in another life time. if they had a product that could be produced with hot air. may be he should start on a hot air balloon prototype it would get filled very quickly.

The advantage with SS is the smaller bend radius. with alum you would need a bigger bend radius depending on the heat treat and type of alum. 2024 t3 or 6061 T4 heat treat. 6061 would be the best if you are going to polish looks in the picture that the flange was welded on. you could do that in alum but then it needs to re-heat treated because the welding will make it loose the temper and it will bend. how thick is the SS. a alum is half the weight of SS so if the SS can be half the thickness you will be ok. the problem is that SS half the thickness will bend easier then the alum will. also if the SS has any scratches it will be very hard to polish than out and keep the surface looking like it came from the mill. how thick are you using? I used 3/16" 6061 t4 alum

I was going to ask why stainless? to heavy? why not alum? but it has already come down to how bad do you want it. so I am not going to ask.

thats vapor ware, that was started on before there was vapor and now it will be only a matter of time before the foam used on the project has turned into vapors. keep watching for it to be completed and hold your breath or you to will inhale some of those vapors given off from the project.

No, there is a safety diaphram in between the pump and crankcase with a drain line connection which is piped overboard. the pump is also lower then the connection to the engine. overboard line is the one on the top. this is one on an RV

You said O-320 so it is carburated. the 15472 is a low pressure diaphram pump for a carburator. does the engine have the fuel pump plunger installed in the accessory case. if you take off the cover there will be a rod about 3/8" diameter hanging down from the top of the opening if not you will have to install one which requires the removal of the accessory case.

Most Vari ezs and long ezs wings are made with the small cell foam that is what the suppliers sold until early 90s when we starting seeing both large and small both sold as the same thing. it has only be recent that the suppliers have learned that there is a difference. my wings are made with the small cell and I have not seen any problems.

about all the NTSB or the FAA does on investigating crashes of experimental aircraft is help get someone to put the remains in the dumpster.

Interesting. but beware of putting it to far out in front of the scoop. I found that any thing placed in front of the opening even vortex generators just helped the air to stay seperated and go right over the scoop

He must be doing something right. but he might want to leave the mechanics to someone else. by the way he is Ok, i here.

Thats his second crash because of engine failure. very lucky guy. the first one should have got him too. his vari ez had the engine stop and he crashed onto a garage door in the same city. Fire dept. had called the coroner when they arrived at the seen but then heard bill call to get him out as he was hanging upside down in the plane. he was trying to run the engine with no pump on an engine that required a pump. O-235 I think . don't know the whole story this time, just that he had just done some engine work.

Changed mine to the Belleville washers. the shaft is hollow so I installed a 3/8" stud in the hole and secured it with a roll pin. stud is a cut off AN bolt with cotter pin hole. that gives you the male threads on the shaft. install 3/4" belleville washer and flat washer, nut with cotter pin. lot cheaper and lighter then the update you can buy. started out with several belleville washers but now only have one. no more shimmy

I did not say it was a fact. I said it felt heavy, as in to me it felt heavy when I flew it. or it feels like it needs bigger ailerons as in it feels that way to me. I have flown many types of ez aircraft and in MY opinon the velo flys the heaviest of them all. thats not saying it is a bad thing it is just what it is, a big heavy airplane compared to a vari ez. my plane is also heavier then a vari ez and it flys like it is heavier.

hope you are replacing the one that is still on your plane. Jack sells those. Cozy Girls have the wheels http://www.eznoselift.com/pricelist.html