indigoonlatigo(at)msn.com
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 Posted: Sun Mar 26, 2006 8:17 am Post subject: Alternate engine options, Revisited |
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For what it is worth, if only to get a little BUZZ going, I would like to
share something with you all.
I have a patient, Eric Wolf (Wolf Aerospace), who is working on something
very interesting, but I am sure, so are many others or claim to be.
Wolf seems to know his stuff and he just took delivery of a new CNC machine
for his company which cuts all metals and cost his 500K
If only there wasn't the wait.
As I said, for what it is worth! BUZZZZZZZZ!
John G. 409
Feel free to talk about it as much as you want with your pilot friends. Some
of the important facts about my engine are as follows.
1. Billet crankshaft
2. Billet camshafts (hollow)
3. All aluminum cylinder head and cases. We are using a special aluminum
that an engineer friend said would be the best. It's a custom blend that has
high heat resilience. Not that my engine is going to get too hot, but incase
of a coolant leak, I intend to be able to use the engine at 50% power to get
to a safe landing place.
4. Redundant oil pumps
5. Dry sump oil system
6. Full FADEC
7. Overhead cams
8. Redundant water pumps
There is a lot more info, but you get the idea. Also, we have a 4,6 and 8
cylinder. All engines will have turbo as an option. The displacement of the
engines runs from 245 cubic inches to over 700 cubic inches. The power
levels run from 150 hp to over 800 hp. The weight of the units will be very
close to existing engines in all sizes. All engines will be much more fuel
efficient and produce much more HP per cubic inch than the status quo.
I have a program that checks if something is strong enough for the load that
it is going to see. I have made everything 5 times stronger. I have A LOT of
experience with CAD and engineering aircraft parts. I also have made tons of
tooling and machined all kinds of different metals. I have also put lots of
engines together. I am taking the approach that will make the engine run the
first time. I will then put all the parts on a diet. My engine will make way
more power, so a few pounds will not matter at first. My 8 cylinder will be
about 50 Lbs heavier than the 6 cylinder it will replace. That is with
water,
radiator, complete engine. I have a full working model of all the parts
that make the engine. The program has a motion simulator and a stress
analysis program that will show weak spots.
It is true that once we have all the parts to assemble the engine, there
will be some changes required once we have it running. We have made tooling
that is more complicated than an
engine so we are used to this kind of work. We work with close tolerances
every day. I honestly think making engines will be a step back in terms of
difficulty and complexity compared to what we do now. I have been designing
it now for 3 years in my spare time. I have all the equipment now so that is
out of the way. That is way more than most people who are making an engine
have done. One thing that I have that they do not is a complete
manufacturing facility to make parts as I need them. I do not need to go
outside to get anything. Valves, valve springs, pistons, rings, seals,
bolts, etc, are readily available from a catalog. I will make heads, case
halves, intake manifold, oil pan, valve covers, etc from aluminum castings
here in my shop. And crank, cam, and other steel parts on my CNC's from
billet stock. When I look at projects I have done before that were large and
complex, this is not that bad. I think if money were no problem and I could
put my whole shop to work on it, I could do it in 6 months at a cost of
about 500K.
When I sell my plane I will have 100K. I would say that 400K is
for labor and 100K for material and tooling, mostly tooling. I bought a
lottery ticket today, so cross your fingers. I bought one last week, but
didn't’t even get one number!! One good thing is that when I do get this
done
I will need someone to put some hours on the engine. I will buy a Cirrus and
swap engines. So you are welcome to fly it as much as you want. All I would
ask is that the person flying make notes of how it performs. I would really
check it out a lot before I would let anyone fly it though. I would fly it
with a parachute for the first few flights even though it has one on the
plane. Always have a backup plan! I would not want anyone to get hurt from
something I made. This engine will be built like a Swiss watch and be better
than anything out there. I will sell them at the same price as what it will
replace. The two big engine manufacturers Will probably down talk my engine,
but it will be an awesome engine.
Eric Wolf
Enthusiastic isn't it.
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