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O200 RV-3

S

sptom

I'm New Here
Has anyone ever built an 0200 powered RV-3? I know it won't meet LSA criteria and I don't really care. I just think it would make a great inexpensive and fun airplane. O200s can be had cheap and would give me low fuel use and all the performance I would need. Just guessing but I would think it would cruise at 150+ and climb at 1000+ FPM? I see on Van's website under specifications that they list engine HP at 100 to 160. However, under performance they only list the 135 and 150 HP engines. I don't mind the long build time - I'm lookin for a project. :D Thanks!

Tom
 
I know there have been 0-235 powered RV-3's. You might look for an 0-235. They offer a few more HP and a little more weight up front to keep the CG in the right place.
 
Looked at a Midget Mustang?

sptom said:
Has anyone ever built an 0200 powered RV-3? I know it won't meet LSA criteria and I don't really care. I just think it would make a great inexpensive and fun airplane. O200s can be had cheap and would give me low fuel use and all the performance I would need. Just guessing but I would think it would cruise at 150+ and climb at 1000+ FPM? I see on Van's website under specifications that they list engine HP at 100 to 160. However, under performance they only list the 135 and 150 HP engines. I don't mind the long build time - I'm lookin for a project. :D Thanks!

Tom
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Sounds a lot like a Midget Mustang. See http://www.mustangaero.com/index.html. Similar but different to an RV-3: I understand the Midget Mustang would be quite a bit quicker than an RV-3 on an O-200, but would also have a significantly higher stall speed.
 
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And a longer build time with the tapered wing, but the Midget Mustangs are COOL!

I really think this is doable, battery in the frout and stuff. And the O-200 is a SMOOTH motor compared to the O-235. Consider the IO or IOF-240 from Continental as well. 125HP on a similer base as the O-200.
 
While wandering through Alaska last summer (in my RV8 with three other RVers), we came across a fellow locally commuting in a O-200 powered RV3. He had purchased it in Texas, flown it up to the the Homer area and uses it as his mini pickup around sourthrn Alaska. He loves it!
 
O-200 RV-3

I owned an O-200 powered RV-3 in the early '80s, and I wish I had never sold it. N31120 was built by a fellow named Whisenand in LA, and was, I believe, the 6th RV-3 to be finished. There were a few O-200 versions built back then, and at least one C-90-8 airplane that I recall, and all performed well on that level of power. I routinely flew out of 6000 foot high strips, and takeoff and climb performance never gave me any concerns. She would still be climbing at several hundred feet per minute at 14-15K.

My airplane had a stock Cessna 150 prop (69-50 I believe...probably the primary reason for the good climb performance) and top speed at sea level was around 155 mph IAS. I used the airplane to commute in New Mexico, and I recall ground speeds of 145 mph or so at 10K/ 2300 RPM.

Handling qualities were excellent with her non-differential ailerons, and overall seemed better than my current Lyc RV-3. With the heavy old O-200 starter and generator, battery on the firewall, and fuselage fuel tank, the CG with the normal length mount and cowling were toward the aft side but acceptable. The new "light-weight" O-200 that Teledyne is preparing to market for the LSA market,
when installed in an airplane with wing fuel, would probably require lengthening the mount 6" or so.

I am planning to re-engine my current airplane with a Jabiru 3300, currently favoring it over the O-200 for two reasons:
1) Weight. The Jab will probably be at least 30 pounds lighter than the O-200-Lite
2) The Vh LSA test point for an O-200 airplane is defined at 2750 RPM (redline) but the Jabiru is defined at a max continous value of 2750 RPM (with a 3300 redline).

I am still running some numbers for incorporating a Jabiru 2200 (85HP) to produce a REALLY light RV-3 (the engine installation would be about 120-130 lbs lighter than my current Lyc installation). I think that the power loading would still give very acceptable performance, but the center of mass of the engine installation would have to be shoved forward on the order of 22" or so, making it look somewhat like a turbine-duster conversion.

Hawkeye Hughes
RV-3, Skyote
 
0200 RV-3

What do you use for the motor mount for the 0200 on the RV-3? Any body know if the standard conical will fit?:confused:
 
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O-200 Motor Mount

spitfire55 said:
What do you use for the motor mount for the 0200 on the RV-3? Any body know if the standard conical will fit?:confused:
Click to expand...

I'm curious about this myself and can't imagine that you didn't get a response to your inquiry. Perhaps you should think about moving this question to the "Alternative Engines" or the RV-3 area. It must have been overlooked!

Tom
 
todehnal said:
I'm curious about this myself and can't imagine that you didn't get a response to your inquiry. Perhaps you should think about moving this question to the "Alternative Engines" or the RV-3 area. It must have been overlooked!

Tom
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Wont fit. Vans conical eng mount is for a Lyc, 0200 is a Continental.
 
experimental, just my thoughts

I have managed to stay alive flying quite a few different experimental airplanes for over 38 years and my feelings are:
If you build an experimental airplane you should use a non-experimental engine.
If you want to use an experimental engine it should be in a non-experimental airframe.
Just my thoughts.:)
 
Hi Joe,

The spec page lists 100-160, which is the allowable range. The performance page just lists two data points within that range as examples. The 125 and 150 were probably the only ones Van's ever really documented the performance on.

FWIW, I'm also quite interested in the O-200 option, but I do think it can make LSA easily with that little power.

Cheers,
Rusty
 
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