Making money in aviation
dbuds2 said:
I'm researching what alternative engine qualities, performance, and cost the average RV builder (or ~200 HP experimental builder) would require to switch from the standard Lycoming. I am an RV builder, RV8, and an engineer at a major aerospace jet and rocket engine manufacture.
Great idea, every one knows you always usually can make lots of money in aviation businesses.
Seriously, to change, as good of a value, better performance, efficency, lighter weight, with the simplicity of a Lycoming; than you would have something. It has to bolt into the RV airframe with no major change in the airframe or systems. Van's airframe kit is designed around an AIR COOLED Lycoming engine.
Also there's a huge amount of accessories and parts available for the Lyc. Will your new engine use standard accessories for the Lyc, like a hydraulic constant speed prop. The Lyc has electronic ignition, exhaust and props from at least 4 or more independant sources available.
Physics gets into the way.
I
disagree with your premise that a Lycoming is too expensive. I think the Lycoming is a bargain. Once you research this you'll find it's a bargain. I have been in aviation for 20+ years; nothing is cheap in aviation and never has been.
Pilots tend to be cheapskates in somethings and Donald Trump in others, e.g. the $14,000 EFIS display is OK but a $20K engine is too much. A new engine will last at least 2,000 hours. What's the most you fly in a year? 100 hours, may be. That's 20 years of flying! Lets say it's half, 10 years. That is a long time. Lets say in 10 years the core is worth $5k. So $15k/2000 hours = $7.50 / hr. $7.50 and HOUR! What a good deal. Also the resale of your RV will be higher with a Lyc (or clone) than a superskyscooter3000 engine.
Unless you invent a new technology there's nothing new under the sun in fossil fuel engines.
If you're a bargain hunter get your hands greasy; hunt for a good core and rebuild it yourself, which is a great learning experience. There are O320H2D's and O320A's out there at a bargain prices. This is what you'll have to compete with if you make an new alternative.
It's a huge investment to come up with a new engine, unlikely to ever be recouped. There's an army of past and present alternative engine makers taking on Lycoming that resulted in nothing. You should research the failures and current crop of want to be's. None of the latest, greatest, best engines ever have come to market. All cost more than a Lyc, for the same or less performance and efficency. (they all weight more)
Current experimental "alternatives" involve auto engine cores with adaptation and compromises to make it work in a plane. Most popular are the Mazda and Subaru conversions and some V6 conversions. As an engineer you can understand "there ain't no such thing as a free lunch".
Yes water cooling is better, but fitting radiators into the airframe is problematic and draggy. An aircraft has an abundance of cooling air, therefore air cooled engines make engineering sense. The fastest Reno racer, P-51 water cooled? Nope it's an air cooled Hawker Sea Fury.
Bottom line there's nothing you could offer that would make me change from my Lyc based aircraft. I personally don't think there will ever be a superior engine in our life time for a little GA plane.
(From your last post you are leaning to making a Lyc clone kit. I agree with that. However ECI offers a kit for mid teens. Although popular perception is a Lyc engine is crude, in fact the manufacturing and quality tolerance are quite high requiring advanced casting, machining and metallurgy. Per my fist paragraph you will not make lots of money. In fact Lycoming, ECI and Superior are not getting rich. The profit margin on aviaion is not huge. I would sooner start a eBay business than aerospace one.)
