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-   -   Ron Burnett First Flight with Subby H4 (https://vansairforce.net/community/showthread.php?t=69295)

jetmech 03-28-2011 01:15 PM

1st flight Congats
 
Aloha Ron!
great job on gettting her done and in the air!
welcome to the club of building and flying your own airplane
now get out there and fly fly fly!!!
lee:D

SteinAir 03-29-2011 05:52 PM

I won't repeat what others have said, because they speak the truth. Ron has perservered more than many to get this project done and it was a pleasure working with him. Congrats on your flights Ron and well done...couldn't happen to a nicer guy!

Cheers,
Stein

rvator4twa 04-02-2011 07:26 PM

Fuel Burn on H4
 
I may have been overly optimistic on the fuel for my H4 Subaru. Refueling from 5 gal cans and measuring with paint sticks is trickier than I imagined. Will post findings as they become clearer. I am still programming the SDS ECU and it still is rich at high rpms and at some lower rpms with the throttle reduced for descent. So much to learn and never enough pictures for us Marine types.

dlomheim 04-04-2011 09:08 PM

First Subie Flight
 
Many congrats for getting her finished! Once you lock in the programming you'll have most of the issued worked out, right? :) How is your cooling doing so far? Okay on climb out? Hope you'll consider bringing it to Paducah, KY in the Fall for the next alternative engine fly in...fun time last year but no Subie's showed up
:(...

Fly Safe
Doug Lomheim
RV-9A / 13B / FWF / Canopy / electrical, etc, etc

rvator4twa 04-06-2011 06:23 PM

Cooling issues
 
Am just beginnig to deal with cooling issues as we are getting to that time of the year. I have pulled the cowl and will trim some off the exit area to begin with to improve flow across the radiators. During this process I discovered a crack in one of the inlet pipes in the internal muffler. Hope to have a specialist weld it by early next week. I have 16.5 hours on the test to date.

rvator4twa 04-18-2011 07:39 PM

H-4 building time
 
I purchased an accurate scale that reads in .1/lbs so am programming floscan on EIS2000. The muffler is repaired and I have over 25 hours on the flyoff. Learning new things every flight and the cooling is doing better with more exit area.

Ron Burnett

rvator4twa 01-31-2012 07:05 PM

Cooling Issues tackled
 
I have 80 hours now on my H-4 and last summer behind me. I had two original small radiators which were inadequate for 85-95 degree days requiring 1000 foot level offs and step climbs and prohibiting multiple flights. I switched from NPG+ waterless coolant to 50/50 glycol & water wetter and added 110 sq. in. exit vents under the lower cowl, all helping but with less than satisfactory results. I am currently making mockup radiators for custom radiators by Ed at Tech welding at Paducah, KY. He works with Mazda rotaries and has resolved other Subaru owners cooling woes. I am also moving the dual batteries from the firewall to a floor mount behind the cargo wall which should lighten the nose. Wil update my status when complete and we have warmer weather. Happy landings!

rv7charlie 02-02-2012 01:05 PM

Hi Ron,

Congrats on flying your -6.

On the cooling issue, do you still have Egg's flat sided ducts feeding the radiators? If so, that might be a lot of your problem. There are a lot of rotary guys flying with the GM air conditioner cores as radiators, & with even half-decent diffuser style inlets they are cooling 160-180 hp using Van's stock size inlets.

Charlie


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