Last Subie Flight of 2007

rv6ejguy · #1 12-23-2007, 06:46 PM

I took my turbo Subie 6A for a final blast today before the annual comes due on the 28th. I was solo with about 15 gallons of fuel, OAT 2C. Using 4600 rpm and 38 inches, I was airborne after a 8 second ground roll into a 10 knot wind (not holding it on the brakes). I was at circuit altitude (5000MSL) 44 seconds after brake release climbing at 85 KIAS using 4800 rpm and 35 inches.

I guess it was pretty impressive from the ground. The tower asked me if this was the turbocharged one, we have some car and airplane guys up here today. Yep I replied, 2000 fpm. Yee Haa. Sounding gooood!

VZX, turn crosswind at your discretion. You are #1. Roger.

Not bad for a 134 cubic inch car engine.

frankh · #2 12-23-2007, 06:53 PM

And there was me thinking my IO360 was old fashioned...Guess 2600fpm is not bad either.....

Than again I live at 247'MSL

Frank

rv6ejguy · #3 12-23-2007, 08:50 PM

You got me I think.

That translates into about 2160fpm still at 5000 MSL. Yee haa

Gotta love RVs whatever powers 'em.

We have to give those poor controllers something interesting to watch besides 172s.

Merry Christmas guys and gals on VAF. Fly safe in oh8.

gasman · #4 12-24-2007, 02:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rv6ejguy

I took my turbo Subie 6A for a final blast today before the annual comes due on the 28th. Not bad for a car engine.

Your annual is due on Jan 1. Your last flight can be on Dec. 31.

Geico266 · #5 12-24-2007, 05:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gasman

Your annual is due on Jan 1. Your last flight can be on Dec. 31.

He's using the Air Canada calender.

cytoxin · #6 12-24-2007, 06:26 AM

sounds like fun to me...

David-aviator · #7 12-24-2007, 07:00 AM

Cool report, Ross.

That turbo does make a difference. I just don't trust the belt and won't have one so it takes me about twice the time to get up there starting with 29 inches.
(or maybe you don't have a belt but a true turbo charger with exhaust driven compressor)

rv6ejguy · #8 12-24-2007, 09:41 AM

We can do our inspections any time not exceeding 364 days up here. My annual is due on the 28th and the weather forecast did not look good so I did it early, especially with Christmas here.

Yeah David, I have a turbocharger so no belts to worry about. Never been a big fan of superchargers, especially non centrifugal types. Anything a blower can do, a turbo can do better on an airplane.

It is very nice at altitude as the climb rate pretty much stays right there.

David, I feel like you and me are the only guys flying Subie's regularly here on VAF. Any others want to pipe up?

TSwezey · #9 12-24-2007, 09:53 AM

Auto engines will never work!
Liquid cooled engines will never work!
The earth is flat!
Hopefully I will be joining you guys soon! Instead of the Chevy vs Ford battle we can have the chevy vs. Sube battle!
I might take the Tiger out today for my last flight of the year!
Have a Merry Christmas and a happy New Year!

clarkefarm · #10 12-25-2007, 07:25 AM

Hi Ross

I have 110 hrs on an NSI Subaru 9A in Australia. Had a bit of fun about a month ago when things went wrong about 7 NM off the coast of Flinders Island in Bass Strait (famous for ship wrecks).

The NSI motor is a 2.5 block with 2.2 SOHC heads and modified cams. A large horizontal radiator (fed by ducts on the inside of the lower cowl), header tank and oil/water heat exchanger are positioned behind the engine. Unfortunately mine was one of a couple of engines with mismatched cams. Cams designed for a friction rocker arm were supplied with engines with roller arms and there is a 3? difference in the keyway position (as well as some rollers not being centered over their lobes). The result was a 50 psi difference between cranking compression of the 1 & 3 and 2 & 4 cylinder banks. The advice from NSI was that this would not matter when the engine was running but I think that it may have led to my engine failure which resulted from the engine making metal and also possibly a MAP sensor failure.

I had climbed to 8,500' for the trip home from the island and had just reduced power by coarsening pitch to slow the engine to 4,500 rpm and set the AP when I had a few "misses" which rapidly became worse. Switched to the backup ECU and fuel system with no result so turned back to the island and pulled the throttle. The engine quit but because the NSI gearbox has a sprague clutch the prop kept spinning so unless you looked at the tacho it felt perfectly normal.

The plane glides well - say 1.8 NM per 1000' at 90 KIAS so it was easy to make land but I had to dive thru a smallish hole in the cloud about a mile abeam the strip and was a bit limited by the surrounding mountains from making a wide approach so had way too much speed over the threshold - about 110 KIAS. The strip (thankfully) was 4,000' but downhill and I was beginning to wonder 2/3 rds of the way along but managed to pull up OK at the end.

I have brought the FWF assembly home and replaced the NSI engine with one from MPS which is essentially a straight SOHC EJ25 Subaru. The Motec ECUs were fuel mapped four days ago using the prop in reverse pitch to generate about 70% power and the data logging function with O2 sensor for tuning. Looks to be running really well but will know for sure when I re-install everything and start flying again.

The MPS engine is about 12 lbs heavier and 1.5" wider than the NSI but, with a bit of work, should fit OK. After flying a Subaru I don't really want to go back to a Lyc.

Rupert Clarke