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  #21  
Old 03-25-2015, 07:02 PM
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Sam Buchanan Sam Buchanan is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by rv7charlie View Post

On the subject of affordable engines, the low hp end of the spectrum is beginning to be addressed by the current crop of industrial V-twins. The larger ones are flying well on planes similar in performance to Sam B's Legal Eagle.
Uh, edit: also like the SD-1; thanks Ross. :-)
Most are 90 degree V's, meaning they balance a bit better than the old Harley style engines. They have oversize (longer) PTO-end bearings (like an a/c engine) because they are designed for the heavy bending loads of belt/chain drives. Several companies are already making inexpensive reduction drives complete with effective torsion absorber/decouplers, typically for much less than $2K. The engines can be had brand new, complete, in the crate, for around $2K, as well. Some newer ones come stock with electronic fuel injection. If the engine builders ever up the ante from 1000cc/35-40 HP to 1500cc, we might be talking about a useful engine for a small 2 place a/c.

FWIW,

Charlie
While those engines are attractively priced, the "aircraft" versions are built in very small quantities by tiny shops. But most concerning is their field history is measured in a handful of hundreds of hours instead of hundreds of thousands of hours needed for a large-production "Vans" aircraft.
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  #22  
Old 03-25-2015, 07:03 PM
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rvbuilder2002 rvbuilder2002 is offline
 
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Quote:
Originally Posted by rv7charlie View Post
Why struts?
Because a cantilever wing requires a rather robust center section to take the wing bending loads (think RV fuselage).
In most high wing airplanes, this center section would be passing right through the head(s) of the front seat position(s) occupents.

This was dealt with on the Cessna Cardinal by using a wing plan form that has max thickness much farther back than is typical. This allowed for locating the main wing spar further back on the wing. The airplane has a big hump in the ceiling/head liner between the front and back seats.

It is for this reason that just about every high wing airplane ever designed has strut braced wings.
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  #23  
Old 03-25-2015, 07:12 PM
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N941WR N941WR is offline
 
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What he said and because struts make docking easier and gives you a place to tie stuff to.
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  #24  
Old 03-25-2015, 07:14 PM
CATPart CATPart is offline
 
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I like it, reminds me of the SuperSTOL. As I suspected the trail has a welded main fuselage structure like a cub, though aft of cabin looks like similar rv style riveted aluminum. Smokey this looks easy to design, lets start laying one out in CAD based on your specs. Maybe we can borrow the wings, aft fuselage, and tail from a current vans design. We can call it the Smokey Bush 1.


Last edited by CATPart : 03-25-2015 at 07:21 PM.
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  #25  
Old 03-25-2015, 08:17 PM
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Ironflight Ironflight is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by RPorter View Post
SD-1 Minisport is another attractive option
http://www.sdplanes.com/new/
Sorry - I've stopped by their booth at the big shows for two years - they have made no real progress and don't actually have a kit version - or one in the works (despite what some of their salesmen say). They want to sell completed aircraft.

The May issue of KP has the Trail on the cover if you want to find out about it. Bertorelli thinks it is a nice airplane. Doesn't do what an RV does - but wasn't designed to.
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Last edited by Ironflight : 03-26-2015 at 09:00 AM.
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  #26  
Old 03-25-2015, 11:14 PM
Kiwi Kiwi is offline
 
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Smile Bush Plane

Rans definitely need some competition in this segment of the market. Vans are way ahead of them in terms of ease to deal with, how they present themselves to the market and their pricing.

To the people that think a "bush plane" needs to be fabric covered for ease of repair, while the Super Cub is the greatest bush plane in history and is fabric covered, the second greatest is the Cessna 180 which is all metal. If you disagree with me on the second greatest and think the Beaver is, (or that the Beaver is the greatest! that is also all metal. So to the Helio Courier, Pilatius Porter and so on.

Not all bush plane ops result in damage either. In all my years flying Super Cubs more damage as been done to the planes getting them in and out of the hangar than there ever has in the field.

Go Vans - economic "bush plane".

Andrew.
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  #27  
Old 03-26-2015, 07:01 AM
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Three pages of discussion about a lack of choices in bush planes and no mention of the Zenith line. Is there something Van's builders don't like about these planes? They can be built for less than the cost of an RV-12 and have many engine options.
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  #28  
Old 03-26-2015, 07:21 AM
Tomcat RV4 Tomcat RV4 is offline
 
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RV4 # 538 bought from barn all in orig containers 6-7 yrs ago ..Check back & bug me in about a year....Going with Subaru 2.5 engine, Air trikes PSRU, 3 blade Kool Prop, SDS ignition/fuel control.. Stock 2.5 is 165 HP and weighs 25 lbs less than 0-320 lyc, with rad & water will be about same...For my $.02 opinion, most problems with auto conversion, are hot rod mentality, which kills reliability, as well as many USA unreliable PSRU out in market place...With this package (used of course) I will hope to prove "Smokeys " idea of inexpensive flying on auto gas and reliability.Tom
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  #29  
Old 03-26-2015, 07:41 AM
Christopher Murphy Christopher Murphy is offline
 
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Default good luck

I dont begrudge anyone for experimenting with auto engine conversions, but I want my airplane to be as safe and reliable as possible. Finding an auto engine conversion set up that does what you think it will do is probably a fantasy.

Good luck with that...I encourage you to talk to folks who have done it.

Cm
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  #30  
Old 03-26-2015, 07:57 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by JoeM View Post
Three pages of discussion about a lack of choices in bush planes and no mention of the Zenith line. Is there something Van's builders don't like about these planes?
Yeah, they're uglier than a Vans shipping crate.
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