As mentioned elsewhere, Ken Kopp, Sonny Wiersema, and yours truly have instrumented our cowls to gather no-nonsense hard numbers. There are multiple goals.
The key here is to develop simple methods any RV owner can use to gather the same information. We want benchmarks directly comparable across the entire line, and certainly across RV's of a particular model. With standard methods and benchmarks, any RV owner can compare his cooling performance to known values.
We also wish to compare different cowl models and modifications. We want (within reason) precisely measured results, and more important, insight into why we got those results.
Of course we all have personal reasons, questions, ideas, and problems. You've seen Ken's clever adaptation of a variable exit specific to the RV-8, a fine example of an individual project helped along by the group project. We know it works....because we have methods and measurements.
Last, it's fun.
So, plenty of interesting things to tell in due course. Please be patient. For now, we have a job opening. We want a fourth member for our little band.
The New Guy will have a very specific airplane; an RV-8, fixed pitch, 180 horse parallel valve, with a James cowl and plenum. If interested, you should expect to mount piccolo tubes above and below your engine and run small diameter soft tubing to the cockpit. You'll also need to tap your aircraft static system. Last, you'll buy or borrow a manometer. (The Chinese import available on Ebay at $45 delivered turned out to be a good tool; we've all bought one.) We'll walk you through the installation and the flight tests to gather basic pressure data....and more if you want.
Any takers?
The key here is to develop simple methods any RV owner can use to gather the same information. We want benchmarks directly comparable across the entire line, and certainly across RV's of a particular model. With standard methods and benchmarks, any RV owner can compare his cooling performance to known values.
We also wish to compare different cowl models and modifications. We want (within reason) precisely measured results, and more important, insight into why we got those results.
Of course we all have personal reasons, questions, ideas, and problems. You've seen Ken's clever adaptation of a variable exit specific to the RV-8, a fine example of an individual project helped along by the group project. We know it works....because we have methods and measurements.
Last, it's fun.
So, plenty of interesting things to tell in due course. Please be patient. For now, we have a job opening. We want a fourth member for our little band.
The New Guy will have a very specific airplane; an RV-8, fixed pitch, 180 horse parallel valve, with a James cowl and plenum. If interested, you should expect to mount piccolo tubes above and below your engine and run small diameter soft tubing to the cockpit. You'll also need to tap your aircraft static system. Last, you'll buy or borrow a manometer. (The Chinese import available on Ebay at $45 delivered turned out to be a good tool; we've all bought one.) We'll walk you through the installation and the flight tests to gather basic pressure data....and more if you want.
Any takers?
