210hp Rocket with EVO wings

Aden Rich · #1 05-18-2005, 11:36 AM

Gentlemen,
I'm trying to conduct a study/survey for Mark Fredrick @ Teamrocket. We are talking about a new concept of airplane that would use the new Lycoming IO-390-X 210hp engine, a F1 rocket fuselage and the new EVO tapered wings with fowler flaps and 50+ gallons of gas. What we need from you is your response and opinions about this type of airplane. It would be projected at people who are interested in the RV-8 type airplane but with a little more speed and looks. With the rising cost of fuel and increasing cost/ lack of availbility of IO-540 engines this would be a very fast/efficient machine indeed for the two place market. Projected speeds would be in the 215mph area with a 10/11 gal/hr fuel burn. Please e-mail me or Mark @ Teamrocket aircraft with your opinions. Thanks, Aden Richh @ agrich2@hotmail.com

Kahuna · #2 05-18-2005, 01:22 PM

Not yet. Still readily available and cheap.
Mike

Aden Rich · #3 05-18-2005, 04:39 PM

There's no such thing as a cheap engine. Especially a IO-540. We rebuilt one and it cost 24K to buy the core and overhaul it (4 years ago). Sure, you can get one with a bunch of hours and who knows how many overhauls on it for 15k with some supposed time let before the next overhaul. However, most people are no going to spend some 80K on their rockets and fly behind some core engine. Most will want to know what they have when they go flying. There might be a few you can find with some short history and the person is honest about it but the majority are cores that are 20-30yrs old. And if you haven't overhauled a engine lately like I have, you'd should check on the prices, they'll shock you. The emphasis on this airplane was near rocket speeds on far less gas and money. Thanks for your reply. Aden.

hngrflyr · #4 05-18-2005, 05:22 PM

I think the F-1 Rocket with the EVO wing is really a nice looking airplane. I also think, if the airplane you speak of were to be competitively priced as compared to the RV-8, there would certainly be a market for it.
For me, I'm retired and don't have money running out of my ears. My 0-320 powered RV-6 will be my airplane for the foreseeable future. I can be very content with that, but I find the faster I go, the faster I want to go.

Bob S

f1rocket · #5 05-18-2005, 06:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hngrflyr

..... but I find the faster I go, the faster I want to go.
Bob S

Those symptoms sound very familiar to me for some reason.

Kahuna · #6 05-19-2005, 05:32 AM

24k 2 years ago?
Well in the past 4 months I have bought 2 certified 1st overhauled engines with injections and accessories and so forth for 18k each bought seperately.
There was no wait and no fuss. Its one of the reasons I built the Super 8 was cuse the 6 cylinders are readily available and cheap cheap cheap.
There is no doubt that these will start getting in short supply in a couple of years, but they seem fine now.

Mike