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RVZoomie

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Boring holes through the sky 7-8 hrs at a time provides more than enough time to daydream about mod's for the RV...

Lately I've come up with a few and imagine at some point others have already tried or considered trying so I was hoping for some feedback. I apologize if the ideas have been well documented in previous threads I may have missed.

First, because my -8 is currently unprimered, I've thought about finishing the interior with a quality 3M vinyl wrap. I know there has been much discussion about primer and benefits of such, but I was curious if I should primer first, then scuff for adhesive and apply the vinyl or apply the wrap directly to the aluminum surface. The benefit I forsee with vinyl wrap, is that it will finish out the interior more aesthetically without the extra weight of carpet or leather upholstery. Also, there is a very wide range of designs available to include custom with vinyl. Thoughts?

Secondly, for the gearheads out there, has anyone considered using a wideband air/fuel ratio meter to lean for tuning rather than using archaic temperature tuning? I know 'lean of peak' and temperature tuning is a reliable and well established method, but the availability to tune to stoichiometric could squeeze some extra efficiency out while still monitoring safety margins with CHT's and EGT's. While most UEGO sensors operate on partial pressures, which would be slightly skewed at altitude, a correction chart or factor could be employed to get accurate information at high alt cruise. The sensor/gauge combo's are cheap ~$200, and run off of 12V. A stand alone knock sensor with annunciator light might not be a bad safety investment as well, especially for those who run auto gas and aren't always sure of the quality of fuel they are running.

Anyway, I appreciate the feedback. Looking forward to the freedom of some VFR stick and rudder flying again. Have fun at OSH, looks like work kept me from going again this yr.
 
vinyl weight?

I'm curious how much weight savings is there with vinyl? Or is this because you don't cover the whole plane?
 
The outside will be painted with a single stage paint, maybe an extra coat of clear to be sanded/buffed out for a nice finish but keeping weight in mind. I thought about vinyl film inside bc it would be in between just primer and finishing out with leather upholstry or carpet in terms of weight. I was looking to see if anyone had tried it and if there were examples out there. Not trying to break any basic weight records here, just trying to uphold the compromise between aesthetics and functionality.

As for the O2 sensor, I've run a wideband in my track car for years with 110 (full) leaded fuel, its not the best for it but it still works. I run auto gas in the RV. I'm not knocking time proven methods here, just trying to stay open to possible benefits of technology.
 
Yes

RVZoomie said:
...Secondly, for the gearheads out there, has anyone considered using a wideband air/fuel ratio meter to lean for tuning rather than using archaic temperature tuning? I know 'lean of peak' and temperature tuning is a reliable and well established method, but the availability to tune to stoichiometric could squeeze some extra efficiency out while still monitoring safety margins with CHT's and EGT's. While most UEGO sensors operate on partial pressures, which would be slightly skewed at altitude, a correction chart or factor could be employed to get accurate information at high alt cruise. The sensor/gauge combo's are cheap ~$200, and run off of 12V. A stand alone knock sensor with annunciator light might not be a bad safety investment as well, especially for those who run auto gas and aren't always sure of the quality of fuel they are running....
Click to expand...
We looked at modifying the EICommander to do just that for the racers but there wasn't enough market for it.

Our thinking was to do a six band system so any four or six cylinder engine could use it. The problem is that when running 100LL the sensors only last about 200 hours then they need to be replaced (we did some testing).

While this would be just OK for some racers, most would not want to replace those things so often. Also, you would have to have your exhaust modified to accept the sensors, which really isn't that big of a deal.

The other thing we were thinking about was adding knock sensors. Again, not a big deal but you would need one for each cylinder because our engines produce so much noise and the cylinders move independently of the case. Even then, it would be up to the pilot to make adjustments based on what the knock sensors are telling him/her.

For the five to 10 people who would want such a device a year, we would have to charge them at $5-10K each.
 
RVZoomie said:
Boring holes through the sky 7-8 hrs at a time provides more than enough time to daydream about mod's for the RV...

Lately I've come up with a few and imagine at some point others have already tried or considered trying so I was hoping for some feedback. I apologize if the ideas have been well documented in previous threads I may have missed.

snip

Secondly, for the gearheads out there, has anyone considered using a wideband air/fuel ratio meter to lean for tuning rather than using archaic temperature tuning? I know 'lean of peak' and temperature tuning is a reliable and well established method, but the availability to tune to stoichiometric could squeeze some extra efficiency out while still monitoring safety margins with CHT's and EGT's. While most UEGO sensors operate on partial pressures, which would be slightly skewed at altitude, a correction chart or factor could be employed to get accurate information at high alt cruise. The sensor/gauge combo's are cheap ~$200, and run off of 12V. A stand alone knock sensor with annunciator light might not be a bad safety investment as well, especially for those who run auto gas and aren't always sure of the quality of fuel they are running.

Anyway, I appreciate the feedback. Looking forward to the freedom of some VFR stick and rudder flying again. Have fun at OSH, looks like work kept me from going again this yr.
Click to expand...

See post #8

http://www.vansairforce.com/community/showthread.php?t=21631&highlight=sensor+torch
 
Two years ago at Oshkosh, there was a Pulsar with a complete external vinyl wrap. It looked pretty cool from a distance, but up close, it was a mess because of all seams required to wrap the compound curves. Anyplace it went over a fastener (rivet, etc), there was small bubble or wrinkle.

Now the interior of an RV doesn't have many (any?) compound curves, so if you wrapped each individual piece before installing, it might turn out OK. But just like upholstery, hiding your edges is the tricky part. Interesting idea - I'd say give it a test in some area - if it doesn't work, you strip it off and go another route.

Paul
 
Thanks for all the responses, I plan on going forward with the wideband (slightly higher fidelity than the lean/rich O2) and might even find a way to connect it to the Dynon equipment. The AEM has a 0-5V output and conversion factor table for lambda or AFR. As for the vinyl, the fit and finish is largely dependent on how carefully it was applied. I've seen both very nice looking stuff and not so nice finish work so I plan on consulting a pro and using the right equipment (heat gun, etc). For my last question, before I apply it, should I consider primering first and scuffing (for corrosion protection) or just laying it on bare aluminum? I'll make sure to document the process and pass on to anyone who's interested.
 
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