Simplicity, Cost, Familiarity....
praterdj said:
Paul, Out of curiosity why did you go with the 0-360 as opposed to the I0-360? It's obvious you didn't skimp on anything for your plane so I was wondering why you chose carbureted. I might apply the same logic to my 8 when I get to that stage.
Thanks for any input you can offer.
I get asked that a lot Don!
I looked at the selection process in a number of ways, and decided to let my requirements drive my choice. Between the two man choices, there is a difference in horsepower, inverted capability, complexity, and cost. Along with these factors are my own experience (and lack of experience) with the options.
I never like to give away horsepower, but I decided the -8 is such a great performer in any case, that the added weight and complexity of the IO just didn't outweigh the extra 20 HP - for me. If you go with an IO, you add high pressure fuel pumps, return lines, etc. If you are adding injection to get inverted capability, then you are also adding flop tubes and inverted oil systems. You have to make decisions about how much you like to build and work on the machine and how much you like to get flying! I like to do both (as most do), but probably gravitated slightly more to wards the "I want to get it flying" side of the argument - and building simpler helps do that.
I have always told folks that "I can fix a carb in a cornfield", but I am totally clueless about injection systems. for me, the carbed engine offers no mysteries for starting (hot or cold), and rarely malfunctions in a way that you can't fix with simple tools.
In the end, for the kind of flying I do, I simply couldn't justify the added expense and complexity (both building and operational) of injection. I simply didn't NEED injection for what I was doing bad enough to add it. for others, it is an excellent choice - you simply have to list your requirements, and then weigh the options against them.
I like to fly fast, climb solidly, cruise a long way, fly at least one or two rolls every time I leave the ground - and know that at any given hour of the day, I can depend on the airplane being ready to go fly. I only pull negative G's if I'm being paid to do it, or I screw up. I admit that I am biased by all of the people I have seen tinkering with their injected setups. I know that bad news is news, and good news is not - so you only hear of problems, and never the hundreds of hours of flawless operation - but still, there seems to me to be a reliability edge to the carbed engines.
I'm extremely happy with my choices for what I wanted out of my airplane. But it took a lot of deliberate work bouncing capability against requirements to get there. To me, that is one of the fun parts of the process!
Paul
