No excuse for HP?
I need to decide what engine for my 4 project. I am not a horsepower / ROC / Speed seeker. I am relatively anal about smoothness and am convinced a big engine loafing is more desirable than a small engine working harder to fly the same speed.SO, there are three options for me:
* 340 from stroke increase
* 340 from bore increase
* 360 pretty much stock with maybe 15lb weight penalty
Your comments from EXPERIENCE would be appreciated...Larry
Hi Larry,
I bought my RV4 tail kit when Reagan was our President and Vans aircraft was still in a garage. At that time RVers were very cost conscious "tinkerers" with budget and low weight as high priorities. Which is the best engine for the RV4?
it depends...on your mission.
Being on my Uncles fixed salary (Uncle Sam) I chose a 0-320 narrow deck and Sterba prop for a total investment of $3K and all said and done tipped the scales at 925lbs and $21K invested (1995 bucks) The first flight confirmed the designers wishes, light, responsive,
relatively fast (compared to the F16) and inexpensive. I would fly it in that configuration for over 1000 hours, 11 trans-cons, a foray to 21,000 feet and lots of adventures. I never flew big fat dudes in the back seat as Scott quoted above for the same sexist reasons. My RV4 filled the bill for what I originally intended, a 180mph aerobatic Super Cub.
When the original 0-320A started burning oil I removed it, traded another RV 4 builder for his dynafocal mount and built up a blueprinted 0-320E2D with 9.0:1 compression, flow matching and a balanced crank. Craig Catto created my third prop from his deft hand having tested his first RV prop 8 years prior. I also used my original Electroair ignition and one mag.
Performance improvement? Amen brother, I hit the lottery. The nose remained light (something I despise in Hartzell equipped RVs) cool temps in the climb in summer (something 0-360 dudes are always watching) and faster. It still gets off the ground quick and with practice is easy to fly formation, land on short strips and my favorite, dog fighting! (1V1)
Over the next 20 years I would assist over 200 new RVers experience what I truly know is the best flyer of the breed. I also flew all the others in just about every configuration. Despite all that I still hold true to my original mission statement, and engine/prop combo.
I've flown RV4's with 0-360's, IO360 angle valves and even one with an IO540 (my Rocket) yet
the 0-320 is hard to beat for bullet proof smoothness and a FP Catto prop gives what I believe the best bang for buck.
V/R
Smokey