Thought I'd share this interesting new YouTube video from Lycoming:
Lycoming video
Lycoming video
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New Lycoming YouTube video
- Thread starter bertschb
- Start date
I think they are feeling a bit of pressure based upon the current, constrained supply model to raise prices. Recently did a major IRAN on a 360 with a total parts bill of $12,000. Got all the parts from ASI. 100% superior or conty. ASI said even if I wanted to pay twice as much for Lyc parts, pretty much every part has a 12 mo lead time; cylinders may be an exception; we o/h'ed. Sadly no real competition in the new engine market that is making even a dent in marketshare. I think they are losing business in the overhaul parts market, but doubt it adds up to offset the insanely high margins they are currently getting on new engines. That will likely change once the bubble bursts, but that could be many years away. Frankly surprised that sup or cont have not tried to capitalize by offering competitively priced engine kits to peel off marketshare from lyc. Possible they have supply chain constraints. Would like to see an annual report to see how high the margins are, but the textron 10-K doesn't get that granular.
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Lycoming is a such an awesome company I love them so much and I am glad it's really the only choice for the build I am about to start. I'm very excited to wait a few years and spend 80k-100k. The best part is that nobody else has market share, because Lycoming is so good that they really do deserve to be alone at the top.
This video makes me want to get a red white and blue Lycoming tattoo.
This video makes me want to get a red white and blue Lycoming tattoo.
skylor
Well Known Member
Meanwhile, Rotax continues to slowly chip away at market share of Lyconental, particularly in the lower (but increasing) horsepower segment. Any company that thinks they're the only game in town and tries to control price through supply manipulation will eventually find competition!
Skylor
Nah, Rotax just makes tiny little snowmobile engines for those ultralight things. They will never be a player in the Real Airplane market. If they really expect to go anywhere in this business they need to advertise here on VAF.
I toured the Lycoming factory in the early 70’s. The company I worked for overhauled Lycoming helicopter engines and a couple of us got an in depth tour. Most parts were still made there at that time, but they had started outsourcing pistons. I recall seeing piles of rough crankshaft forgings piled in outdoors storage with rust all over them. They said that the oxidization helped stress relieve the forgings. Of course, lots of machining which removed the rust.
well that is a first. Definitely heard of aging castings, as well as shot peening them to relieve stress, but never heard that intentionally producing surface rust would do the same. Kind of wondering if that was made up by your tour guide to explain their storage practices.
DeltaHawk.
I’m really liking the engine so far in my 14.
Aside from all the good things about the DH engine - if nothing else, #1 needs a bit of competition and we (builders/flyers) need more choices.
Btw - January edition of Sport Aviation will have a nice article on the 14 w the DH engine.
I’m really liking the engine so far in my 14.
Aside from all the good things about the DH engine - if nothing else, #1 needs a bit of competition and we (builders/flyers) need more choices.
Btw - January edition of Sport Aviation will have a nice article on the 14 w the DH engine.
The tour guide was a head manufacturing engineer. I thought he was making a joke, but we had quite a discussion on the metallurgy related to that. He said that they held the forgings for 1 yr minimum.
Well, aging them is definately a good practice and something routinely done. I am not a metallurgist and if he says rust helps, then he is probably right. It just seemed illogical to this layman.
That's part of it, but a lot of it is a monopoly on the engine (390) specified by Vans. It's not just Lycoming, it's all of the parts manufacturers as well. I bought a NDM 20006A oil cooler from ACS for $715.00 in October...now it lists for $1635.00.
And support US workers.
The explanation as to why this is not exactly the case is not allowed to be given here.
Anyway, while the subject is going around, the Lycoming Service class put on in Williamsport is a great experience. I genuinely had a great week, made some new friends, and learned a lot about engine production, service, and production. The factory tour was a highlight for sure. At the end of the production line in the areas before and after test runs they have engines labelled by customer. It was fun to 'easter egg hunt' for RV engines headed to Van's and when I was there they were well represented.
It's even more fun to take the tour, and at the end find the the box with your name on it.
Too bad Lycoming can't seem to produce remotely enough cylinders to keep current engines running, without taking into account new production.
After a stuck exhaust valve I wanted to have a spare cylinder assembly to avoid protracted downtime, and everywhere I called had a 2+ year wait for a genuine Lycoming cylinder kit Instead of another overhaul down the line my plan is eventually to swap over to a Continental X-370, for whom their cylinder and engine wait times are dramatically better.
None of this is bashing just simple facts.
After a stuck exhaust valve I wanted to have a spare cylinder assembly to avoid protracted downtime, and everywhere I called had a 2+ year wait for a genuine Lycoming cylinder kit Instead of another overhaul down the line my plan is eventually to swap over to a Continental X-370, for whom their cylinder and engine wait times are dramatically better.
None of this is bashing just simple facts.
Traceability and liability are big factors, too!
In 2025 the intersection of facts and bashing is just a circle.
Jjackh10
Well Known Member
It's got nothing to do with being manufactured in the US. As I stated in an earlier post the same parts, made by the same companies for other applications are cheaper. It's the pass through cost of the vendor that's driving it.
