carguy614
Well Known Member
Hey folks,
Been reading about the composite layup plenum tops that seem to be a hot topic here lately. Very cool!! My building partner Paul Salerno took on this sub-project to build a full plenum for my 9A with O-320. I now have 60 hours on the plane, and I can report good performance so far. This thing was a lot of work. I have cooler front cylinders, and I am waiting for some hot weather to install the always required deflectors on the front to warm them up a little. Oil temps are outstanding, and I am unable to get over 190 no matter how hard I climb. Hard climbs are yielding max 410 CHT on the rear cylinders during last years hot weather, after the engine began to break in real good. Fronts are about 370 CHT in the climb, and run about 50 degrees cooler at cruise, so I have a bit of balancing to work out yet. I have no speed data to provide, other than my plane gets published numbers. I have louvers on the bottom of the cowl. So far I am very happy, except when I need to gain access to the plugs.
Access panels for the plugs may come soon, and for goodness sakes, don't put as many screws on the lid!!!!
Regards,
Chris
http://img12.imageshack.us/img12/3400/plenum1.jpg
http://img15.imageshack.us/img15/6391/plenum2.jpg
http://img24.imageshack.us/img24/493/plenum3.jpg
http://img21.imageshack.us/img21/9205/plenum4.jpg
Been reading about the composite layup plenum tops that seem to be a hot topic here lately. Very cool!! My building partner Paul Salerno took on this sub-project to build a full plenum for my 9A with O-320. I now have 60 hours on the plane, and I can report good performance so far. This thing was a lot of work. I have cooler front cylinders, and I am waiting for some hot weather to install the always required deflectors on the front to warm them up a little. Oil temps are outstanding, and I am unable to get over 190 no matter how hard I climb. Hard climbs are yielding max 410 CHT on the rear cylinders during last years hot weather, after the engine began to break in real good. Fronts are about 370 CHT in the climb, and run about 50 degrees cooler at cruise, so I have a bit of balancing to work out yet. I have no speed data to provide, other than my plane gets published numbers. I have louvers on the bottom of the cowl. So far I am very happy, except when I need to gain access to the plugs.
Access panels for the plugs may come soon, and for goodness sakes, don't put as many screws on the lid!!!!
Regards,
Chris
http://img12.imageshack.us/img12/3400/plenum1.jpg
http://img15.imageshack.us/img15/6391/plenum2.jpg
http://img24.imageshack.us/img24/493/plenum3.jpg
http://img21.imageshack.us/img21/9205/plenum4.jpg