REFLECTOR: A question about engines

[Dave Black]

Randy,

> I know that if I throw the question out there about what
> people recommend, I’m going to get a ton of different answers,
> because everyone probably loves the powerplant they have, but
> I’m not committed to any particular one at this point. 

I cannot recommend any specific engine, but I do have opinions on selecting one.

1) Decide just how experimental you want to be.  By choosing an engine that is
not in wide service, you assume the design and testing of all systems related
to that engine. Yes, it can be done. And Yes, that's the fun of building a
plane yourself. But it's also likely to result in an airplane which is
"over-engineered and under-completed." 

2) Decide how much time you want to put into building and perfecting your
airplane. While it's undeniably cool to have the latest whiz-bang engine, you
should weigh that against the very real possibility you may never finish your
project. The majority of kit-planes never fly anyway, so adding the complexity
of an experimental engine makes completing your kit even less likely. If your
goal is to FLY, you may want to stick to the proven engines. 

3) PUT OFF committing to an engine as long as you possibly can. While building
an airplane it's always tempting to jump ahead and focus on engine choice and
panel design. These are the two most obvious and important steps to flying.
But both of these can (and should) be delayed. There are tremendous advances
being made in engines as well as avionics, so any choice made today is likely
to be outdated by the time your airframe is ready to fly. Plus, engines are
expensive and take up valuable space on the floor. My advice: Read about
engines. Study engines. Visit builders who have installed various engines. But
do not BUY an engine until you absolutely must.

> Is there a single source for information on the tradeoffs
> between Continentals, Lycomings, Chevy’s, Subarus, Mazda’s,
> etc? I’m guessing probably not. 

I've never heard of one. Wouldn't that take the challenge out of it?  ;~)


Dave Black
Shortwing RG
Over-Engineered and Under-Completed