REFLECTOR: Franklin news

[michalk]

That is good news.  The article is terrible though.

I really have never understood the Franklin's lack of market share. 
It's the only serious certified competitor to Lycoming and Continental.

If the engines are going to be made domestically, it should be able to 
compete very well in its horsepower range.

My guess is that it's ECI that was alluded in the article.  It makes a 
lot of sense.  They've always been somewhat interested in doing Franklin 
stuff, but didn't want to jump in until the future was stable.  The 
Franklin image has certainly not been helped by the lack of a big player 
in the US to lend it some credibility.

What I would really like to see is an experimental-friendly company take 
over that likes to push the envelope.  Someone like GAMI.  The Franklin 
will make 235 horsepower at 3200 RPM in it's 6V-350-A configuration 
which is stock parts that make power.  Throw in a few components like 
advanced ignition with cylinder pressure sensing, and better electronic 
fuel injection, and you might get close to 250 horsepower.

If you really want to get crazy, one could go with water injection and 
turbo for limited duration power.  I think 300HP is well within reason 
without engine damage.  The supporting basis for a lot of my conjecture 
is from a conversation I had with George Heinley.

There's merit in simplicity, and there is merit in engineering.  You see 
these tradeoffs in automobiles today.  You don't see huge muscle car 
engines.  Instead you see smaller engines with a turbocharger.  Most of 
the time the turbo doesn't do anything.  It's only when you want that 
extra power that it kicks in.

If a person flies a Velocity at reasonable speeds ... say wants to 
cruise at 170 to 180 knots, then you only need what, 150 to 180 
horsepower?  That's easily done by a lot of engines, but may not work 
well for the short field or high altitude or overweight takeoff.  Why 
build an engine capable of 300 continuous horsepower?  Simplicity. 
Fewer components.  But the other side of that coin would be to take a 
smaller engine for limited duration high horsepower.

It could be lighter, but with added complexity may not.  It could be 
more efficient, but if lower compression is used, it may not.  It 
wouldn't be simpler.  It may be cheaper.

I think the Franklin with it's relatively small cylinders, and having 
six of them is the best engine out there to play these games on. 
Pouring on the horsepower is going to be a function of strong cylinders 
(peak pressure)and a strong crank (peak torque pulses/geometry).  And 
the Franklin has both.

Off my soapbox.  I wish I was filthy rich enough to quit my day job and 
become a full time tinkerer.  I think I would be pretty good at it.

Laurence Coen wrote:
> I found this in the AVFLASH Motorhead column.
>  
> 
> Let's dig in. Two actual engines and one engine program captured my 
> attention for most of the show, but first this: For fans of the Franklin 
> engine, there's good news. I was contacted by one of the principals of a 
> new company that has bought the rights to produce the venerated engines. 
> I'm told that the equipment has been moved to a new location and that 
> production of certain critical parts -- cylinders and cases -- will 
> resume this summer. The goal is to crank out enough parts for 100 
> engines in the first go, with an eye toward resuming production of whole 
> engines later.
> 
>  
> 
> Larry Coen
> 
> N136LC  SE/RG Franklin
> 
>  
> 
>  
> 
> 
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