REFLECTOR: engine choice

[Tony Babb]

Hello Ben,
 
There are others who are much more advanced (Flying) than I but here's the
issues I considered. 
 
I was seriously looking at an auto engine option a while ago and this has
been discussed on reflector several times in the past few years. Major
issues for me were: 

*	I'm not aware of a firewall forward/backward package for Velocities
yet (I was considering a Mazda engine), so I would have to do some or a lot
of my own engineering engine mounts, exhausts etc - something I don't feel
qualified or experienced enough to do. I believe someone is working on this
but I could be wrong.
*	Additional construction time
*	The thing that really stopped me from any further consideration of
auto engines was the issue of getting insurance here in the US. Apparently
insurance companies are unwilling to provide liability and/or hull insurance
for auto engine Velocities and maybe other experimental aircraft, although
they may provide insurance when you're parked in a hangar (that is insurance
against theft, vandalism etc).  I like flying but not enough to risk all my
assets if I had an accident/incident that was my fault.

There are other issues that I'm sure others will provide good input to your
decision and there are a number of flying Velocities with auto engines, so
others have taken a different path from the one I'm taking. If things
change, to alter my concerns then I would certainly reconsider the engine
choice, I have a loooong way to go yet.
 
Tony
SEFG 62% done, 78% to go
www.alejandra.net/velocity
 
 -----Original Message-----
From: reflector-bounces at tvbf.org [mailto:reflector-bounces at tvbf.org] On
Behalf Of Benedikt Harren
Sent: Tuesday, March 13, 2007 2:49 PM
To: 'Velocity Aircraft Owners and Builders list'
Subject: REFLECTOR: engine choice



Hi all,
 
I emailed with scott b. today regarding tools for my shop (just getting
started) and the dual yoke option (with low cut keel). I also asked him
about engine choices and told him that I was thinking about going automotive
(once I get to that point). I have looked at Bill Mulrooney's V-8
installation which looks very promising (good T/O & climb performance + low
fuel consumption + lots of HP). I have a Standard RG Elite model and was
wondering if the smaller wing will be able to take the load of the heavier
engine installation (similar to an IO-540)? After all, the only difference
between the long and the short wing seems to be the wing itself, since the
main spar looks identical !? I also noticed that load factors, published on
the velocity website for the XLs are smaller than the ones for the Stds,
letting me belief that the wings are of similar strength? I was just
wondering what the group's input was on this (V8 installation with gross
weight increase to 2800).
 
Anybody else flying or building a V8 velocity?
 
Kind regards,
 
Ben Harren
( Std RG Elite N888GF / just getting started)

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