REFLECTOR: End of the Engine Saga

[Richard J. Gentil]

After all this time waiting for the XP-400S.R.E. from Superior (deposit 
was paid back in June.) I finally ordered another engine.

I am running out of things to do on the Velo, before the engine arrives. 
I just could not see leaving the project in the corner for 6 months or 
more, collecting dust, while waiting on an engine.

I tried Ly-Con thanks to the recommendation in these forums. They 
offered a high compression IO-390X but they did not have the kit from 
Lycoming in order to do build the engine and we were look at up to 12 
weeks before it would be ready.

I also tried Thunderbolt (Lycoming's in house operation) but in order to 
get a high compression IO-390X it was an $8,900.00 add on, which is just 
too much. (Ly-Con was only $1000.00 for the 10:1 Cylinders and $200.00 
to set the timing on the CAM.) For a plain Jane IO-390X from 
Thunderbolt, it was going to be on month.

Mattituck had an IO-390X in stock so I went with it. If anyone went by 
their booth at Sun'n Fun, it is the engine they had on display. The 
engine has the E-Mag/P-Mag combo on it:

http://www.emagair.com/

The E-Mag/P-Mag combo does offer some advantages over the dual 
Lightspeed I was planning, since the P-Mag will generate it's own power 
and sustain itself should voltage drop below 12.7V.

This simplifies my dual battery, dual bus setup. Now, instead of going 
with two Alternators (I was planning the B & C 20a Alternator on the 
Vacuum pad) I can just go with a 50a Alternator and use a diode in line 
to the second battery. Then I can set the batteries to be able to switch 
between buses.

Richard

P.S. Shame though, I really wanted to see what the SE-RG would do with 
250Hp and not having extra weight added.