Johnson, Rob (SCT) wrote:

Paul,

Here is a link to the full article but read the section I included. This is
from the CEO of Lycoming.

 http://www.avweb.com/articlStilles/lycvisit.html

Something wrong with that link Rob. Avweb comes up alright.

, that didn't stop Lycoming from teaming with John Deere in the mid-1980s to
build a revolutionary new aircraft rotary engine. After sinking millions
into the project, neither Deere nor Lycoming found any takers. Well,
actually, they found one.

"I was vice-president of sales at the time," recalls Phil Boob. "We found
just one airframe manufacturer willing to sign a memorandum of understanding
to go forward with that engine. That was Cessna. They signed the memorandum
on Monday and made the announcement on Friday that they were getting out of
the light airplane business."

In Boob's mind, the current market--probably even a revitalized
market--isn't demanding nor will it support revolutionary engine designs.

"If all I'm doing is replacing engines that I'm selling anyway, how does it
make sense to develop new engines? Now if you could increase the market, or
increase the total number of units you could sell, or you could get more per
engine, obviously, it starts to make some sense. But if I'm going to replace
a 540 with a rotary at the same numbers, why am I going to do it? Why would
anyone do it?"

Do I read this correctly? Lyc has a rotary engine design and they are just
sitting on it?

I believe it. Continental was manufacturing rotary engine powered
generators
for the military until recently. The project was cut for budget reasons.

The engine guys won't do it until they are forced too and then because
of the
piston engine infrastructure.... kicking and screaming. That is why I am
so excited
about the homebuilt wholesale adoption of the Mazda rotary. This will
eventually
show the GA market that the rotary makes a better aircraft engine. The
same thing
has already happened with composite airplanes. What would you rather
have
a Lancair (ES) Columbia or a Cessana 182 for the same price? The
Lancair will
do everything the Cessna 182 does yet cruises 30 kts faster on the same
fuel
and cost the same.  

What would you rather have a rotary that goes for 2000 hours trouble
free or 
a Lycoming that burns a $250 dollar exhaust valve every 500 hours? I
think
a Mazda rotary engine will do it.

The other Mazda application I am really excited about is what Jim
Mederer is doing.
The price of a rotary powered ducted fan is half of what Williams will
charge
for his turbo fan and burn half the fuel. The market for biz jets is
hot!
I predict the production of three and four rotor engines based on 
an improved Mazda design is not that far in the future for this
application. 
Once you have something working as well as the Mazda rotary engine  
it is not that hard to make small  improvements. If this thing works it
is going to be nothing short of a revolution in business jet type
airplanes.
 
Paul Lamar
 
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