X-Mozilla-Keys:                                                                                 
Bill Freeman wrote:

 In the last decade or so titanium fabrication has
come a long way, but it is still a tricky material to
work with.  Notch sensitive, difficult to machine
and usually pretty darned expensive even as a raw
material.   If the savings on the whole engine over
cast iron is only 10 lbs, I'd look at some of the other
parts.  My guess is a careful, clean sheet of paper
design of the end housing in aluminum with either
Nikasil surface or Reynold 510 (high silicon alloy, used in
linerless aluminum blocks by Porsche, Mercedes,
Chevy, etc.) would result in either the same or
greater weight reduction.  The issue is engineering
time and development since this is a highly stressed
part which has *complex* water passages.
Probably beyond anything that is likely to be
affordable by a small group.  This cries out for a
serious manufacturer and a big bucks development
project.

To bad Orenda didn't spend they $20 million ( or whatever)
on a new rotary design, say a 3 rotor.

Bill

20 million US and 32 million Canadian
One of them and the Lancair Tigress it is installed in 
is going in the EAA museum collection.

Paul Lamar
 
The Aircraft Rotary Engine Newsletter.              Powered by Linux.

http://home.earthlink.net/~rotaryeng/            http://www.linux.org