X-Mozilla-Keys:                                                                                 
Fredmoreno@aol.com wrote:

I discussed Tigress Orenda question at some length with Lancair folks.  It is
too heavy, too complicated, way too costly, and (this was difficult to ferret
out, but seems to be true) the airplane was not very stable at high speeds,
and it did not cool at high power settings.  They did get it up to 440 mph in
short sprints, but temperatures were rising.

Another important consideration (not discussed or mentioned, but I am sure
important to Lance as a businessman) was that the Legend did not sell well
when it had a big block V-8, but is selling well with the Walter turbine.
The market for these big, expensive toys wants turbines, not pistons.  Hence
the Walter-engined Lancair IV that Lance has his folks working on now.

In short, Tigress was a badly engineered total package (my opinion) that, if
you read between the lines, was much to much of a handful to be built and
then flown by mere mortals.  Further, the market did not want it.  And as I
noted earlier, the Orenda is way too heavy.  Folks can do better, but (as you
know) all it takes is $$$$.

Fred

 
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