Fredmoreno@aol.com wrote:

Paul:

Appreciate your comments.  I agree that the flat opposed engines have
superior power to weight ratios than other piston configurations, and it may
be that they always will.  I also agree that airplane emissions are
negligible compared to ground vehicles.

I am insufficiently versed in rotary engines to know what is possible, but I
am encouraged by your comments and hope we wil be pleasantly surprised by new
technologies and product introductions. My apologies if I have covered old
ground as a new participant of this forum, and will search for the site you
mention and study up a bit.  And my congratulations on your good results with
your opposed engines.  The Continental 520 series have, alas, not been so
lucky suffering many crankcase cracks.  Needed more beef which they
subsequently got, but with mixed results.

I too have visited  Zoche many times for many years.  It's tomorrow's
technology...  and may always be.  Maybe in our lifetime, if we (and Michael)
are lucky.

I am sure you would agree it would be nice if we could burn jet fuel, be it
piston, rotor, or turbine, at an agreeable rate and with an agreeable engine
cost, size and weight.  May everyone keep trying, and may all be successful.

Fred Moreno

I will tell you a funny story. I was in Jeff's booth at Oshkosh a couple
of years ago when Jeff was showing his opposed piston, supercharged
and turboed, two cycle diesel engine. Michael Zoche walked in and was
very 
interested in what General Atomics Aircraft Division and Jeff
had wrought. The subject of the Wankel GmbH diesel fuel burning
direct injection, spark assisted, wankel engine, came up. Michael
said he was going to sue Wankel GmbH if they did not stop calling it
a diesel engine :-). 

Juergen Bax, principle owner of Wankel Gmbh, is very excited about the 
potential market for this aircraft engine in Europe as diesel fuel is 
taxed about half as much as gasoline. The BSFC is only about 
0.47 but that matters not if your fuel is half price in Europe.

Wankel also has a hybrid engine/generator/electric motor set suitable 
for use in hybrid type cars using this engine. This is a very small,
quiet, 
light weight and smooth self contained package. Hybrids are the next 
big thing in "green" cars. Honda and Toyoto are getting ready to sell 
them in the U.S, and Mercedes has a hybrid package for the S Class no 
less that I saw a couple of weeks ago at the Frankfurt Motor show.

wankturb.jpg picture of the aircraft engine version.

Paul Lamar
 
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