X-Mozilla-Keys:                                                                                 
Barry Gardner wrote:

Paul,

Over on the Cozy list, there has been a small discussion on auto
engines. Nat Puffer, the designer of the Cozy Mark IV, was
downplaying the attractiveness of auto engine installations based
upon re-sale value of the finished aircraft. Here was a post
discussing a Tulsa-based 3 rotor installation in a canard pusher
that might be of interest to people on your list who are not on
the Cozy list.

Nat [Puffer, designer of the Cozy Mark IV] wrote:
<snip>
I don't know how much a Mark IV with a well-installed auto engine
would sell
for, because I don't know of any that are even flying
<snip>
There is a highly modified airplane flying with a 3-rotor Mazda,
but I don't
know anything about its operating history.
<snip>

I believe Nat is talking about Brice Daunay's airplane. I live in
Tulsa, and
his airplane is here. It was for sale as of a few months ago. Not
sure if it
sold or not, but the asking price was $45,000.

Brice moved to Europe for a while. His airplane is registered as
a "Viper"
and is about the size of a Velocity. His engine installation is
very neat.
In fact, I think it's the best part of THAT airplane.

The 3-rotor Mazda runs smoothly, but Brice has had trouble
keeping it cool
on the ground. He said that he had about three minutes of running
time on
the ground before having to shut it down. This would happen if
there is a
long line for takeoff on a hot day. He's had to install a cooling
fan on the
radiator, and a fan on the left oil cooler. The engine is
powerful and the
airplane is quick. It produces a sweet sound.

The airplane is almost completely different from the plans Cozy.
I believe
Brice kept the same wing, but the rest of the aircraft is very
different. It
is much bigger, has retractable gear, different bulkheads (or
lack thereof),
has two gull-wing doors, and no landing brake. There are many
more
differences...

I have photos of his installation, and will e-mail them to
someone who will
post them on a website. Any volunteers?

Omar Filipovic
filipo@webzone.net

I was wondering what happened to Brice.

Paul Lamar
 
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