This is a reprint of Chucks RV6 page. Very very interesting what 
did not work :-) 

Nice work Chuck. 

-Chuck's RV-6 Airplane project - Rotary
Power!                                                   N616RV 

In September 1995, I started building my second airplane, an RV-6.This great aircraft
is well known, visit  Van's Aircraft - Total Performance RV Kitplanes 
for more info. I was looking for  a new challenge and wanted to use something a
little different for the engine. My RV-4 has a standard O-320 Lycoming in it
and has given me good service but I did not want to keep paying the high prices for
Lycoming parts so I was looking for something else. Around October 1997 I
had the Wings, tail and fuselage mostly complete. It was time to make a decision on
what engine I would use. At the Copperstate 1997 Fly-in I went to a tent
forum with Tracy Crook speaking about his experinces with rotary engines. Visit his
website at  Real World Solutions, Inc. I was hooked. I ordered his book 
"Aviator?s Guide to Mazda Rotary Conversion?. http://www.rotaryaviation.com/book.html
. I bought a 13B engine from a 1986 Mazda RX-7 from a wrecking
yard in Phoenix for $650. 

I mounted the stock Van's engine mount to a test stand and proceeded to modify it to
mount the 13B. It almost brought a tear to my
eye to cut into that beautiful work of art that Van's made! But, its for a good
cause, so onward and upward! After getting a prop speed reduction unit (PSRU)
2.17:1 from Chris Ross in Tucson, an EC-1 engine ignition and fuel injection
controller from Real World Solutions, Inc. and a reverse rotation propeller from
Performance Props, I fired up the engine on the test stand. 

I used a lightweight aluminum radiator for a VW Scirocco  from Jeg's High Performance
OnLine .
This was to be mounted at the rear on the engine against the firewall at an angle to
match the engine mount to landing gear tubes. Pressurized air from the inside
of the cowl was to flow through the radiator, then down and out the bottom of the
cowl. I thought this might work even though the air has to make two 90 degree
turns and flow downward, because that's how Jess Myers  Belted Air Power - Belt
driven Auto engines for airplanes. did it on his RV-6 with a Chevy V-6
installation. 

After much experimentation with ducting on the back side of the radiator, I could not
make it even idle for more than a few minutes without
overheating. Plan B was a custom radiator from GRIFFIN Radiator Manufacturing 
mounted under the engine. This required modifying the lower cowl to make
a smooth inlet duct to the radiator. Now I can idle the engine indefinitely. The oil
cooler is now mounted on the firewall where the Scirocco radiator was. I made
ducting to take air from the left cowl "nostril" intake and route it downward thru
the oil cooler. For cabin heat I am using a Setrab oil cooler behind the firewall
and running engine coolant thru it. 

As this is written, I am finishing the 1000 little details needed to finish  a
project this size while waiting for inspection and certification. Taxi tests will
begin
soon. Engine has run full power tests with good results so far. 

 Many thanks to Paul Lamar for the outstanding work on  his Aircraft rotary engines
newsletter and to Howard Jenkins for the hangar space at the Flying J Ranch (E37) . 

May 27, 2000 


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