Tracy Crook wrote:

Got back from SERFI fly-in at Evergreen AL. yesterday.   Ed Anderson,

Finn

Lasen and I were there with our rotaries.  There was to be an award
presented for the best auto powered plane there but they unexpectedly
canceled it. When we asked why, they explained that there were no auto
powered planes which were considered worth judging.  Made us feel about

as

welcome as a turd in a punch bowl.

There were two Chevy 4.3L powered RV-6s there, one being the Belted Air
Power factory plane.  It was the most professional looking installation

you

can imagine.  Sadly, on the way home it crashed killing pilot &

passenger .

No details on what happened but weather was apparently not a factor.

Tracy Crook
tcrook@rotaryaviation.com
www.rotaryaviation.com

Sorry to hear that.

It is Sad to hear about anyone going down, but its especially hard to take
after meeting and talking with those fine fellows and then having the judges
refuse to award an "Auto Conversion" award they had just instituted and
announced.  Tracy's somewhat more descriptive comment adequately describes
how we all felt.  While our rotary conversions may have been considered
"Cosmetically Challenged" by the judges, this V-6 installation was really
nice and clean and surely would have qualified as a "Show Quality" aircraft
anywhere else regardless of engine.

I was so Pi__ed, I send an e mail to the EAA Judging Head Honcho and
outlined what I believe is the core cause of this miscarriage of judging.  I
examined the EAA Judging handbook (which most chapters use as a basic for
judging), while it is quite thorough,  it basically boils down to 1. Is it
safe and airworthy and if it is, 2. How pretty is it? Since most judges
would not have the background to adequately judge an auto conversion on
their own, I think a basic auto conversion standard added to the EAA judging
handbook would help those fine folks who devote their time to judging.  I
suggested that auto conversions deserved a more meaningful standard, as
those who spend time on making an auto conversion safe and reliable are
still flying the "Experimental" banner for the EAA and are no less deserving
that those who spend that time making their airframes prettier.  I doubt
anything will come of it, but should they throw the gauntlet back, I will be
asking for suggestions from folks on the list.

Calmed down somewhat, but still Pi__ed.

Ed Anderson

Here are some better pictures of Ed's old and new cooling system.

Paul Lamar
 
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