in the forum area pontificating about turbine power for EAA

class aircraft - Vance Jaqua

Paul, Ask Vance who will be able to buy and operate these things!  There seem to be a bunch of kit
manufacturers eager to put turbines in to get great speed numbers. The reality is few of us can
afford such an engine, even the high time rebuilt walther. I really can't stomach the fuel bills
either.

IMHO the turbine kits are a novelty afforded by a wealthy few. The manufacturers that have gone
the turbine route are often the fighter replica types, or similar airframes like the Legend. These
kits were offered usually with a big block cheverolet but when the manufacturers didn't want to
develop the piston engine the turbine is the high buck "easy way out". I feel really sorry for the
people that got all excited and bought a kit thinking there would be development of a complete
package only to find out that the only REAL solution offered is to buy an engine that costs more
than their completed plane was supposed to! My 2 cents worth. Bill Jepson

I can probably name maybe five big block and one or two small block Chevy aircraft 
adaptations that have failed miserably in the last five years. One of which (the Orenda)
had about $50 million US put into the program. Another, based here in SoCal,
had well over a million put in to it.  One thousand pound firewall forward 
packages are mentioned. It is not just Chevy based attempts no less than 
Toyota tried and failed to adapt a automotivce V8. This is symptomatic 
of the lack of understanding of just how difficult it is to build a 
viable aircraft piston engine.

Here is a picture of the failed Eagle big block Chevy. Over a million
was spent on this attempt.

It is truly amazing and very fortunate indeed for us that Mazda stuck
to the rotary and perfected it.

Paul Lamar
 
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