Custom Planes had a couple of engine articles this month (May).
For some strange reason they hardly mentioned the rotary.
There was only one count em...just one... sentences in the
entire magazine on rotary engines. Typically rotary engine powered
airplanes at Sun & Fun outnumber all other automotive based
engines combined with the possible exception of the VW. There
is a monthly column by Len Bechtold on V8 engines. The automotive V8
is about the lightest duty engine you can find having 300 to 400 HP peak
and only needing 40 or 50 continuos. Early VW engines were 100% duty
cyle engines. You could run an early 36 HP VW bug at 72 MPH top speed
all day long. Later VW engines were not so durable.

I can name half a dozen failed V8 aircraft conversions in the last six

years

alone. One of which had over 50 million dollars invested over a period of

30 years.

Namely the Thunder/Orenda. 30 million of that came from the unsuspecting
Canadian tax payers. Another is the Eagle Chev big block with well over

one

million invested never to be heard of again. Probably the most

successfully

was the EngineAir Chev small block V8. Final cost of the engine was one

hundred

thousand dollars after all parts were replaced with aircraft quality.

Never the

less down the tubes. Almost every S51 that ever flew with a big block

Chevy

crashed due to some sort of engine related problem.

Custom planes is doing a great disservice to their readers by promoting
V8 engines.

Paul Lamar

Brett & Tiana wrote:

Agreed. Having read about 90% of the issues published since the inception of
the magazine I've come to the conclusion that the (ignorance-based) bias
against rotaries is alive and well with those in charge at Custom Planes.
Yet they continue to promote American iron that is best suited for muscle
cars and the like, as well as VW engines--- machines that require an
unbelievable degree of mods just to stay in the air long enough for the
pilot's butt to get sore. I used to be disgusted, now I'm just amused...

Brett.

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