I understand the rotary and high rpm's, but I also know that you can only spin a prop so fast.  I was planning to use Tracy's 2:17 : 1 drive and I was worried about not developing enough horses at 6000 rpm and/or overspeeding the prop.  I'm not up on power curves and maybe with the prop load and all the fuel dumped in for take-off, the horsepower may be there-- I just don't know.   Obviously, the engine develops enough, since quite a few are flying.  Tracy estimates the hp in his RV4 at 180.  I'm planning to visit him sometime next month

to get a bird's eye view of what he has done with the engine.

I've got a 13BREW-a 1993 engine that had a twin turbo on it- on my RV-4. I'm planning on running it NA with tuned intake and exhaust. I just sent Tracy a a check for his 2.17/1 redrive, but I'm also watching to see what kind of performance and fuel burn he's getting with his 13B running through a 2.85/1 redrive. I just wonder what kind of HP I'll get with the 9.1/1 compression rotors as opposed to the 9.7/1 that the normally aspirated engine have. If power on takeoff is a problem, I guess I could always go with nitrous rather than add 30+ lbs for a turbo and it's plumbing. Just glad that Tracy is out there trying this stuff out for us.

Brian Trubee

There is no need to worry about an RV4. It will take off fine with only 150 HP.
Compression ratio has a minor affect on the rotary engine.

Paul Lamar
 
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