From: Perry Mick <pjmick@verizon.net>


<http://www.avweb.com/eletter/archives/avflash/704-full.html#193058>

Did you see this?

ORENDA V-8 MAKING COMEBACK?
<http://www.avweb.com/eletter/archives/avflash/704-full.html#193058>
A Texas group in the Midland/Odessa area is revving up plans to build
the Orenda 600, a geared aircraft engine based on an 8-cylinder
big-block Chevy racing engine. Trace Engines holds all the rights to the
engine, which went into production in the late 1990s in Nova Scotia but
was dropped by Orenda Aerospace's parent company Magellan Aerospace
about five years ago. According to the Odessa American
<http://www.oaoa.com/news/nw082506c.htm>, Trace Engines now expects to
spend about $20 million to set up a manufacturing plant for the engine,
which previously achieved certification but has yet to make much impact
on the commercial market. When originally developed, the engine was
touted as a low-cost replacement for turbine and radial engines in the
600-hp range -- Trace says that market still exists. More...
<http://www.avweb.com/eletter/archives/avflash/704-full.html#193058>


Yep. Texas tax payer rip off :)

Weighs 750 pounds.  A turbo four rotor would generate the
same HP and weigh half as much and cost no more than $50,000
instead of $150,000.

Are you listening Francois?

Paul Lamar ...No rotor no motor.

Yep, I am listening.  We may one day develop a 4-rotor engine, but it won't
be to take away market from Orenda... it just has too little of it.
... having said that... you are a little optimistic on the performance and
cost numbers, Paul!

Francois

OK half the cost or $75,000 and 500 HP and not 600 HP.

BTW the 4R Lemans engine was 690 HP normally aspirated no less.
Get thee to a P-port :) The 4R turbo rotary will out perform
a PT6 turbine above 20,000 feet.

Paul

Paul, the 4R Le Mans engine was a no-cost-spared, "corporate flagship",
racing engines.  It was designed to last 24 hours and then some, but
certainly not 3000 hours.  Fuel consumption was no or little object for the
race and was atrocious (almost twice what we get in cruise and ~40% more
than what we get at 120hp/rotor according to your chart).

It was a great engine, but it was a 1991 prototype car racing engine and not
a 2006 series-manufactured aviation engine!  For instance, it would be
pretty hard to fit its intake system inside a cowl!

I cannot insist enough that designing for racing or for airworthiness,
longevity and safety leads to radically different compromises, costs and
performance. Let's compare apples to apples.

Francois

Not true on the fuel consumption. It got the same BSFC
you and we are getting. Namely .47 BSFC. The restricted
breathing of a side port engine at WOT cost fuel consumption.
Sucking air in past the right angles is negative work
the engine must do. Try the P-port. You will like it. Ironically
the best BSFC occurred at 6000 RPM. The race had a mandated
fuel consumption limit and the P-port rotary beat all piston engine
comers burning the same amount of fuel. I am  shocked you did
not know that :)

Most no expense spared piston engines are junk after the race.
I know. Been there done that. It took us a couple of years on
the GM Lemans programed duty cycle dyno to get the V8 to last 24
hours and we had to compromise on the power.  I did not just
fall off the car racing turnip truck :) The rotary has none
of the fatigue producing, high stress reversing, major moving
parts like piston engines do.

The rotary was hardly worn at all. All it really had over
what we are using is ceramic apex seals and a third plug.
Jim Medere of Racing Beat fame just told me he could not
find the 3rd plug advantage on his dyno. Mazda only claimed
one to two percent better BSFC with the third plug.

It occurred to me Mazda could buy or invest in Mistral.
Lunch money or petty cash for them. It would
give them somewhat of a corporate shield against
U.S. aircraft engine product liability. You should propose
something to them. The aircraft engine development
could benefit the car application. We are discovering things
about the RX8 engine Mazda should have known about.

We are getting the exact Lemans engine 6000 RPM P-port and
slide throttle intake configuration under the cowl no problem.

I think you are just pulling my chain :)