Paul,
       Ok, now I get it.  I'll get some of each ordered and try them to see
       what works best/easiest and then post the results to the BMA
   list.  The
       new BMA EFIS uses an instrument module that has two capacitance
       channels, so this is not a problem for the late-comers.  Worth
   posting
       anyway as there are plenty of us early "Gold Box" owners still out
       there.  Appreciate your help.

       Thanks,
       Mark
       Lancair ES-20B, 15 hours

       Post it here too Mark. Might be of interest to other people
       using the same probes. By the way it is real easy
       to build your own probes using two one inch wide long strips of
   brass
       separated by nylon nuts and bolts. Takes about an hour or two.
       A 555 will handle the electronics.
       --
       Paul Lamar ...No rotor no motor.


   Paul,

   I agree.  The only hard part is the end fitting, but a fitting could
   probably be purchased at Home Depot and modified to work.  Might have a
   total of $5 in each probe.  I ordered the EI probes when I ordered the
   kit and didn't know squat about capacitive fuel probes.  I guess that's
   part of the "education and recreation" of building your own airplane.

   By the way, it is a real thrill, while also a bit scary to be flying
   around above the clouds in an "experimental" airplane that you put
   together in your garage and which uses a car engine along with a whole
   bunch of do-it-yourself parts.  You can't help but wonder if you did
   everything correctly as one snafu could easily ruin your whole day.
   With that said, I'm beginning to feel a bit more comfortable about the
   whole experience now.   But give me a couple-hundred hours of
   trouble-free flying and then ask me how I'm feeling.

   Mark
   15 hrs (and counting)

   My mother told me never to fly anywhere unless I could see the ground :)

   Things happen. Plan on it. I am not supposed to be saying that
   on here but never the less always have a plan B.

   Judging by what I have seen so far of your excellent installation
   I think you have less to worry about than most.

   BTW what are you seeing on the "cylinder head" temperature gages
   so far? You are our only experimenter on those.

   How is the muffler working out?
   --
   Paul Lamar ...No rotor no motor.

Paul,
Thanks for the vote of confidence.  I try to fly high so that I have
more options, just in case.

I haven't looked at the CHT's in a while as you must page through a
number of screens on the EM-2 to get to the EGT/CHT page.  Not much you
can do about it anyway.  I like to keep the main page up during the
initial climb, but the most important info is on the top and bottom
lines which don't change when paging.  The EGT's typically run around
1600-1650 in cruise.  I'll check the CHT's on my next flight and let you
know what they're reading.

The "R.B.Wagner" exhaust tubes seem to be holding up just fine also.
So is my homemade auger muffler, although guys tell me that they can
hear me coming from 5 miles away.  I tested a Hush Power II resonator
muffler and it is amazing how much quieter it is over the auger
muffler.  For the first time I could actually hear the prop above the
exhaust.  The body of the muffler is only 12", overall length is 17.5"
but a couple of inches can be cut off both ends to shorten it.  It is
compact enough to fit under the cowl.  I couldn't bring myself to hang a
muffler under that beautiful airframe.  This provides a good
alternative.  Dennis H. has one of these on his RV-7A and it is the
quietest airplane on the field.  Now that's something you don't hear
often when discussing rotaries.

By the way, a side benefit to the oil/water exchanger is that the oil
keeps the water hot enough so I don't need a thermostat or cowl flap.
Yesterday, I flew and the oat was 44*F.  The coolant was up around
170-175 in climb and settled down to 150-160 in economy cruise.  Oil
temps track 10-15* higher.  If it gets much colder, things may change
and I may have to add a cowl flap.  The 20B burns about 12.3 gph in
economy cruise.  Not too shabby, especially since I can burn auto fuel
which is more than $1/gallon cheaper.

Mark S.
16 hrs

There is no cheap replacement for thick RB Wagner SS exhaust pipes :)

You certainly have plenty of cooling capacity in the winter time :)

12.3 gph is 73.8 pounds per hour so at a  well leaned BSFC of
.47 (150 F lean of peak.) that would be about 160 HP. At .5 BSFC it would
be about 150 HP. At that HP rate the 3 rotor TBO should be 5000 hours :)

How fast are you going at 12.3 gph and what is the EGT?