Hello Gentlemen,

   I am considering buying a lancair that has a rotary engine in it. What
   issues do I need to look for? I have read a fair amount on the subject.
   Doesn't seem that the "bugs" have been worked out as of yet? Does a
   normal A&P mechanic know what to look for or am I barking up the wrong
   tree? If not where do I get the plane serviced, etc...? Regular gas vs
   avgas? Do most FBO's carry normal fuel or is that an issue? Does
   elevation and temperature effect normal fuel?  What about FAA
   certification of the aircraft and insurance? Can you get a plane insured
   for reasonable rates with a rotary engine? If so where? Do the normal
   maintenance regs apply to rotary engines? Seems as if TBO's are much
   farther out for rotary engines and much less costly? I am sold that the
   rotary engine is the way to go but these are all issues that concern me.
   Sorry to be a thousand questions guy but can someone shed light on these
   subjects, links, etc...?



   Best Regards,


   Ormand Hunter

   Who built it?  A lot depends on who built it and how good of a job
   was done.
   You may have to rework a few details.

   Please take some pictures and post them. I might be able to identify the
   original builder. Lancair 320-360 are hard to cool as there is not a lot
   of room under the cowl for rads. Is it flying now?

   Most A&P's don't know what to look for. It will burn auto gas no
   problem. BIG savings. Auto gas is hard to find but there are web
   sites that list them for cross country fliers. It is not a certified
   airplane. It will be in the category of an experimental aircraft.

   The builder is authorized to work on it but I am not sure who is for
   the second owner. Perhaps an A&P. People get insurance but most
   people don't mention the auto engine. You need to read the fine
   print to see if auto engines are excluded. I don't really think
   there is an official TBO for the engine but I think the need for an
   annual still applies. You may have to train your A&P :)
   Basically a rotary is fine if it has good compression and high oil
   pressure. There are very few parts to go out. The back lash in the
   gear box can be checked in seconds.

   There are other people on here that can do a lot better job than I
   on most of these questions.

   Paul Lamar



Ormand,

I built and still own a rotary powered Lancair ES.  Your question
regarding insurability is a good one.  I wasn't sure that I would be
able to purchase insurance for my bird, but I have not had any problems
going through Skysmith Insurance Agency.  Scott Smith is a rotorhead and
has been very helpful on my behalf.  The key question he asked me is if
I was using Tracy Crook's products.  Once I said "YES", the rest went
smooth as could be expected for any airplane.  Basically, he is
referring to the re-drive and engine controller.  Be aware that the
model of Lancair will make a big difference on the cost of insurance.
The ES has a very good safety record.  You can't really say that about
the other models.

Unless you hold the repairman's certificate on the airplane (only
available to the original builder), you will have to follow the
certified crowd and get an A&P to do the condition inspection.  You
could probably work a deal with the A&P to assist in the process, same
as some of the certified owners do.  But the A&P will have to sign it off.

Yes, rotaries will run on mogas or 100LL, no problem.  But while 100LL
is available everywhere, it also costs over a dollar a gallon more than
auto fuel.  That equates to about $100 per fill-up for my bird.  So, I
have been running auto fuel since the very beginning, even in 100*
temperatures.  If they start blending ethanol in the gas, I'll have no
choice but to go to 100LL because the ethanol will attack the Hysol
adhesive used to bond the wings together, or so I have been told.

Good luck,
Mark


Thank you Mark for the information!


Best Regards,


Ormand Hunter