Hi Paul,

You probably won't remember me.  But I met you with Alex Molteno in Williston when you were down there installing his engine mount. What a pleasure to meet you.

I bought your book three years ago (Cooling the Wankel Engine) and was going to buy a Mistral engine - but it was just around the time they closed up shop for awhile.  My misfortune.  So I ended up with an LS1 conversion, and the developer of my engine didn't have a clue about plenums, per your book's recommendations.  I was so dismayed when I saw how he had installed the radiators in my cowl.  I did the best I could by changing the way his radiators were installed and I think it will work now.  I  slanted to radiators in at the base to develop more room for expanding the plenum as you recommend.  But it isn't ideal.  I did build the plenums completely out of composite material - not using baffles which you pointed out leak.  Also, I have two large radiators, not just one.  So there is a good deal of cooling surface.  So my fingers are crossed.

Anyway, the purpose of my email is water level sensors.  I believe you recommended in your book that it is a good idea to have a water level sensor so you can determine if you are losing coolant.  Better to find out early, rather than at the point when the engine overheats.  I lent your book to
Alex so I don't have it here in San Francisco.  I was looking up water level sensors on the internet.  There are so many different types of sensors that I couldn't make head nor tails of it.  I was wondering if you had any recommended sensors that would work for water cooled airplane installations.  I want to hook up that sensor to a warning light on my panel to get an early indication that I need to land before the problem gets worse, just like you pointed out.

Alex and I have become fast friends.  He's a wonderful guy!  I gave him a pair of brand new Lancair seats that I had originally purchased for my airplane.  When I was investigating back seats and seat belts I discovered a set of salvage Cirrus seats with seat belts built in, and the rear seats folded down as I wanted so I could have baggage space.  For the 4 seats, plus seat belts it cost me 50% of what I paid for the two lancair seats I gave Alex.  So I bought them.  But I was delighted to give Alex those Lancair seats, which are actually much lighter than mine and more elegant (except the seat belts have to hang down from the ceiling, which isn't as nice as the way it works on my seats).

Anyway, thanks for being such a great person for the experimental aviation community.  I admire everything you have done and I really learned a ton from your book.  Thanks.

Best to you,

Bob Mayer


We don't actually sense the water level. We use a coolant pressure gage
and pre flight pressure test the cooling system using a tubeless tire
schrader valve.
'
Pump up the coolant system to 30 psi and watch the gage.
If it maintains the 30 psi your good to go. If the pressure bleeds off
you have a leak either external or internal.

Paul Lamar


The Rotary Engine News Letter. Powered by Linux.
 ACRE NL web site. http://www.rotaryeng.net
 You Tube http://tinyurl.com/beqqxas
 Copyright 1998-2013 All world wide rights reserved.