Subject: Combined flight hours
From: "rotaryeng@earthlink.net" <rotaryeng@earthlink.net>
Date: 2/27/2015, 2:34 PM
To: AA-1-Me



Hey group,

Do we have a handle on the combined flight hours in the rotary
fleet?

Chris Cosman


You mean since 1973 when the first one flew?


Paul Lamar


Or some point in time that makes sense, like when Everett Hatch or
Tracy first flew...

Chris Cosman


Lew Ross flew a Mooney and Dave Garber flew his huff and Puff in the
early 70's. Then there was Duncan in Oklahoma selling Mazda
conversions.  Everett and Tracy where not the first to fly.

Paul Lamar

I had someone recently question my wisdom for choosing the rotary for
my design and told me there weren't very many flying and those that
are don't accumulate many hours due to the need to constantly fiddle
with them. This gentleman was a proponent of certificated engines.
Not having any hard numbers I said nothing at the time.

I would like to give him an answer. So here are my questions:

1.  How many aircraft have flown with a rotary? 2.  Of those how many
still have the rotary installed?  Meaning some people swap out the
rotary for a certificated engine after becoming frustrated. 3. About
what percentage of installs get past their teething problems in say
the first 100 hrs of flight time, not ground run time? 4.  How many
rotaries are currently flying annual to annual without major issues?
I know the experimental crowd likes to fiddle and some will make
major changes just cause they feel like it. 5.  What is the highest
time install you know of?

These are just some questions I could think of off the top of my
head. If you have other data you think is more pertinent I'd like to
hear it.

Will Aldridge


1.  How many aircraft have flown with a rotary?

My guess is well over a hundread.

2.  Of those how many still have the rotary installed?  Meaning some
people swap out the rotary for a certificated engine after becoming
frustrated.

No idea.


3.  About what percentage of installs get past their teething
problems in say the first 100 hrs of flight time, not ground run
time?

More lately since I wrote the book How to Cool Your Wankel. The major
cause of failure in the past was cooling difficulties.

4.  How many rotaries are currently flying annual to annual without
major issues?   I know the experimental crowd likes to fiddle and
some will make major changes just cause they feel like it.

My guess is dozens.

5.  What is the highest time install you know of?

2500 hours in a gyro copter used for training. Most PP's put about
only 50 hours a year or less than 100 hours per year.

A lot of people don't start until retirement age. Projects are some
times sold several times before they fly. My over all goal is to cut
the time necessary to install a rotary.

We now have a universal  motor mount kit and people to make gear
boxes and P-ports.

EFI systems can be bought from multiple sources. IMHO MoTec is the
best but expensive http://www.motec.com/

I hope to have an open source simple system soon that anybody can
program. One can also use a carb. The 500 CFM 2 barrel Holley is the
best IMHO.

Paul Lamar

That was the motivation for my question as well, a very vocal
naysayer.  Don't worry, we're still good friends.

If the list is interested, and with Paul's permission, I volunteer
to compile rotary flight hour statistics and make them available.
This will require some participation by the group of course...

Chris Cosman

Sure but not all flyers are on here. Some have quit flying.

Paul Lamar

Anyone on the list flying a rotary and willing to participate in
this contact me at cmcosman@icloud.com <mailto:cmcosman@icloud.com
<mailto:cmcosman@icloud.com <mailto:cmcosman@icloud.com . Include
pertinent things like make, model, FI or carb, redrive ratio,
electronic ignition or stock, firewall forward weight if known,
flight hours of course, year of your Mazda motor, 1 or 2 rotors.
Other fun facts might be the volume of your radiator, fuel burn @ ___
airspeed, a picture of the plane and another of the install...  or
anything else you feel; I'm just the compiler.

Chris Cosman

Chris can your Icloud host a web site?

Paul Lamar


Chris, I put together just such a database several years ago but
have not updated it lately.   It would be a good place to start for
you. Www.rotatyroster.net

David Leonard



You probably already know this but "Firefox can't find the server at
www.rotatyroster.net."


  Mark LaPierre


Try www.rotaryroster.net <http://www.rotaryroster.net>


Heikki

(Flying with Norton NR622 rotary)

Heikki, please send us some pictures.

Paul Lamar in Germany


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