• Welcome aboard HomebuiltAirplanes.com, your destination for connecting with a thriving community of more than 10,000 active members, all passionate about home-built aviation. Dive into our comprehensive repository of knowledge, exchange technical insights, arrange get-togethers, and trade aircrafts/parts with like-minded enthusiasts. Unearth a wide-ranging collection of general and kit plane aviation subjects, enriched with engaging imagery, in-depth technical manuals, and rare archives.

    For a nominal fee of $99.99/year or $12.99/month, you can immerse yourself in this dynamic community and unparalleled treasure-trove of aviation knowledge.

    Embark on your journey now!

    Click Here to Become a Premium Member and Experience Homebuilt Airplanes to the Fullest!

Search results

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
  1. F

    cooling fans

    Yes, two outlets from water pump housing. I did try switching hoses in case the 90 degree boss on the housing were restricting flow. No significant difference as confirmed by relative flow through return hoses. 5/8" hoses to rads, 3/4" hoses from rads. I guess looking for 120F air delta. Won't...
  2. F

    cooling fans

    Already did that. Don't like having to fill reservoir. Also doesn't seem to work well. Probably due to no/little flow through rads at idle.
  3. F

    cooling fans

    Parallel. Did a big investigation (static and pitot tubes in return hoses) and got satisfied that flow through each rad was within 5% or less and sufficient. I think about 50 GPM at 2,600 RPM.
  4. F

    cooling fans

    Thermodynamic formulas. Yes, that's where I need help. A hot and humid Florida day, but not so hot and humid that I don't want to get into the cockpit and melt. What would that be? 95F and 50% humidity? 210F coolant temps before rads would be OK. Edit: unless someone here takes pity on me, I...
  5. F

    cooling fans

    Thanks skydawg. Tried pencil cam inside duct. Yes, gets turbulent at climb attitudes. Spent many hours trying to tweak duct shape and had finally improved left rad to get close to right rad coolant returns. After reading about vanes I added the # vanes to the right rad (first card board then...
  6. F

    cooling fans

    I think I need help calculating how many CFM the fan needs to pull I'm seeing about 1 GPH at 1,600 RPM idle, about 1.5 GPH at 2,000 RPM. That's between 114,000 and 171,000 BTUs per hour or 1,900 to 2,850 BTUs/min. An old chart about the rotary shows heat to be rejected by coolant is about...
  7. F

    cooling fans

    Thank you, but definitely not what I had in mind. Looks like that center (motor?) would block just about all of the rad surface. Also was thinking that much narrower blades would block flow less. Then there's the price! But I do appreciate you looking for me. If that is the commonly available...
  8. F

    cooling fans

    That's what I'm beginning to think. Looks like you could get rid of the grille for slightly less drag through it. Unfortunately so far, I've been unable to find a 7" diameter fan with narrow blades.
  9. F

    cooling fans

    7" x 7" and 4" deep (thick). Yep, I've reached same conclusion. Thus looking for fan. When I was designing the engine installation that was definitely on my mind. What made me decide on rad in cowl cheeks was that I wanted air flow over exhaust manifold and exhaust pipe. Yes could have made a...
  10. F

    cooling fans

    So,, after reading about the steering vanes last year I installed vanes in a # shape in the right radiator inlet duct and saw about a 5*F temp drop in coolant return temps relative to the left rad's. Still measuring air pressure at five points immediately in front of rads: 1" from each corner...
  11. F

    Perfect Rivets

    It's not that the sleeve dented the skin. It's that it didn't do anything to keep the set in place on the rivet. But, yes, unless the area where the set transitions from metal to rubber is properly machined, the rubber is useless as could could get dents at that transition. In any case, if...
  12. F

    Perfect Rivets

    A rivet squeezer is nice whether handheld or pneumatic because you can set it to the correct size of the shop head. Having said that, I built my first RV-3 using an old 3x rivet gun. And there will be places where throat is not long enough to reach. I do prefer flat head rivets (dimpled skin...
  13. F

    Primer on 4130

    Alodine on steel????
  14. F

    Batteries - earthX vs Odyssey

    There has been multiple threads on VAF about PC680 quality. It may or may not be true that quality has dropped over recent years. Hard to tell because I think that most original posters have had problems whereas people with problem free PC680s would be less likely to post. Then there is abuse...
  15. F

    Engine debate and choices?

    principals ? https://www.merriam-webster.com/grammar/principal-vs-principle-usage
  16. F

    Thinking about developing a new engine for GA, but looking for a bit of feedback before starting.

    That appears to compare jet fuel with gasoline? Completely irrelevant to my flying (certainly less than 18,000' and mostly below 12500'). Staying happy with 87 MoGas. Finn
  17. F

    Thinking about developing a new engine for GA, but looking for a bit of feedback before starting.

    First time I've seen that. Please don't tell my engines that. What do you mean by "altitude"? Finn
  18. F

    Automotive engine weight database

    By including complete engine mount (FWF), oil, coolant and cowling, prop and spinner, my estimated 380 pounds probably appears misleadingly high. As for HP I think 160-190 is more realistic for my installation. I guess the 238 HP in the spreadsheet comes from the RX-8 car specs? Finn RV-4...
  19. F

    Horrible news from Vans Aircraft

    I had the same thought. However, I would imagine that a crack could propagate along the line of rivets. But again, what is new here in testing and research is that fatigue cracks do not originate at dimpled laser-cut holes manufacturing cracks and when originating elsewhere propagate around and...
  20. F

    Horrible news from Vans Aircraft

    Maybe Vans is right in their "overabundance of caution" that I've criticized. (Recommending replacement of parts in primary structure and control-related parts.)
Back
Top