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  1. S

    What determines VNE?

    There are structural considerations, like the minimum thickness of fabric covering and the pitch of rib stitching on wings and control surfaces. The max speed that landing gear doors and fairings can withstand before being ripped from the structure. When will windows / canopy fail? Some info is...
  2. S

    Alternative woods.

    I wonder about Poplar. It grows all over the place around Washington, and has similar properties to spruce, as the original poster stated. I've cut down a few, they seem to be tall, straight grained, and no / few lower branches. With logs up to 24" diameter, there should be some good wood for...
  3. S

    Need for a manifold air pressure gauge?

    In a fast airplane with fixed pitch prop, like a VAN's a T-18 or a Bushby Mustang, a manifold pressure gauge is very useful. Once you are flying above about 160 MPH, the prop speed (RPM) does not decrease very much with a reduction of throttle. The manifold pressure gauge moves a lot before you...
  4. S

    New Build V-12

    Hi Ross! I sent you a PM on my 13BT progress.
  5. S

    New Build V-12

    Now that I'm flying my Mazda Rotary powered RV-8, I'm thinking about a BMW M73 powered project. Possibly a steel tube monoplane along the lines of a DR-109, but more cross-country. Has there been any further development with this engine? I'm thinking of the single overhead cam version. I've...
  6. S

    Who Said The Mazda Rotary Engine Was Gone For Good??? It WILL BE BACK IN 4 YEARS !!!

    Re: Who Said The Mazda Rotary Engine Was Gone For Good??? It WILL BE BACK IN 4 YEARS I have a slightly ported 13B turbo in an RV-8. I do not yet have an intercooler or a wastegate, I decided to try without for starters. DemoDan's Uncle's comments seem about right, based on my experience so far...
  7. S

    Rotary diesel?

    The C-W, John Deere, Rotary Power International SCORE 580 engine was a diesel direct injected Wankel Rotary engine. It was intended to have a high power to weight ratio for use in battle tanks. It lost funding during the military cut backs of the Clinton Administration. Here is a link to a...
  8. S

    Rotary engine breakthrough (?)

    I was talked into opening up the upper spark plug hole (trailing plug) to improve redundant combustion in the event of a leading ignition failure. It may have been responsible for a compression stroke detonation that blew out the side of the case. The pressurized flame from combustion can jump...
  9. S

    American pilot shown footage of him crashing his WWII spitifre for the first time

    That's a compelling 'watch'. It really brings our history and our great parents into focus.
  10. S

    O-200, O-300 Spark plugs

    I know this is an old topic, but I do have something to add. I tried to fit the Autolite 2223 shielded spark plug (commonly used in military generators) to the Lycoming O-290 in my Thorp T-18. The aircraft style spark plug leads, from the Bendix Magneto don't fit. The diameter of the ceramic...
  11. S

    hanger door construction

    What's with the expensive and difficult lifting doors? I built rolling doors that run on 3/4 angle iron track. My 4 door panels are 14' high and 12.6' wide. made of 2" square steel thin wall tube welded, with colored steel building siding attached with siding screws. The weight is on the ground...
  12. S

    Why not Aluminum tubing instead of Steel?

    I was thinking that a builder would buy (from a vendor) a piece or pieces of detacouple meeting a specification (with documentation), trim to size and weld to the steel tube forward fuselage structure. Then weld the aluminum aft fuselage & empanage structure to the aluminum side of the...
  13. S

    Why not Aluminum tubing instead of Steel?

    rv6ejguy; Sorry to have misled you, the term is detacouple. http://dynamicmaterials.mpahosting.com/jdownloads/White Papers/1._sname_paper_2-04.pdf This link has a graphic presentation that explains it. For example a few pieces could (possibly) join steel to aluminum in the longerons if you...
  14. S

    Why not Aluminum tubing instead of Steel?

    The US Navy had some frigates built in Seattle in the 1980s. The hulls were steel, and the deck houses aluminum. They were joined by welding a strip of (sp?) Datacouple to the steel deck, then welding the house to it. This stuff is strips of explosively welded aluminum-to-steel, so the steel...
  15. S

    Why not Aluminum tubing instead of Steel?

    A composite airframe might be acceptable; (as in more than one type of metal tube) 4130 for engine mount and spar attach, cabin, crash protected areas, and tubular aluminum rear fuselage and empanage. The aft section of a 4130 fuse frequently has nested tubes with fishmouth welds. This way...
  16. S

    Why not Aluminum tubing instead of Steel?

    Starting a new trend is always hard. You could design a aluminum tube and fabric aircraft, but unknowns would dictate caution in the structure, which means extra weight. It takes many evolutions to get to within a few points of optimal. I just looked at a bare Pitts S1 fuselage. It's simply...
  17. S

    Most common 4130 tube size in aircraft construction.

    Crop dusters, by their nature, have a lot of accidents. A lot of effort has gone into making them safer. I'm fininshing an RV-8 now, and I fly a Thorp T-18. But the plane I design in my head is a welded steel tube structure, with lots of attention paid to crash worthiness. Bellanca Vikings are...
  18. S

    Most Beautiful Aircraft Ever Built

    With due respect to all the Golden Age Classics, the most Beautiful Aircraft Ever Built is this one.
  19. S

    O-200, O-300 Spark plugs

    I"m reposting the Autolite Spark plug "Big Chart". This chart is hard to find, and describes the different sizes, reaches, heat ranges, etc. against Autolite's spark plug offerings. I found it on a Neatherlands hot rodder's site: AUTOLITE.NL BOUGIES VOOR USA AUTO / OLDTIMER. When you get to his...
  20. S

    Converting an existing biplane design to a neo classic monoplane

    SVSUSteve has a valid point about design review. I have downloaded Ramer's design program, but it is so much to learn. I'm thinking about attending some design syposiums to get a toe hold on the concept. I know that's more than the golden age designers had, but some of their planes crashed. I'm...
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