Battson
Well-Known Member
So, I am looking around at Bearhawks, and I notice something...
Almost all Bearhawk's have the air intake (and filter) underneath the cowl, housed in a protruding box like this (as designed by Bob Barrows):
But then I see this one, which doesn't have the protruding air intake....
The builder seems to have used a small inlet tube under the spinner:
I just can't see that little hole in the cowl letting in enough air, on its own.
Maybe more air is ducted through this little port you can just make out, although I expect that's the oil cooler.
So my question is - would this arrangement inhibit the airflow to the engine? Surely there is an internal filter, and extra ducting to get the air to the manifold. That all adds friction and reduces air pressure, I would expect it to starve the engine of air...?
This aircraft runs a IO-540X (300hp), does the fact its an injected engine change the mass flow requirements for ram air into the intake manifold?? I figured more hp needs more airflow...
Personally, I like the streamlined look without the external air filter (I like the yellow one, just not the small tires :grin
. But I am not sure how they've achieved it, and it seems like there must be some penalty in terms of engine performance?
Can an engine expert please lay some wisdom on me?
Almost all Bearhawk's have the air intake (and filter) underneath the cowl, housed in a protruding box like this (as designed by Bob Barrows):
But then I see this one, which doesn't have the protruding air intake....
The builder seems to have used a small inlet tube under the spinner:
I just can't see that little hole in the cowl letting in enough air, on its own.
Maybe more air is ducted through this little port you can just make out, although I expect that's the oil cooler.
So my question is - would this arrangement inhibit the airflow to the engine? Surely there is an internal filter, and extra ducting to get the air to the manifold. That all adds friction and reduces air pressure, I would expect it to starve the engine of air...?
This aircraft runs a IO-540X (300hp), does the fact its an injected engine change the mass flow requirements for ram air into the intake manifold?? I figured more hp needs more airflow...
Personally, I like the streamlined look without the external air filter (I like the yellow one, just not the small tires :grin
. But I am not sure how they've achieved it, and it seems like there must be some penalty in terms of engine performance?Can an engine expert please lay some wisdom on me?
