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Lets Build a Lightweight Type 4

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Marc W

Well-Known Member
Joined
Mar 31, 2017
Messages
1,234
Location
Colorado
A fellow EAA member offered to give me a VW engine since I fly a VW powered plane. It was in a black garbage bag when I picked it up and I didn't look at it since he was in a hurry. I expected it to be a bug engine but it turned out to be a 1700cc Type 4. My CX4 has a 2180 VW that was originally built by Scott Casler. It is a good engine except it oozes oil in several places. It does perform well but we always want more! When I bought the plane my field elevation was 76' MSL. Now my home field is at 5,200' MSL and I often fly at 12,000' to clear the surrounding terrain so more HP would not be a bad thing!

I read everything here on Type 4's. Most of it is rumor and opinion and some of it just doesn't make any sense. The only hard facts I came up with is that Limbach made engines based on the Type 4. The conventional wisdom is that the Type 4 is to heavy and to expensive. But nobody has actually built and flown one!

The fact is the Type 4 can be built with a much larger displacement than a Type 1. I think that can justify a little heavier engine. There seems to be parts available for the Type 4. I don't know what it would cost to build a Type 4 but even if it is more than a Type 1 it could well be justified since you can build a significantly bigger engine.

"Weight is the enemy"! I couldn't find much on Type 4 engine weights. One source said a long block weighs about 142 lbs. Mark Langford said his proposed Type 4 would weigh about 225, presumably with electric start and he also intended to use an extended prop shaft housing like Wittmans V-Witt. That had to add significant weight.

More later.
 
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