The International Cessna^® 170 Association

Anyone that would try to put a turbo supercharger on a C-145/O-300 engine is the kind of guy that would, just for kicks, dose his grandfather with Viagra.

Great analogy Blueldr, it would (entendre intended) also keep the old fella from rolling out of bed in the middle of the night.......

........and both Grandpa and the O-300 will suffer the same fate from over boosting!

Anyone that would try to put a turbo supercharger on a C-145/O-300 engine is the kind of guy that would, just for kicks, dose his grandfather with Viagra.

Speaking as a guy who is an old musclecar fan, and used to make 2-stroke Gas-powered Blenders, (Margaritas while camping, anyone ? ) Id love to be able to have the time, money, and resources to "hotrod" aircraft engines.

It was said earlier how aircraft engines spend most of their life at 75% power, and therefore have a shorter lifespan than car engines. While that is true, just think how easy it would be to tune an engine that is designed to run at only a specific rpm ? You could tailor a cam profile, and not have to sacrifice torque for HP, or vice-versa.

A big problem I see is that you are looking for relatively low-rpm, high torque output, and in order to get that kind of performance, you typically need a large displacement engine. (read HEAVY) Smaller engines, similar to something like a Honda CBR1000RR Motorcycle engine, producing over 170 horsepower, would be great except for the fact that they spin at such high rpms... A 502 Chevy would produce great power, but would weigh far too much for typical GA aircraft, unless it was a complete aluminum block & heads, and even then... For that matter, take a page from the Diamond Twin-Star, and make a compact diesel engine for aircraft !

The more I learn about experimental aircraft, the more intrigued I am. Im still fuzzy about the reason why more people dont fly EXP. Why wouldnt you, unless you were looking for a total "get-in-and-turn-the-key" type plane, or were using the plane for hire ? (I cant really say that, cause Im still looking for the elusive 170B...)

Sorry to throw-up all over this post... Just blowing off steam !

Hasta ~

take a page from the Diamond Twin-Star, and make a compact diesel engine for aircraft

I happened to see this in a motorcycle magazine last week. Using two crankshafts they claim to have taken out much of the vibration inherent in a diesel. It appears they are thinking of marketing it for the sport aircraft market. The three cylinder, 200 h.p. version would work nice in a 170! http://www.neander-motors.com/company/index_en.php

http://www.neander-motors.com/company/index_en.php
Now, let's take a short look into the future. In 2010, gasoline engines will be fazed out completely in the field of sports aviation, and replaced with low-flammable fuels.

Gasoline carries a number of incalculable dangers, which is why it will be prohibited for use in private aviation.

I wish someone would have told me about this!

http://www.neander-motors.com/company/index_en.php
Diesel fuel is also much easier to obtain in harbor areas.

Methinks they be full of themselves. I have a boat. I've taken it into many marinas and a few harbors. I've never seen a marina that dispensed fuel that handled only diesel. But I've seen many that handled only gasoline. Of course, that's in a marina that handles small boats...not a big ship...but their engine is specifically directed at the small "boat" and outboard motor market.

While it's a cool demo video...I can't help but wonder how a piston driving two crankshafts and gearing, and using two conrods and two piston pins, that drive those two cranks thru angles that throw away a lot of kinetic energy to the sides...all of which appears to at least double the friction surface points, with double the complexity of the lower unit...will develop more power than one driving a single crank, which would seem to have at least half the friction of the double crank. Seems less efficient in that regard to me.

Methinks they be full of themselves. I have a boat. I've taken it into many marinas and a few harbors. I've never seen a marina that dispensed fuel that handled only diesel. But I've seen many that handled only gasoline. Of course, that's in a marina that handles small boats...not a big ship...but their engine is specifically directed at the small "boat" and outboard motor market.

While it's a cool demo video...I can't help but wonder how a piston driving two crankshafts and gearing, and using two conrods and two piston pins, that drive those two cranks thru angles that throw away a lot of kinetic energy to the sides...all of which appears to at least double the friction surface points, with double the complexity of the lower unit...will develop more power than one driving a single crank, which would seem to have at least half the friction of the double crank. Seems less efficient in that regard to me.

Good point. Sounds like those engines of the future they had in Popular Science magazine back in the '50's and '60's.
Anyone remember the Airel Square Four?

Yep! Ihad a Square Four back in '41 when I worked for Lockheed down in Burbank, Calif. The damn thing ran the rear cylinders pretty hot, but it would go like a stripped ape!