[simpits-tech] Need a plan

[Bubba]

Matt Bailey wrote:
>
> I was thinking more of the intended use..........look at the average
> automatic-tranny family sedan (or probably any van or Sorry Urban
> Vehicle as well). Most of the time it's barely over idle...ever notice the 
> tach
> in a car with auto? It's pretty ridiculous to see it stay within like a 
> 400rpm
> range, going between like 1200 and 1600 or so. And once the car gets going 
> it
> doesn't need much power. RPM rarely gets close to redline. Compare
> this to an aircraft engine where you have to constantly throw out
> large amounts of torque at RPM's close to redline. I dunno, I think if you 
> do it right
> you'll be fine, I'd just look into aviation-grade blocks first to see if
> anything would work. If it were me I'd feel a lot better with that setup.

My Camaro cruises at about 2300 RPM with roughly the same redline as the 
Corvair's motor, but it has overdrive and the 'Vair didn't (Powerglide). If 
I was to take a guess I'd say the Corvair cruised at about 3000 RPM. I'll 
have to ask my dad, he owned one before I was born. I vaguely remember him 
saying something about the engine looking like it belonged in an airplane 
once. I'll be doing a ton of homework before I get to that point, though.

Funny thing is that the Corvair engine actually weighs LESS than an O-200 
(comparing firewall forward packages). Makes more power on less gas, too :)

> Oooh, sounds awesome. I guess when you say it's too small for "2
> people", you really mean it's too small for two of you. ;) How about cup 
> holders?
> Small freezer? Microwave? :)

A Cessna 150 couldn't hold two of me ;) I'm not all that wide, but I'm tall 
and dense. I'm thinking that building the cockpit slightly narrower than on 
the plans and leaving my seat on the left side will leave room on the right 
for baggage right over the CG and a spot for a cupholder, laptop tray, etc. 
Freezer? Open the canopy at 10k feet and 200 mph and it'll get plenty cold 
;) No need for a microwave when you have an intake manifold!

> Good luck...MSFS is an awesome program but its flight model is
> kludge'ness incarnate.

Yup, it's a pain in the ass to make a plane in there. I built a rough .air 
file based on an RV-4 and the engine won't spin a 52" prop past 2400 RPM no 
matter how hard you try. That engine should spin that prop at well over 3500 
RPM

> If you really want to get a ballpark figure of how your plane is
> gonna fly and what kind of performance to expect, experiment with 
> different
> airfoils, etc, X-Plane would be a better choice.

I built a panel in XP, but since I can't find the CD to reinstall it (no 
idea why the thing won't work now) I'm pretty much screwed. I'm not really 
wanting to test the plane, just figure out the layout of the panel and, 
eventually, handle the sim. I only have 6.21 and would rather have all the 
pretty graphics, but 6.21 will run fine on a slower machine so I don't have 
to put a monitor switchbox on this one.
-- 
Steve
mysticz28 at swbell.net
He who seeks will find, and he who knocks will be let in.