Where can I get a liquid cooled Lycoming
for my Bearhawk? It's a little bit of extra weight to lug around, but
worth it to me. Others don't seem as bothered by the need to baby their
engine on a descent to avoid shock cooling, or the suicidal heating
system used in most GA aircraft (where a slight undetected crack can
lead to CO poisoning).

Del Rawlins
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

I regularly fly above 7500 feet and shock cooling problems
are fiction, NOT fact for me. In my many years of flight, I've
not personally experienced problems attributable to shock cooling.
None in many years of crop dusting, either. Cracked cylinders
are a fact of life, but shock cooling is getting a bum rap, IMO.

Either I'm astronomically lucky... or my rejection of rebuilt
cylinders that are on their umpteenth rebuild have everything
to do with it. Cylinders that have seen more than their fair share
of critical *THERMAL CYCLES* are not for me!!!

AND for me, it's not just the extra weight.
It's also the REAL ADDITIONAL FAILURE MODES.

What flight parameters does one encounter in the boondocks
of Alaska where shock cooling is a greater risk of falling out of
the sky than water pump, radiator and liquid plumbing failures...
that are not at least of equal or greater concern?

Carbon monoxide is a potential heater problem.....
for folks that do not comply with maintenance procedures.
Similar failures to comply with maintenance procedures for
liquid cooled aircraft engines present even greater/more risks.

For me...
It's all about managing risk.
That puts me in the air cooled aircraft engine class for now.
You and the other gamblers are free to pile up the stats and
prove me wrong. Until then, I'm working on my second 50 years
of flight in the least risk manner with the devil I know. g

P.S.
After all of the above ranting....
I believe there are liquid cooled cylinders available for Lycomings.
Go gettem tiger. 8-)


Barnyard BOb -- KISS - keep it simple stupid