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Old January 26th 06, 07:52 PM posted to rec.aviation.homebuilt
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Default Corvair conversion engines

On Wed, 25 Jan 2006 19:47:08 -0500, "Morgans"
wrote:


"Peter Dohm" wrote

Interesting. I had assumed they were originally flying with 80HP or less,
but had no idea it was that much less. Thanks.


You could find many people that would argue that low of a HP figure. I
think your 80 is closer, and in might be a few more than that.



Original flying corvairs were the little engine - 145 cu inch, IIRC,
producing 128 ft lb gross torque at 2300 RPM. So, at 2300, 56 hp.
If run at 2700 rpm, torque approx 125 ft lb, and 64 hp.

The 164 inch engines produced up to 160 ft lb torque at 2600 or 2800
rpm depending on the engine, for 80 hp at 2600, or 85 at 2800. Mine
produces 90 at 3000.

With a fancy cam and a bit of rework they will put out closer to 170
ft lb - and at 3200 RPM with a small prop, that is 103 hp almost 115
at 3500 rpm. The factory 140 hp engine supposedly produced 140hp at
5200 rpm and 160 max torque at 3600. That means the torque dropped off
to 140 at 5200. The 110 does not breathe nearly as well at speed, so
the 14% torqe drop of the 140 would be more like 20% on a 110 - or 122
ft lbs at 5200 for 120 hp if you ran a 2:1 PSRU for a 2600rpm prop.
And that's being optimistic.

Assuming 170 peak torque at 3000 RPM (likely pretty close with OT10
cam and properly prepared for aircraft use) it is pretty close to a
100 hp engine .For the extra 10 HP there is a couple hundred dollars
worth of Camshaft etc required over and above what I've got -so I'm
satisfied, so far, with what I've got. We'll see what 90 HP does in a
Pegazair when we get it together.

My engine has 180 degree equal length headers and a short smooth equal
length intake with a 50mm carb, and it's a 140 based engine, so it
breaths a bit better than a "stock" 110 at 3000 RPM