Lightest Unlimiteds

[Jeff Ackland]

Re: Lightest Unlimiteds

The problem with the Koenigsegg engine is it does not make enough power at the correct RPM. Sure you could build a gearbox that would allow it to run peak horsepower at 7000rpm, but there is no way it would last a race let alone race week.

Check out the power curve below. As you can see, at 4000 RPM it is only putting out about 400hp.



http://www.0-60mag.com/0-60Legacy/20...tive-supercar/

This engine is a bit mundane compared to the Koenigsegg but the price is much more reasonable I imagine. It's a 402 cid LS engine, normally aspirated. Installed in the P85 airframe it should make for a fun Sport Class racer with the added plus of 2 seat, every day flier qualities and utility.





Jeff

[First time Juke]

Re: Lightest Unlimiteds

This engine is a bit mundane compared to the Koenigsegg but the price is much more reasonable I imagine. It's a 402 cid LS engine, normally aspirated. Installed in the P85 airframe it should make for a fun Sport Class racer with the added plus of 2 seat, every day flier qualities and utility.

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Jeff

How wide is it at the top ?

Looks like a very healthy engine.

[Race5]

Re: Lightest Unlimiteds

Only about 50 lbs a side compared to the Falconer and the V12 makes 600hp. As for the radiators, boil off. What is the hp of the 580?

The airplane barely had enough room for fuel. How are you going to get anywhere near enough fluid capacity for two boilers?!

[Jeff Ackland]

Re: Lightest Unlimiteds

How wide is it at the top ?

Looks like a very healthy engine.

Not sure which dimension you are asking about, but front view of the engine has standard LS3 dimensions

Jeff.

[Arctic Cat]

Re: Lightest Unlimiteds

The airplane barely had enough room for fuel. How are you going to get anywhere near enough fluid capacity for two boilers?!

Or 2 engines that are twice the size!

While I applaud the effort put forth by the pond racer, it's not where I would want to start a new design air racer project from.

Several Sport class racers have many more laps over 400mph than the Pond racer.

[wyhdah]

Re: Lightest Unlimiteds

The airplane barely had enough room for fuel. How are you going to get anywhere near enough fluid capacity for two boilers?!

Well it had radiators didn't it? Were they not in the rear of the dual empennage? Why would a boil off system not go back there?

http://www.flightglobal.com/airspace/media/galleries/images/6077/500x400/scaled-composites-pond-racer-cutaway.jpg

Oh and since we are dreaming. I would probably just run methanol in the motors and have few worries about the engine temps.

[First time Juke]

Re: Lightest Unlimiteds

Not sure which dimension you are asking about, but front view of the engine has standard LS3 dimensions

Jeff.

628 mm is the width of a big V-8 engine ( in frontal view )...not bad.

[Race5]

Re: Lightest Unlimiteds

Well it had radiators didn't it? Were they not in the rear of the dual empennage? Why would a boil off system not go back there?

http://www.flightglobal.com/airspace/media/galleries/images/6077/500x400/scaled-composites-pond-racer-cutaway.jpg

Oh and since we are dreaming. I would probably just run methanol in the motors and have few worries about the engine temps.

The boiler tank and heat exchanger might fit, but you still have to have a $%# load of fluid for the system. A boiler is a total loss system and requires coolant to be replaced as it boils off. As for methanol, that is what the Pond racer used for fuel. That is what lead to the fuel capacity problem as as you must burn around twice as much methanol as gasoline to get the same power.

[First time Juke]

Re: Lightest Unlimiteds

628 mm x 730 mm sized V-8 engine puts out 751 hp...when normally aspirating !

http://www.hotrod.com/techarticles/engine/hrdp_0712_blown_alky_ls/alcohol_injection.html

[Samuel]

Re: Lightest Unlimiteds

628 mm x 730 mm sized V-8 engine puts out 751 hp...when normally aspirating !

http://www.hotrod.com/techarticles/e...injection.html

That is one sweet engine! Once again though, it makes its peak 751hp at a screaming 6700 RPM and only makes 460hp at 4000 RPM. In my unprofessional opinion there is no way it would hold together for a week at Reno at 6700 RPM.

Dyno chart here:
http://www.hotrod.com/techarticles/e.../photo_19.html

If you have the time, take a look through the work these guys have done with car engines in aircraft. http://www.epi-eng.com/aircraft_engi...s_contents.htm

[wyhdah]

Re: Lightest Unlimiteds

The boiler tank and heat exchanger might fit, but you still have to have a $%# load of fluid for the system. A boiler is a total loss system and requires coolant to be replaced as it boils off. As for methanol, that is what the Pond racer used for fuel. That is what lead to the fuel capacity problem as as you must burn around twice as much methanol as gasoline to get the same power.

Yes using the figures for the larger engine like the Merlin, it would take about 23 gallons a side of fluid depending on whether you boiled off he oil cooler. Which I don't know why you wouldn't. The Merlin at 2300hp takes around 7 gallons a minute for the engine and oil so a 600 hp motor would work out to about 2 at race power. Maybe more wing area and the offset for the heavier motors would free up room for fuel and boil off fluid. On the current course longer wings might help. Just spitballing.

[First time Juke]

Re: Lightest Unlimiteds

That is one sweet engine! Once again though, it makes its peak 751hp at a screaming 6700 RPM and only makes 460hp at 4000 RPM. In my unprofessional opinion there is no way it would hold together for a week at Reno at 6700 RPM.

Dyno chart here:
http://www.hotrod.com/techarticles/e.../photo_19.html

If you have the time, take a look through the work these guys have done with car engines in aircraft. http://www.epi-eng.com/aircraft_engi...s_contents.htm

Excellent find...I figure 4500 rpm is enuf to beat all Pond Racer records....ie fly at 400 mph + speeds.

[IcePaq]

Re: Lightest Unlimiteds

This engine pictured made enough horsepower to take all 3 spots on the podium at indy. for 10 years in a row.

That's 500 miles with race horsepower adjustable up to near 1000hp.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XAXPuOef_wQ

The trophy trucks that run Baja and the mint 400 put out around 900hp and take abuse for hundreds of miles of the type shown in the video link but, again, the frontal area is around the same as for a merlin.

The best engineers in the world did their best work ever when engines such as the merlin were designed because the future of the world was at stake.

That's some pretty intense motivation.

To improve upon a merlin, a completely new engine would have to be built with astronomical costs but people such as Nelson Racing engines, have the technology to do just that so we may see a merlin replacement once someone decides to make the investment.

[First time Juke]

Re: Lightest Unlimiteds

The best engineers in the world did their best work ever when engines such as the merlin were designed because the future of the world was at stake.

That's some pretty intense motivation.

To improve upon a merlin, a completely new engine would have to be built with astronomical costs but people such as Nelson Racing engines, have the technology to do just that so we may see a merlin replacement once someone decides to make the investment.

Merlin was and is pretty spectacular with just 28 litre displacement...finns had to rely on nazi help in form of Me-109s and they had an engine of 36 litre cubature with less punch.

1000 hp is a lot...I wonder if 6 litre LQ9 with a super charger could do 1000 hp + ?

[IcePaq]

Re: Lightest Unlimiteds

We're putting down near 1400hp (actually a lot more but 1400 is our claim) from a LSX motor with a C5R block and two turbos and it seems ok with back to back 27 second mile standing mile runs but that's still a whole lot less than a reno heat.

Power is easy but managing heat that comes with the power for long periods of time takes a lot more engineering.