65-70% V8 powered P-40 ??

[spacegrrrl]

Re: 65-70% V8 powered P-40 ??

Many kit planes were successfully flown with flat-4 (boxer) VW engines.

Porsche came out with a promising modified version of their flat-6 automobile engine for GA aircraft in the early 80's, but eventually cancelled it. I remember seeing a Socata (Tobago?) sporting such a motor on display on the grass just as I walked in the gates at Stead one year.


Funny. I've seen aircraft powered by Chevy 350 V-8s and cars powered by Merlin V-12s.....The lines between are blurred.

Mooney and Porsche did a joint venture and a number of aircraft were sold.

Porsche Mooney

From Wikipedia

M20L
In 1988 Mooney went to even greater lengths, partnering with Porsche to include their geared single-lever Porsche PFM 3200 N03 engine of 217 hp (162 kW) and stretching the fuselage the last time to produce the first long body M20. Most M20Ls no longer use this unique engine. M20L production ended in 1990. This model was marketed as the Mooney PFM.[11]
The M20L achieved type certification on 25 February 1988.[12]

Spacegrrrl

[Arctic Cat]

Re: 65-70% V8 powered P-40 ??

The Falconer v12 has been very successful. That engine, although a custom designed block and heads, is based on the 90* V6 from GM. The internal and electronics are all hi performance automotive parts.

http://falconerengines.com/main.php

[First time Juke]

Re: 65-70% V8 powered P-40 ??

You can scale to any size, as long as you can find a pilot small enough to fit inside. Think "horse race jockey"...

Yeah maybe a midget...but anyway the 2 seater 75% scale P-40 look still roomier than a Me-109 cockpit in 1:1 scale.

P-40 has a big spinner on it...and it looks cool. Maybe Bearcat scaled down LG to it...and laminar foil and streamlined canopy...new foam-ply-carbon wing and you save 20% in the structural weight and still able to go 600 mph ( Vne ).

Another candidate is 55% Ta-152 H1.

The 75% V-8 P-40 engine installation below.

[AirDOGGe]

Re: 65-70% V8 powered P-40 ??

Write-ups say that the (Porsche) engine was also tried on an Extra 330, a Robin DR400 and a Ruschmeyer MF-85 (never heard of the last 2 before).

I just stumbled across a website with great photos about the Porsche project that includes at least one more plane fitted with it at:
LINK: http://dedeporsche.posterous.com/fro...gines-that-fly

The Falconer v12 has been very successful. That engine, although a custom designed block and heads, is based on the 90* V6 from GM. The internal and electronics are all hi performance automotive parts.

http://falconerengines.com/main.php

I remember long ago reading of that engine was being developed well before someone decided to give one wings. It was described as being based on the classic and ultra-popular Chevy small block V8 push-rod motor, not one of their V6's.

I recall that article (in a 'hot rod'-type magazine no less) stating that the cylinder bores and cylinder spacing were identical to that of the 350, so that many cheap-to-obtain high performance car engine parts could be used instead of having to fab custom ones. The Chevy 350 was probably the most popular engine among rodders and racers.

Lemme see if I can find anything on the 'net to back me or or shoot me down (th' ol' brain cells aren't firing on as many cylinders as they use to, so i want to be sure).


(later....)

OK, I found this info on the Falconer's specs, on a 'Thunder Mustang' page no less. It doesn't list cylinder spacing bore-to-bore, but it verifies several other dimensional similarities to the small block Chevy V8:


LINK: http://www.thundermustang.com/falconer.htm


Bore = 4.125 in. / Stroke = 3.750 in. (same as the 350)
Main bearing size (Same as 400 CID Chevrolet "small block")
Rod bearing size (Same as 350 CID Chevrolet "small block")
Cam bearings (Similar to Chevrolet "small block")



Wish I could find more, but that might be enough to verify which engine the Falconer is based upon.

[First time Juke]

Re: 65-70% V8 powered P-40 ??

There is a good mathematical ground to make it 60%..it will thus be 22% of the real size in cubature. This leads to the fact that if you had 1200 hp in the 1:1 size model and 400 hp in 60% you actually have lot more power to weight ratio in it than in the real one.
22% of 1200 hp is 260 hp...so if your 60% P-40 has more than 260 hp..it is tuned up already.

60% P-40 should have 22 ft 4 in span and empty weigh no more than 1170 lbs and gross weight 1540 lbs.

M model fuselage would be 20 ft long.

[spacegrrrl]

Re: 65-70% V8 powered P-40 ??

I've been dreaming of an 85%/90% Hurricane with a automotive V-6 which I think has been pretty proven.

Spacegrrrl

[First time Juke]

Re: 65-70% V8 powered P-40 ??

I've been dreaming of an 85%/90% Hurricane with a automotive V-6 which I think has been pretty proven.

Spacegrrrl

Sure like Loehle P-40...but you cannot race with them can you ?

Long fused P-40 is definitely a good flyer at 60% scale too.

[spacegrrrl]

Re: 65-70% V8 powered P-40 ??

Sure like Loehle P-40...but you cannot race with them can you ?

Long fused P-40 is definitely a good flyer at 60% scale too.

The idea I have for the Hurricane would be big enough to be mistaken for a real one and meant to fly and enjoy but not particularly high performance. I figure that if it performs about like a 172 that would more than enough for some fun flying around making Walter Mitty machine gun noises! :-)

Spacegrrrl

[First time Juke]

Re: 65-70% V8 powered P-40 ??

Okay; http://bnrg.cs.berkeley.edu/~randy/mitty.html

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F-M1F8hVfjM

I heard Jurca planes are a nightmare to build...60% could be with new structure a bit easier. Friend o mine is building a FW-190..for about 20 years now.

[Dash]

Re: 65-70% V8 powered P-40 ??

Here are a few of the nicer scale warbirds that I know of:
P-51D -http://http://www.titanaircraft.com/t-51d.php. P-51D - http://http://www.fk-lightplanes.com...hp?ln=2&id_g=2
P-51B - http://http://www.titanaircraft.com/t-51b.php

Super Tucano - http://http://www.flyinglegend.it/20...ucano-replica/

Spitfire - http://http://spitfiremk26.blogspot.com/?m=0

Hurricane - http://http://www.flyinglegend.it/20...icane-replica/

[First time Juke]

Re: 65-70% V8 powered P-40 ??

Dash those links need one http// removed before they load.

Here is a 70% scale R/C model...pretty neat 1000 cc engine.

http://www.metacafe.com/watch/812611/huge_70_r_c_plane_to_big_to_fly_legally_in_us/

[First time Juke]

Re: 65-70% V8 powered P-40 ??

I bet you'd be able to do it in 50% too with 70 hp Hirt 2-stroke 2 cylinder inline engine ( inverted positioned ).

http://www.recpower.com/hirth.htm

http://www.geocities.ws/joehuntleyus/p403view-2.html

If you wanna be the real "McCoy" then even the 28 hp inverted and in 45%scale ( fixed gear )...as hyper lite structure. Possibly some extent an artistic freedom could be considered in cockpit arrangement for 230 lbs and 6'4'' pilots.

Dash attach this to your list; http://www.seas.ucla.edu/~osmith/s51/