What is ships company? I Googled it but it just says it comprises all the officers, NCOs, and such of a ship...?
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Hell Is Spending Two Months In A Cessna That Never Lands
- Thread starter nittany03
- Start date
The distinction is all in the preposition:
Ship's company is of a ship;
everyone else (Air Wing/Det) is just on a ship.
It's a little more nuanced than that. Continentals and Lycomings have the same issues...if they aren't used, they corrode, which causes wear. There are also tests that allow you to do a health check on the engine like bore-scoping or doing a "wobble test." Using oil preservatives can also help.
They are an ancient design and could desperately use an efficiency update. But even more modern engines like Rans or a fuel-injected engine with FADECs can still fail.
Now, all that said, if I was silly rich, I'd rather fly with a turbine, but that's just not my reality.
GroundPounder
Well-Known Member
I have heard of people putting small-block Chevy's into some of those smaller planes as well. Also into boats
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I have heard of people putting small-block Chevy's into some of those smaller planes as well. Also into boats
There's a company that's been working to get a Corvette engine certified in a C-172. They've been flying it for several years and it's apparently been bulletproof. It burns auto fuel, gets better fuel burn, and has more power. Unfortunately the FAA has been dragging their feet and won't return phone calls now.
Chevy LS “crate” engines are running in several experimental aircraft and have a very good reputation.
GroundPounder
Well-Known Member
I have heard of people putting small-blkck Chevy's into some of those smaller planes as well. Also into boats
Late 80s attempt to gain a foothold with a modified Porsche 911 flat 6.
Their project with Mooney was not able to withstand the demise of the GA scene in the early 90s and Porsche surrendered their type certificate in 2007.
Does the FAA just not want an auto engine in an airplane?
It’s just not a priority for them, and it’s not a simple “approved” stamp for something like this. The FAA is frequently overtasked with other work and “whistle blower” calls, and there isn’t enough money in the piston market for manufacturers to push for certification of a new engine (which is major $$$ and time).
Honestly, auto engines are heavy, complex, and not designed to be operated at a significant fraction of their available horsepower continuously for most of their life. I’m skeptical that- as designed- they could be anything but a novelty for GA.
Liquid-cooled and/or diesel engines designed for aviation on the other hand…I think there’s decent potential there, it just needs (a lot) of R&D and certification cash, and the new piston sales market remains pretty small.
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Agreed. Or Mogas STC.
Sure. But I don’t think all the big bangers have an STC available. And until you have widespread mogas at airports, only weekend brunch and lunch little guys can make much use of it. I only need to dump in about 10 gal at a time, and cans are a PITA on a high wing plane.
Yep. I agree. Jet A is a cleaner solution- there just aren’t many certified diesels out there yet. I think piston aviation is in for a rough time, unfortunately.