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Engine

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rv8pilotpaul

Active Member
Anybody mount an engine yet? Mine is on order from Lycoming but on hold. I've got the Lord mounts but can't figure how they go on!
 
Gemini Diesel Engine?

Anyone seen the Gemini Diesel 125 hp? Based on the specs of the 200HP does anyone thing that would be viable for the RV 14? See specs below, seems like it will fit and weight would be reasonable if it was moved forward a few inches, maybe using a heavier prop. I have an email in to them to see what the weight is fully built and with coolant, not sure if water cooled or air. BSFC is 0.36 which is really good and should beat IO 390 by at least 20% in efficiency at cruise. Also turbocharged so what it lacks by a few hp will be made up at altitude.

Dimensions IO-390
Length: 30.70 in (780 mm)
Width: 34.25 in (870 mm)
Height: 19.35 in (491 mm)
Weight: 308 lbs

Dimensions Gemini 200
Length: 28.54 in
Width: 28.74.34 in
Height: 16.34 in
Weight: 276 lbs
 
Sure - I've seen the mock-up of the small Gemini at SnF. at that time, they were hoping to have an engine available to a couple of OEM's by the end of the year (they weren't specific on which year ;) ) for initial integration and flight testing. The larger engines are conceptual at this time.

If you want a flying -14 soon, I think you want spark ignition....
 
ddaniels1 said:
Also turbocharged so what it lacks by a few hp will be made up at altitude.
Click to expand...

75 HP is a lot more than a few (by my standards anyway)

One of the major reasons RV's are such great performing airplanes is because of the power to weight ration that they typically have.

Having a turbo to normalize the power at altitude, so that you have similar power available for cruise would probably provide somewhat similar cruise performance to the bigger HP engine , but you would still be down 75 HP for takeoff and low altitude climb. In this flight mode it would probably be hard pressed to perform as well as a C-172.
 
Correction

See my post. The 125 is the current model, the specs I gave are for the 200hp model which they say will be in production by 2017. Only 10 hp less than the io-390 :)
 
Ok, 200 HP is enough power for good performance (the RV-14 tail dragger prototype is flying great with 200 HP) but there is absolutely no benefit to using a diesel unless you live in a part of the world that traditional avgas is not available. Then it has huge value, but you will still be paying dearly for that benefit.... all of the new diesel engines developed for aviation so far have been quite a bit more expensive than what is currently available. If this engine ever makes it to market it is likely to be no different.
 
rvbuilder2002 said:
there is absolutely no benefit to using a diesel unless you live in a part of the world that traditional avgas is not available.
Click to expand...

I guess it depends on what you think is going to be available to replace 100ll, what this new replacement fuel will cost, and if this diesel will run on Jet-A.
 
The Gemini non-turbo charged 100 HP variant is supposed to retail for $24,900. If the 200 HP version sells for less than $30,000 it would be viable from a cost perspective. In my opinion the Genini is the only diesel that makes sense in the experimental market due to it's size, weight and horizontal cylinder configuration. The in-line four cycle, four cylinder diesel engines require larger cowlings and weigh too much.
 
Yea, the next few years will be very interesting IRT engine/fuel combinations. I was glad to see that the 14 will be plumbed for return fuel lines. I am thinking about a Titan 370 or a superior XP-400 with EFII. According to both companies, both engines can run on MOGAS and have the same footprint as an angle valve 360. However, I'm years away from making an engine choice (hopefully the smoke will clear out by then).
 
Mounting is easy . . . but don't tell anyone.

I mounted my (7 - parallel ) mount to the engine before adding to the plane. It was easy. 1. Get the Avery bullet alignment pins and 2. remember that a focalized mount means if you install two bolts, then you can tighten them up a bit to pull the others down to align. These are the two key pieces of information you'll need. Two engines mounted this way, a whopping 15 min each. You will look (and feel) like a pro.
 
Lots of drama regarding hanging an engine...which is a very simple task! I have only needed alignment "bullets" to install one engine, and that was most likely because the mount was just overhauled and had several tubes replaced which may have affected the alignment.
 
Mounting engine

The vans builder's manual for the RV-8 went into detail about the Lord mounts themselves and how they are configured. It's pretty straightforward. ? Check the engine installation section. If you don't find the info, give me a call and I'll look in my buildes manual for you. 414-332-5426
 
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