Wouldn't This Engine Look Great On An RV-3B?

The engine is a six-cylinder Anzani, from 1919 or so. The airplane is a 1919 Bellanca CE, of which there are none flying. But there's a fuselage for one headed to a museum, and my Anzani is going with it.

Just because it looks so cool, I had considered putting it on the RV-3B I'm building. There are too many reasons not to, though -

1. Not enough power, at about 55 hp.

2. Too light (hard to imagine, eh?) at about 165 pounds.

3. Dreadfully unreliable.

For an RV-3B, the cowling cheeks would be left off, and then the forward fuselage shape would approximate that of this biplane.

One thing that's kind of interesting is that the Anzani prop is 80 inches diameter and 78 inches pitch. How can a 55 hp engine turn that? Easy - it only turns up to 1,200 rpm. I've got the prop and yes, did think about putting it on the O-320....

Anyway, these ideas were all fun to think about. They're NOT going on my RV-3B, which is coming along decently well and quite standard - the RV-3B won't be a biplane and won't have a round engine.

Dave

David Paule said:

The engine is a six-cylinder Anzani, from 1919 or so. The airplane is a 1919 Bellanca CE, of which there are none flying. But there's a fuselage for one headed to a museum, and my Anzani is going with it.

Just because it looks so cool, I had considered putting it on the RV-3B I'm building. There are too many reasons not to, though -

1. Not enough power, at about 55 hp.

2. Too light (hard to imagine, eh?) at about 165 pounds.

3. Dreadfully unreliable.

For an RV-3B, the cowling cheeks would be left off, and then the forward fuselage shape would approximate that of this biplane.

One thing that's kind of interesting is that the Anzani prop is 80 inches diameter and 78 inches pitch. How can a 55 hp engine turn that? Easy - it only turns up to 1,200 rpm. I've got the prop and yes, did think about putting it on the O-320....

Anyway, these ideas were all fun to think about. They're NOT going on my RV-3B, which is coming along decently well and quite standard - the RV-3B won't be a biplane and won't have a round engine.

Dave

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I wonder how it'd look on a Pietenpol AirCamper

ain't history interestin'?

Love to see the new Aussie ROTEC 7 - cyl. radial on a -3 of course! 110 hp, 250 pounds wet?

funny how these engine guys of yesteryear figured things out though......a nice little engine like that coulda put out, what, 100 hp + at 2000 rpm?
but of course, the configuration and materials of the time would have taken it from "dreadfully unreliable" to " spectacularly explosive!"

plus, the awesome sound at low rpm.....ta-pocket-ah-pocka-ta-pock-e-tah!

rv3 inline

Does anyone know what happened to a maroon red RV3 built with a inline 4 cly engine? I think it was about 140HP, with a supercharger. Was built EXTREMELY NICE!

BobRv4 said:

Does anyone know what happened to a maroon red RV3 built with a inline 4 cly engine? I think it was about 140HP, with a supercharger. Was built EXTREMELY NICE!

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Wasnt he the west coast rep for MT props or something like that?? MGL avionics maybe??

Got it, Jim Ayers.

Now that is one great looking aircraft. Much nicer than those flat engines to look at.