Mickey's RV8 Site

New engine on order

Mon, 09 Aug 2010 22:24:05 +0200

Finally, I've ordered the new engine. It has been a long time since I've done anything with the project - about 5 years.

I ordered a Mattituck TMXIO-360 with roller tappets, a forward facing sump, Airflow Performance Fuel Injection System, dual p-mags, and an alternator. The engines come

Here is how Mattituck describes it:

Your TMXIO-360 engine will include New Lycoming cylinder assemblies, the new roller tappet technology, our full Red Gold Performance Package, 2 New P Mags, harness, and aviation spark plugs, a 12V Sky Tec lightweight starter, new fuel pump, a new Airflow Performance Fuel Injection System, inner-cylinder baffles, dipstick tube and dipstick, oil filter adapter and oil filter, new dynamically balanced VAR crankshaft, static bay balance to within 2 grams, vacuum pump drive adapter and drive, starter gear support and ring gear, engine logbook and operators manual.

Delivery will be about 14 weeks. Considering I've taken 5 years to get to this point, not a problem.

Now, just need to get myself a prop and the firewall forward kit from Van's, and I'll be just about set.

How to stop a strap wrench from slipping

Sun, 11 Apr 2010 09:07:19 +0200

I was trying to use a strap wrench to remove a PVC fitting on our pool's filter. It was about a 3 inch pipe, and I have 2 different sizes of strap wrench, and they just kept slipping. The surface was clean and dry, but no luck. My 9 year old daughter suggested that I use some tape to make the wrench stick better. Brilliant! I got some double sided tape, put it around the pipe, and it worked perfectly. Just thought I'd pass this tip on - I'm sure it could be useful for removing things like oil filters.

Narco AT155 transponder for sale

Sun, 19 Oct 2008 15:39:35 +0200

Europeans are now requiring Mode-S transponders, so I need to sell my Narco AT155. It is brand new, never even powered up, and includes all mounting hardware. I don't exactly recall what I paid for it, but I believe it was around $1100 USD. I'll take $900 USD, and I'll ship it to you. Please contact me at the following address: This transponder has been sold. Thanks!

Some European Airspace Classifications

Sun, 06 Jul 2008 12:06:00 +0200

Here is an image of some European Airspace Classifications

Current Status

Sat, 21 Jun 2008 15:05:07 +0200

Just a quick couple of pictures to show the current status.

Eggenfellner Subaru STI for sale

Thu, 29 May 2008 21:04:03 +0200

I've decided to sell my Eggenfellner Subaru STI engine. It is a FWF package including an electric 3-blade MT prop with prop controller, RV8 engine mount, supercharger, intercooler, engine computer, dual fuel pumps, exhaust system, mufflers, and all accessories.

The reason I am selling it is because the package is not yet complete, and I would like to get my aircraft flying.

There are some people still doing development of the engine. The systems that will need work to make this FWF kit complete are:

New Gen III PSRU. The current Gen II supercharger that was shipped with the engine has been grounded due to several in-flight failures. I might be able to source one of these from another builder that has decided not to use his. A new Gen III is about USD 6000 from the Eggenfellner Aircraft.
Change out the supercharger for a turbocharger. The Gen III PSRU has a lower gear ratio, which allows the engine to rev higher, producing more power. A side effect is that the supercharger will spin faster than it was designed to. This can be resolved with a new supercharger pully, but I believe the best solution is to install a turbocharger.
Replace the Engine Computer. The ECU that is installed should be reliable, and many have found it works well. Some have had problems, and are switching to an SDS engine computer. I would recommend this change.

I really regret having to change this engine out for a traditional aircraft engine. I feel that the Subaru engine is an outstanding fit for aircraft, but I just don't have the time and resources to finish the development work on this package. The original supplier, Eggenfellner Aircraft, is no longer developing this package, having moved on to a 6 cylinder engine.

There is a yahoo list of about 25 other owners of the STI engine that are working together to finish the development of this engine, so I'm confident at some time in the future it will become a very viable powerplant for aircraft use. This list is called EggenfellnerSubaruSTI and is open to all STI owners. This is a good place to discuss this engine, and the development work being done from Australia to the US to Lithuania.

Please contact me if you have interest in this package (mick at rv8.ch, please include "eggenfellner" in the subject). If I don't sell it, I will pickle it, put it in the corner of the workshop, and when the development work is complete, I'll either put it on this RV8 or my next one! :)

Oil Pickup Screen

Mon, 12 May 2008 08:18:11 +0200

The Oil Pickup screen in the engine must be checked and cleaned regularly. Your Lycoming O-360 Operators Manual tells you to clean the screen every 100 hrs in Section 8. http://www.vansairforce.com/community/showthread.php?p=222246 http://www.avweb.com/news/savvyaviator/savvy_aviator_57_making_metal_197700-1.html Here are the critical bits of info: Screen, P/N 70484 Gasket, STD-111 or AN900-16 Torque, 135 degrees rotation after full contact

Lower rudder tip - part 4

Sat, 28 Jul 2007 17:38:41 +0200

This is a continuation of this article: http://www.rv8.ch/article.php?story=20050902213147833 Here are some detailed shots of the rudder bottom attach strips.

Global warming caused by conduction, not radiation

Sat, 02 Jun 2007 15:46:47 +0200

I regularly listen to a podcast from Australia's ABC Radio National called Occam's Razor. One particular episode, featuring Professor Emeritus Duncan Brown from the Department of Biological Sciences, University of Wollongong, has stuck in my mind, and I'd like to include some of it here. The link for the entire podcast with transcripts is: http://www.abc.net.au/rn/ockhamsrazor/stories/2005/1497147.htm Here is what I found particularly interesting - the rest of this post is a long quote from Dr. Brown: In this talk I shall try to put the environmental problems that we face into some sort of perspective. Serious environmental problems are widely acknowledged. They are mostly identified as specific challenges, such as deforestation, soil and water degradation, loss of biodiversity, and of course, global warming. The essence of my argument is that all of these challenges, while very serious, are actually symptoms of a much more dangerous predicament, a human population that is too large and too dependent on technology to be sustainable. But let me begin with some comments on global warming, the symptom that currently seems to receive most attention and is discussed almost entirely in the context of the 'greenhouse effect'. This is an interesting example of widespread acceptance of a conventional wisdom while other more significant factors are largely overlooked or ignored. To simplify: the earth's average atmospheric temperature is estimated to have risen by about 0.6 degrees Celsius over the past century. This heating is attributed predominantly to absorption by carbon dioxide of infrared radiation. The current average atmospheric concentration of carbon dioxide is estimated to be 372 parts per million, thought to be the highest for at least 420,000 years. But water also absorbs infrared radiation, and there is much more of that in the atmosphere than there is of carbon dioxide. Many factors have contributed to heating the atmosphere since the advent of agriculture. They include major changes to the earth's surface, especially deforestation with its associated loss of cooling by 'evapotranspiration'; the growth of cities, which are recognised as 'urban heat islands'; an increase in the total biomass of mammals; and most significantly, the heat produced by enormous increases in rates of combustion. The quantity of so-called 'fossil' carbon burnt in 2003 amounted to some 6 Giga tonnes. Fossil carbon occurs in a wide range of substances which are not identified in that statistic; but to oversimplify and assume for example that it was distributed equally among anthracite coal and three significant components of motor fuel: pentane, hexane and decane, the heat produced amounted to 74 billion Giga calories for the year. Ignoring a range of atmospheric variables which are virtually impossible to quantify, that amount of heat has the capacity to raise atmospheric temperature by 0.06 degrees Celsius annually. Variables or not, that would seem to be enough to make a very substantial contribution to an increase of 0.6 degrees Celsius over a century. And that takes no account of other significant types of combustion, such as bushfires. One of the curious aspects of the overwhelming focus on carbon dioxide and the 'greenhouse effect' is that it attributes the heating process entirely to radiation and ignores direct heating by contact and conduction. Of course primary solar heating occurs by radiation and heat is lost from the planet by radiation. But much, and indeed probably most of the heat transfer within the planet's boundaries involves conduction. Carbon dioxide at its present concentration is irrelevant to direct heating of the atmosphere in that way. The focus on greenhouse gases would not matter at a practical level if it led to a reduction in overall combustion. But if it provokes chemical binding of carbon dioxide, or its geosequestration, which amounts to burying it underground, or the use of alternative fuels such as hydrogen, the primary heating problem will not be addressed and there will certainly be a range of disturbing, unintended consequences.

Laser cut panel - vs. water jet cut panel

Sun, 08 Apr 2007 21:15:25 +0200

I had my panel laser cut by a guy in Idaho recommended by the epanelbuilder.com website. I believe the price was pretty good, around USD 100. The problem is that the laser seems to do quite a bit of burning through the aluminum. I've attached some photos. I'd recommend going with a company that does water jet cutting instead of the laser.