Aerovee Turbo Kit

[marsolgp]

I'm going with a Climb Prop….. I don't necessarily need more speed, but I fly off a grass strip and would sure love to cut my 12-1300 foot take off run down…and climb out at a better rate….. I guess I can blame Mark K for my turbo… I get to watch his 3300 powered Sonex get off in 4-500 feet AND climb out at a good rate… I want some of that.

Thankyou Mike F for the kind words…. Retirement is a blast, tons of time to do ALL the stuff we want to do.

And thanks to Robbie, he's gonna host my photos so ya'll can have a look at the install.

[Sonex1517]

Here's several photos from Geary....patience please as I try to get the links to work one at a time







Robbie Culver
Sonex 1517
Chicagoland
Tails and Wings complete - finishing fuselage.
N1517S reserved

[Sonex1517]

More photos







Robbie Culver
Sonex 1517
Chicagoland
Tails and Wings complete - finishing fuselage.
N1517S reserved

[Sonex1517]

And last three photos.







Robbie Culver
Sonex 1517
Chicagoland
Tails and Wings complete - finishing fuselage.
N1517S reserved

[tmobbs]

Thank you, Geary and Robby, for these excellent photos.
I am very Impressed that you have been able to implement all the changes so quickly, especially if you didn't have any plans showing where things had to go before the turbo-kit arrived.
I take it that the turbo is driven by the exhausts from all four cylinders, so that in effect there is now one final exhaust pipe to the environment. So have you had to make a new outlet in the bottom stbd part of the cowling? Has this necessitated re-routing the tank vent? Have you made any adjustments to the total exit air dimensions?
On photo #5, it seems that you have mounted your RDAC in front of your oil separator Is that correct? If not, what is the black hose doing?
What is the little box with the red and the white fittings at the bottom starboard side of the firewall and what is the little indicator with needle just beside it?
Finally, as you probably know, we in the UK are expected to fix some carb-icing reduction device to the aero-injector. I don't think you have done that, have you? Would there be any room for a carb heat muff and box, now you have the turbo installed?
Please forgive me for having so many questions.
Tim Mobbs
Sonex #1555 taildragger & Aerovee 672 with Aeroinjector
Bungay, Suffolk, England

[marsolgp]

Tim M.

I studied what photos I could find to get a rough idea where the Turbo was to be installed and guessed at what I had to relocate. The only things I had in the way was the battery box for the Odyssey and some wiring.
Yes, only one exhaust pipe now and yes you have to make another hole in the RH cowl. My tank vent does not go down the firewall so not an issue. And I have left the original cowl opening as it was, it may help with CHT by allowing less restriction to the outflow of cowl air.
Correct on the RDAC, it is mounted on the engine mount, forward of the oil separator (which is on the firewall). The RDAC is mounted with Adel clamps.
The little box you refer to is my LiFe PO battery, nice and small and has been trouble free for over 130 hrs….
The little indicator is an oil pressures indicator…. I have made a little access door in the side of my RH cowl so I can access the battery without removing the cowl… now, I mounted the Oil pressure indicator there so I can check the oil pressure against the MGL indication.. I have had two VDO pressure transducers go bad so far, so it's a quick check and doesn't weigh much.
As far as carb heat goes, I never needed it with the AeroInjector…. Rotec recommends it with their TBI…. I will probably add it later, maybe. There is room for a heat box but heat muff would have to be very small. I have the Spruce 6.5" muff and it won't fit anywhere except maybe on the pipe that exits the cowl off the turbo.
Don't worry about the questions, that's what the forum is for….

[fastj22]

Looks like retro-fitting a flying plane with the turbo will be a challenge. Pretty tight up there.
Eagerly waiting for a flying fleet of these.

Actually considering the turbo for my Pietenpol project or to replace my Jab3300 in the Waiex!

[marsolgp]

IT FLIES !!!..... Holy cow, what a difference. So this what you Jab3300 guys have been experiencing, It's a new airplane.

Just took it up for short hop, kinda windy, bumpy, hazy, etc., but had to give it a go. It was really to bumpy to get any reliable numbers, but, Take-off distance easily half what it was. I fly off a grass strip and used to use 12-1400 feet then lumber up at 3-400 fpm NOW I was off in less than 600 feet and climb out at 800-1000 fpm.

Couldn't go above 2600 cuz of clouds but zipped along at 145-150 mph at 3050 rpm and 36" MAP.

I did notice that my EGT's and CHT's are pretty much even straight across, they never were when normally aspirated. Just during this short flight my EGT was about 1250 ish and CHT 350 ish including number 3!

Didn't do any high speed stuff, just trying to get the feel of it PLUS I had an issue with smoke/smell in the cockpit. I had it on ground run and just attributed it to exhaust wrap being new..... I wasn't too concerned but it stunk.... Once back on the ground, up cowled it and it was the Turbine blanket, still smoking .. Probably be a few flights before it "burns" in.

Gotta go do my post flight insp.....

[MichaelFarley56]

Congrats on the first flight as well as being the first TurboVee pilot Geary! That's wonderful and I'm very excited for you! It sounds like the first flight went very smoothly, even if the weather wasn't that great for you. Were you really only getting 300-400 feet per minute climb prior to the turbo?

Please keep us all up on the progress and continued test flights. I sure hope to join you as a "TurboVee" guy soon!

[Sonex1517]

Awesome!! This is great to hear and I am sure glad to hear the difference in performance was what we all hoped for.

Excellent news.