Experimenter is a magazine created by EAA for people who build airplanes. We will report on amateur-built aircraft as well as ultralights and other light aircraft.
Issue link: http://experimenter.epubxp.com/i/142883
and absolute) of the hub's bore and crank's nose are within factory specs. You can send the dimensions to the Sonex factory or send just the propeller hub; Sonex will measure it using a four-digit (plus or minus half a ten-thousandth of an inch!) internal measuring tool. If it is reusable, then the reinstallation process is identical to the crank assembly process shown in the manual and can be repeated as many times as needed. The crank may also be reground after the removal of the propeller hub; oversized bearings are available. Jeremy continued, "We also have refined the secondary ignition system. It's our own proprietary Sonex design, with a crank trigger and a proprietary coil. The big improvement an owner will notice is in electrical consumption. So many things use electric power; we're happy to save some power in this critical system." More importantly, if there is a problem that hurts or ends charging, the pilot can maximize his air time by simply turning off the electric ignition system, which is a self-energizing system requiring no juice at all. sioning, parts ordering, and assembly simple and consistent, adding to build reliability (which is a major component of overall reliability). Nikasil cylinders make the AeroVee more than competitive with other 80-hp engines in power-to-weight, including against homegrown or commercial VW conversions and proprietary engines from Jabiru, Rotax, or others. But the VWs really shine in cost comparisons. It's not just that you can build an AeroVee for $7,000 when other 80-hp engines can cost $20,000; it's not just that they're fuelefficient, use automotive oil, and can burn auto fuel; it is especially the ease and economy of getting replacement parts. (Note: We're not fans of ethanol…even in trace amounts, but it's true you can run with it.) The Nikasil cylinders cannot be overbored, as the essential Nikasil coating is on the inside of the barrel. As for the standard iron barrels, they can be rehoned, but Sonex recommends against overboring them. Oversized pistons and rings are available in the automotive aftermarket, and overboring is common in auto applications; but Sonex notes that new barrels and pistons with rings are trouble-free and inexpensive, at $105 each ($420 per set, plus assorted gaskets and perhaps shims). Jeremy said to compare those costs to a "simple valve and headclearancing job that might run $1,000 or more" in the certified engine world. (A new Rotax 912S cylinder—also Nikasil—and piston, with pin, gaskets, rings, etc., costs about $935. The same parts for a Jabiru 4- or 6-cylinder Sonex also now offers alloy Nikasil cylinders, which as a set save 10 pounds, for an upcharge of $750. Jeremy said, "When you pick up a stock barrel, you don't think there's a lot of weight to be saved…until you pick up the Nikasil barrel. Then you're just astounded." These cylinders are also available to existing owners and can be swapped in at rebuild time. Only the base gasket thicknesses need be changed. The same barrel and head gaskets are used with the Nikasil cylinders, and the same deck height measuring technique is used as specified in the detailed AeroVee Manual. No math is required to determine the number of shims needed; only the deck height measurement requires precision measuring tools (and a standard vernier caliper will do nicely). Sonex considers its standard 92-millimeter bore and 82-millimeter stroke since the very first AeroVee engine kit was offered in 2001 as a major advantage. Though a plethora of bore/ stroke combinations have been used in VW builds, standardization on what is widely considered optimal Te latest AeroInjector is the result of decades of refnement. It's a versatile system that's available for aero use makes dimenin many sizes. Photography courtesy of Sonex EAA Experimenter 31