I can't believe how efficient this engine is!! This past weekend I flew over 6 hours without refueling. And I still had more than 1 hour of gas left. The airplane definitely has more endurance than I do. I made an unplanned landing this past weekend, only to write my name in the snow bank along the runway.

God love this wide open, free flying land!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Steve
RV7A
 

Took a leisurely tour of Long Island Sound, a mere 45 minutes south of New Hampshire.  Then enjoying the same headwind on my return, my landing was like stepping off an elevator!  My wife must suspect I'm having an affair... and indeed I am! You guys are going to love the RV/E-motor combo!
 

Gary N.

Jan Eggenfellner and Bob Warfel just completed a US promotion flight.  They flew Bob's Subaru Glastar all over the country and visited prospective and current customers.   August 2001.

I just wanted to thank you and Bob for stopping in Modesto yesterday. It was really great to meet you both and to see (and hear) the Subaru in action. Also a big thanks goes out to Richard Herr for allowing us all into his hanger for a detailed "inspection" of his aircraft and Subaru installation. Nicely done.

All I can say is, if I wasn't a believer before, I sure am now. That includes both the engine and yourself. The workmanship and performance of the engine represents a well thought out conversion/installation for aircraft use. The quality of the workmanship and the materials you supply are first rate. And as far as you personally, well how many people from Lycoming or Continental are willing to come by the hanger and discuss an installation with the owner? And how many people from Lycoming or Continental are willing to look at an installation and critique themselves and suggest as how they, the supplier, could improve?! I can speak from previous experience with the "big two" ..... they don't. They don't even want to take ownership of problems that are obviously their fault (like I experienced with faulty cylinders on my IO550). You represent to me the true spirit of experimental aircraft ....... the desire to advance the technology and to lend a helping hand to fellow participants. Yesterday I made my engine selection for my RV-7A. I will someday (soon I hope) be sitting behind an Eggenfellner Subaru.

Thank you again Jan for stopping in Modesto. In fact, thank you for making the entire trip. I'm sure everyone else who had the opportunity to meet you feels the same. Have a safe and speedy trip home!

Kevin Hsclebacker

I have seen the same statistics before on the reliability of the Subaru ignition module.  It was derived from the number of trouble free motoring hours that a group of the general public put their cars.  Garages were polled on the number of failures that they had seen in various areas and for the ignition module there were none. Out of interest, we normally work at "Six Sigma" reliability levels, which translates into failures in the parts per million level, so it's not that unusual, but it does go to show that aviation engines are sadly behind the times.

Regards, CL

As I plan my RV9a... I am definitely not , um, excited  by the idea of an overpriced Lycoming.  Perhaps one more straw to break the camel's back is a story in Rv-ator of a few months ago, about a successful landing in a stump laden field after a broken crankshaft.

If you take a step back, it is not easy to understand the tolerance within the aviation community for such failures, which have really not been all that uncommon over time.  Failures of this magnitude surely would result in a giant market decline for a particular engine in the automotive world, even though a life might not so directly be at stakein a car.  I honestly don't understand this discrepancy of attitude. And, I'm not sure what to think, but I definitely wonder each time I hear someone call Lycoming/Continental engines "reliable".  They are constantly subject to all sorts of failures that have been designed out of car engines years or even decades ago.

I'm twiddling my thumbs and waiting for my RV-7 empennage kit to arrive so with nothing better to do I'll jump into the converted Subaru vs. Lycoming discussion. I see that many are intrigued by the possibility of the Subaru but are spooked by those (many with good qualifications) who believe that a "tried and true" certified engine is superior in reliability and quality to any auto engine conversion.

This is certainly an important question as your neck/butt will riding on the answer. The correct answer for you will largely depend on your confidence in your own ability to evaluate the information available and separate fact from fiction. If you are relatively new to aviation it will be more difficult than if you have real world experience to help in the process.

I am not an expert or authority on this matter ( stats. at the bottom of the page) but I will attempt to share some thoughts which influnced my decision. Given the same information you may well decide that a different conclusion best fits your priorities. Guess that's what makes life interesting!

Some believe that certified engines are of superior because they were specifically designed for aircraft use. Unfortunately this has become a moot point. Both Lycoming and Continental have repeatedly proven themselves incapable of producing crankshafts which meet even their own minimal design specs. In the past four years I have had three engines subject to AD's requiring tests to determine if the correct alloy was used in the manufacture of the crank or if the crank was damaged by maladjusted equipment during assembly. I'm talking about three separate AD's over a period of years, not just a single incidence. These were engines in new aircraft with less than 400 hrs. Thousands of aircraft were affected. Recent posts to this group have noted the current crop of crankshaft AD's so the saga continues. I believe that the traditional aircraft piston engine manufacturers have fallen hopelessly behind in their ability to deliver acceptable quality and reliability. The quality level of current aircraft engine manufacture would put an automobile manufacturer out of business in no time flat. Aircraft engine manufacturers get away with it because there is no real competition (yet) for certified aircraft. I believe that it is the lack of competition, not the FAR's or lawsuits which stifle improvements in aircraft engine technology. How did Garmin rise to dominate the avionics market? They used the large and lucrative consumer market to justify and finance the development of new technology then backed it into the aviation market! Modern auto manufacturers are under tremendous pressure to deliver quality. The size of the market justifies huge expenditures to advance quality and technology. We are driving every day autos that incorporate engine technology that was only seen on exotic sports cars a few years ago. We are reaching the point that 100,000 mile service intervals (excepting lubrication) are in sight. The automotive market reaction to poor quality is swift and harsh. Certified aircraft engine users are told to "live with it". We used to compare certified aircraft engines to "tractor engines". This is no longer fair as tractor engines have improved greatly in the
last 15 years.

Conclusion #1: Compared to automotive engines "Aircraft Quality" is an oxymoron. There is no doubt in my mind that automotive engines are of superior quality compared to aircraft engines. This in no way implies that all auto engines are suitable for aircraft but opens the door for serious consideration on my part.

Regarding the question, "Was the Subaru originally designed for aircraft use?". I really don't care if the Subaru has aircraft in it's DNA or not. I have heard several times over the years that it does and have seen reference to it on a Subaru automotive performance web site. It is NOT relevant to me. The real question in my mind relates to the current form of the engine and the ability to successfully convert it for aircraft use. Over the past 12 years I have looked closely at many auto engine conversion efforts. In almost every case success of the effort hinged not on the engine choice but on the CONVERSION! I have closely monitored the progress of Jan Eggenfellner's conversion package for the past 4 years. Speaking as a Mechanical Engineer and a machinery manufacturing business owner I have appreciation for the approach Jan has taken in the development of his conversion package. Unlike so many in this business I have yet to see him "over promise an under deliver". His approach to the conversion is elegant and simple. The design has progressed over the past few years and has reached the point where I would recommend it for serious consideration to any friend who might be interested. I believe that the Subaru has the "right stuff" to be a serious option for light experimentals like the RV series.

Conclusion #2: I have decided that the risk/reward ratio favors the decision to install the converted Subaru in my RV-7. I am a Pvt. pilot, instrument rated, with 1500 hours. I have been fortunate to have owned seven aircraft with the following engine types; O-320 Lyc.(2),IO-520, Cont.(1), IO-550 Cont.(2), 275 Jacobs Radial(1), Allison/Rolls-Royce B-250/17F Turbine(1).

Gather the facts. Think about it. Make your own decision!          JR
 

I have been playing with my new OBD-II scan tool that you told me about, the one from Alex C. Pepper.  I have done full throttle climbs to 12K(ECU sets the timing for climb rpm/full throttle)  and cruise checks at various altitudes while monitoring ALL functions of the Eggenfellner Subaru purring out front.  I can watch the engine computer change the ignition timing, fuel mixture instantly to maintain optimum power at all altitudes and flight. conditions.  I can also see the actual % of HP being produced at ANY given moment.  All of this is on my Notebook Computer displaying a customized "Virtual instrument panel" that can be saved and transferred to my desktop to be viewed at any time.  Of the 22 aircrafts I have owned, I have NEVER had this technology available, let alone an engine as smooth running as this 150 cu. in. water cooled marvel.

Best regards
Charlie Walker
 

HELLO JAN & ALL, I'VE BEEN FOLLOWING THIS SIGHT NOW FOR SOME TIME AND AM BUILDING A GLASTAR AWAITING DELIVERY OF MY E-SOOB HOPEFULLY NEXT MONTH. LAST SATURDAY I DROVE DOWN TO SKAGIT REGIONAL AIRPORT AND MET WITH CHARLIE WALKER WHO VERY GENEROUSLY TOOK ME FOR A FLIGHT.  LET ME TELL YOU, THIS IS ONE IMPRESSIVE PACKAGE.  ON THE TAKE OFF ROLL THE PLANE WAS AIRBORNE WITHIN A FEW SECONDS, THE QUINTI PROP PERFORMANCE COMBINED WITH THE FLYSPEED CONTROLLER WORKED FLAWLESS. AT ECONOMY CRUISE THE ENGINE COMES DOWN TO 3900 RPM WHICH IS SURPRISINGLY QUIET AND SMOOTH, THE "SOUND" OF THE SOOB IS QUITE DIFFERENT THAN A LYC BUT AFTER BEING IN THE PLANE FOR A SHORT TIME IT FELT VERY NORMAL AND COMFORTABLE TO THE EAR.  JAN EGGENFELLNER HAS DEVELOPED A PACKAGE THAT I BELIEVE WILL BE HARD TO BEAT. A SPECIAL THANKS TO CHARLIE WALKER FOR TAKING TIME FOR THE DEMO.

KEVIN PETERSEN
KAMLOOPS B.C CANADA

Yesterday, I flew up to see Charlie Walker and his shiny silver, blue and white Glastar. I noticed he loves to polish it, even the wind shield. He has over 700 hours on it with the Eggenfellner Subaru 2.5 conversion and I don't think it is possible that he could be happier with his airplane. Strong statement for a guy who has owned 22 airplanes and built 7 of them himself.

Then we hopped in for a flight around some of the islands so he could show off it's performance with almost full tanks. I got pinned to the back of my seat on take off and a mere few seconds later we were off the runway and in a serious VX climb-out angle. I started to think Charlie had pitched up too far, but then realized he was holding a sustained airspeed and those tree tops were getting tiny very quickly. Needless to say, the STOL performance was quite impressive with the adjustable prop pitch that let the converted Subaru rev to
4,950 full power.

A few minutes later, he let me have the controls and asked me to pitch the nose up for a sustained 100 mph climb and I reluctantly kept pulling back on the stick till I finally slowed the plane down to that speed with a pretty serious climb angle and what looked like 1,500' VSI. At that point, it was best to look out the side window to reference the wing to the horizon, because all you could see out the front windscreen was blue sky. Then he took over again and put us into some interesting unusual attitudes and 2.5 G maneuvers and I couldn't help but notice the engine kept purring with no rpm loss at any time.

Later we landed but not before Charlie flew us into the tightest landing pattern I have ever seen, using the adjustable prop and flaps to slow us down on a steep approach angle on base and final.

So yes, I was impressed. Beautiful sporty airplane, smooth powerful Eggenfellner prepared engine and Quinti adjustable prop system is a great combination of technology. I am building a plans-built Vision and using a modified Subaru 2.2, but if I eventually can get this Sport Plane kind of performance as Charlie gets, I will be ecstatic.

DC~   
Seattle

Just you know I'm past the 800 hr. mark and my E-Sube is purring like a turbine and still not using any oil between 50 hr. oil changes. I'm due for an oil change but have been so busy I haven't shut down the sube long enough for a proper oil change and systems check. Maybe I'll get it changed by the end of the week and get the oil sample sent into Blackstone Labs. I'll send the results to Jan when I get it back. I've never ran a Lyc. or Cont. engine this long without something going wrong with it.

Charlie

I've flown since the 1950's and never had the kind of support and response that I've enjoyed from Eggenfellner Aircraft.
Don't let the naysayers get to you.  We have enough of them in general aviation to sink the whole ship if they really want to.  I dare anyone to  even try to show the same kind of support from Lycoming or Continental.  I have known many people through the years with engines, either new or rebuilt, that have failed and have gotten little (if any) support without a lot of time and effort involved.   Satisfaction is
another matter!!  And, this is not to criticize either engine manufacturer, but just a fact of life.

If people don't want to accept the learning process involved with building an "experimental" aircraft, perhaps they should consider buying a certified aircraft to begin with and hope for the best.

I received my Egg in June, 2002. and have been flying my RV9A since January, 2003.  Although I seldom appear on this forum, I find it
extremely useful.  Thanks again for all your help via this forum and also by telephone whenever needed.

Keith Beasley, N3083W

WARNING: If you take a ride, be prepared to start disliking the Lycomings. I've had 3 rides in my friend's Subaru-powered plane. I've gotten used to the smooth purr of the Subaru, and now I have lost confidence in my Lycoming with it's vibration and strange, sometimes random sounds. It gives me the creeps flying it. So be warned, a demo ride is a real eye opener. The second ride is confirmation, by the third you are addicted. I'm there.

Carsten

A quick update from Kansas:

Finished off my 40 hours this morning, then took my neighbor and good friend Andy out for a trip about the countryside.  What a great feeling to share the Egg/RV experience.  His comment as I taxied up to get him was wow what a great sound.  Then while flying he kept remarking about how smooth it felt. 

A couple comments and observations about the 1st 40 hours:

1.  Quinti still doesn't like temps below 45 degrees.  Manual mode works just fine at these temps and the auto mode works wonderfully above these temps.
2.  If you have left little things to do to the plane such as interior upholstery, wheel pants, fairings, etc.  Plan on getting little of that work done.  It is just too much fun to pull the plane
out and go flying rather than mess with niceties such as carpet.
3. Be prepared to talk a lot every time you get gas. 
4. Be prepared to have fun!!!

Nathan Larson
"N217JT ....you're now free to move about the country"

For anyone who's worried about paying up-front to Jan: I've monitored him for 3 years, and have never heard of a single case of any customer being short-changed of even a single dollar! I've come to respect him as a man of integrity, and motivated by personal pride in his work and accomplishments, not by money. He's in this for the long haul. I have nothing but 100% trust in Jan. (I have put my money where my mouth is: I've had my engine and prop paid for 100% since November2003, my delivery is this May 2004.)


 Carsten S. 

Carsten, I was one of Jan's first customers back in 2000 and I fully agree with your following assessment of Jan and his business practices.  He's a 100% guy as far as I'm concerned and in my 50 years in aviation I've found none more honest.

Charlie Walker

Eggenfellner GlaStar N74CV

Jan's ideals and principals are what make this world turn and this country great.  I chose to buy the engine because of the man behind the company as much as anything.

Aviation technology (and excitement) has been nonexistent for years.  Now experimental aviation is leading a revolution of change that will benefit all.  Cirrus Design, Eggenfellner, Diamond, and others are great because the individuals behind them are not settling for standard.  And it is equally great that they do it for a profit.

Rick R

I think that feedback based on personal experience, such as Tim’s,  is the only comment worth listening to. Anything that starts "a friend...." or " I heard on the web..." really isn't worth the electrons it's written with.  I happened to be in the US the other week and thought it would be good to visit Jan, since I have ordered one of his engines. Basically my agenda was such that all I could do was get to Florida on a Saturday after a night flight from Vegas. Jan was kind enough to give up half his Saturday, collect and deposit me at the airport, take me flying in the RV6 and share lunch with one extremely tired and jet lagged traveler (travel from Oz, a week in Vegas - what can I say....). This is more than customer service. I got to see that his operation is a reality, engines are actually being built there (notwithstanding my first comment I have heard enough about other 'suppliers' to know that this may not always be the case). Jan was very open and I came away comfortable with having left $18K of my hard earned in his care. This is very important when you are on the other side of the world.

By the end of the year I hope to be mounting the engine in my RV7A - can't wait!!

Peter

This morning I stopped in at Jan's hangar to see about picking up my new MT prop. Unfortunately, the props were still at MT in Deland.  Rather than have me make another trip, Jan decided that we could make a road trip to the home of MT props in Deland.  He and Jim loaded up Soobie, the wonder puppy, and we motored west.

Within the hour I had my prop loaded and Jan & Jim had loaded another 9 props.

Thanks gentlemen for the GREAT SERVICE!


Tim S.

Yes, I have a Lancair Subaru, turbocharged with aftermarket turbo and injectors.  Jan put it together about 5 years ago.  Incredible that it's a one-off job and no significant engineering problems- Jan did it as he went.  35 hours into the test period, and under the cowl, it looks like it never left the ground.  The gentleman who is flying off the time has 400 hours on his Lycoming powered Lancair 360, and flew F18s until he retired from the Navy several years ago (flies for American now).  He is most impressed with the engine. A lot of people can't understand how a 135 cubic inch engine (or 150 cubic inch engine) can make enough power to pull a 1200 lb plane around as fast as a 360 cubic inch engine.  I can't understand why a lot of people put overgrown lawnmower engines in their new airplanes.  Just a different point of view, I guess.

Ridge D.   (Lancair 320 N432R)

I had the great honor of being allowed to watch Jan & Jim fire up the H-6 while I was there on a short visit.  I had not heard the 4 cylinder prior to my visit, but speaking on behalf of the 6, unbelievably smooth.  If not for the exhaust (duel with mufflers), you would be hard pressed to know the motor was running.  For you doubters and skeptics that are lurking out there (admittedly I was), you have to see this to believe it. The machining and detail that I saw was impeccable (the PSRU is a work of art). No one has a leg up on this engine package that I have seen. I came doubting that Jan had a product that he would dare put a price-tag on that was close to a Lyco...but he does !!  It would not be much of a choice now.

P.C.

I

Hello all. . .I spent yesterday down at Sun-n-Fun in Lakeland Florida. It was a blast as usual! I made a quick run through vendor row picking up a few needed tools from Avery & Cleveland then went straight to Jan's Subaru Engine display. I spent the rest of the day there hanging out with the many visitors and fellow Eggenfellner groupies! It was great seeing and talking with both Gary (with his beautiful RV9A) and Ross (with his gorgeous RV7A). When I left the judges were not sure which of the two would win the auto-conversion trophy?!? I sure couldn't pick one over the other. . .they were both fantastic planes. Chris Lowery was also there and sold out of his home brewed "Decalin TCP" 100LL additive, next time he will have to tanker it in. I played a little tug-o-war with "Soobie" the wonder pup and of course it was great seeing Jan talking it up with future customers, and spending an equal amount of time with his current customers (his biggest advertisers)! Jan & Jim went right to work on Ross Hauck's Eggenfellner as soon as they closed the gates tweaking this and touching up that. Next thing you know I'm helping Ross bolt his prop back on after a successful test run and check with the OBD II scanner. Everyone was anxious to get off to dinner and I had to catch my flight back to ATL. In a couple of years it will be a thrill to fly my Eggenfellner RV7A in for display at the show. Now I just need to inventory my newly arrived wing kit and get back to work building!

Had a great time as expected at Sun-N-Fun this year.  I slipped out of Cow Hampsha two days before the show to avoid the full wrath of Mother Nature.  Flew through a snowstorm, various grades of rain showers, low ceilings, and mysterious haze the whole way down…a great flight!  We had four E-planes at the show, Jan's factory 6, my 9, Ross's 7, and Larry's 9.  Jan was giving demo rides whenever they allowed landings.  Less than ideal weather through Wednesday dampened some of the less spirited spirits, but things cleared up nicely for the rest of the week.  I got a kick out of drinking frozen Margarita's with these Floridians who were complaining about the cold!  I enjoyed ideal conditions for the return flight Saturday.  I flew 9500' the entire distance.  With an excellent tailwind, I averaged 180mph ground speed most of the way, resulting in a 7.5 hr trip! Aside from some Blue-Mountain Blues, the only difficulty I encountered, was selecting which tunes to listen to.  Hop in, flip the switch, go real fast!  What a blast!

Gary

Jan, OK, you were right!  When I spoke with you over a year ago to discuss the possibility of installing one of your engines in my RV-6, you told me to bring my checkbook when I visited your operation because I wouldn't be able to fly one and not buy one.  I said, "Oh Sure" :-) After a year of considering options, and listening to the chatter about insurance, aircraft value, etc., I finally stopped by your hangar in Edgewater a few weeks ago.  The engine packages are really COMPLETE firewall forward packages and the ride in your RV-6 loaner with the supercharged 2.5 was AMAZING!  I made up my mind to "Suberize" before we reached 2000 feet.  The only decision left was 2.5 XT or 3.0 H-6.  In my opinion, either choice is a winner.  I just had to consider my flying needs.  I finally decided to go with the H-6. (Sorry Jim :-))  Now I'm working overtime on the project to get ready for the engine delivery date.  Thanks to you and your staff for helping move general aviation into an exciting, truly technically advanced era.

Ernie, Topsham, ME

I don't know about everyone else, but I have a plane that runs better, runs smoother, is more reliable, uses modern technology, and flies faster than most other RVs. I guess you get what you pay for :)  I did a couple of fly bys at our local air show yesterday. A lot of
people say the Subaru sounds like a little Merlin.

Robert Paisley     RV-7SS

Keep in mind that off-roadies routinely tach 8000 to 10000 rpm in their subes.  If you look around the Eggenfellner website you'll find the article about how the Subaru still holds the speed/endurance record, and has for many years.   But of course, the best evidence is an actual flight.  We only tach 4900 on takeoff for about 20 seconds, then 4800 on climb for a few minutes, then 3200 to 4400 in cruise, or thereabouts.  I stand by the belief that an aircraft is a much nicer home for the engine than a car.  The loads are pretty consistent, versus all the gear-grinding and environmental hell that a car goes through.  I don't know of too many people who have ever blown up their Subaru.  Most dealers will tell you they spend far more time on the car than the engine.

Take a ride, then decide!  Gary

As far as running a car engine in the airplane at continuous peak torque loads, this is certainly a much more demanding environment than in a car. But, this is the same environment as a boat. As you know, a good percentage of boat motors are car engines. The only things required to keep an engine happy at continuo's high torque loads are adequate lubrication and cooling. If these needs are met, you will get good service life out of your engine.

After putting 150 hours on my Subaru, it has become very clear that my Lyc buddies are having a lot more problems than me. My only problem has been keeping the tanks filled (since this thing is so much fun to fly:)

Good luck with your decisions,
Robert    RV-7SS (Supercharged Subaru)

Location : Arizona Test Center, Arizona, U.S.A.
Record : Average speed of 223.345 km/h (world speed record certified by the FIA)
Vehicle : Subaru Legacy RS
In 1989, from January 2 through 21, the first-generation Legacy established a new 100,000-kilometer world speed record at the Arizona Test Center located on the outskirts of Phoenix, Arizona. The 100,000-kilometer distance was covered in 447 hours, 44 minutes, and 9.887 seconds, with an average speed of 223.345 km/h, thus setting a new world speed record. That's a little over 19 days of non stop flat out running.  The engine is not wimpish.

I am inherently a cautious pilot and it took some time to study the history of the engine, learn how it operated, and accept it.  It is not without risk - what is in experimental aviation - but it is a very reasonable risk considering the development work on the gear reduction and flight tests of everything that comes with the engine from Jan Eggenfellner.

D.D.

I flew the plane 800 miles non-stop today. It never missed a beat. I have flown it over 300 hours to date.  It sure runs good. I joke with the guys at the airport that since it's a Subaru, it has an odometer not an hour meter :)

Robert

I woke up early yesterday and just couldn't stand the bright clear skies and light winds.  Homeland security was still sleeping, so I decided to slip away and fly before going to work.  At 6:45am I had the airport to myself and a cool breeze was flowing directly down the runway.  I had no place in particular to go, but that's not unusual, so I decided to have some fun,,, Space Shuttle style!

I dialed my takeoff RPM up to 5200 (200 higher than normal) and lit the fuse.  The initial goal was to see if I could peg my VSI and for
how long, so I leveled out just above ground effect accelerating to the far threshold then took deep breath and aimed skyward.  I did
indeed peg my VSI,, briefly,, then as airspeed fell off to a comfortable Vy climb and my ears popped, I set a new goal.  This time
I trimmed the craft for a hands-off climb to 10000' (my personal limit), maintaining approx 1100fpm to 9K and about 900fpm the last
1K. It was clear as I did this how my horsepower and thrust was impacted by altitude (something you lucky Suberchargies may never
experience).  212F max coolant temp by the way...

When I achieved goal #2 my EFIS reported (based on GPS ground track measurement) a 35kt westerly wind, so I set goal #3, throttled back, dropped the flaps, and hovered for a while, playing with trim to see if I could hover hands-free. It didn't work, but it gave me time to think up goal #4.  Up go the flaps, back goes the stick, stall buffet, tip one wing and tap the rudder for a sharp break to the side and down we go!  I dialed in max prop pitch and set up a steep dive right to VNE.  This was the first time I had taken my plane to VNE and I didn't quite know what to expect.  It was solid and smooth and made the most pleasing whistling sound (I'd love to know what it sounded like from the ground).  Apparently this is from the cutouts around the VS/Rudder hinges.  Wings still attached, goal #5 was to
fly the tightest pattern I could and drop her on the numbers directly in front of my ex-instructors new hangout (outdoor tent near the threshold).  Nice landing, but he wasn't in yet, bummer.  Goal #6, get to work before 8:30.  Goal #7?  Do it again real soon!  As should all of you!

Gary

Well the paperwork seemed to take forever but
C-FZQX finally got airborne early this morning.

Flight went perfectly as expected. No numbers to report this morning as the flight was a simple take-off, climb to 4000, stall 61 mph, and land.  30 of the greatest minutes of my life. Special thanks to Jan and Gary  for helping me along the way,
God I love this airplane, Happy New Year 2004!

Steve Hurlbut
RV7A
Egg Subaru (supercharger not installed)
Quinti Prop

N2SU, an RV-7A with Eggenfellner/Subaru engine is now officially an airplane.  I flew it for ½ hour with no issues other than a heavy left wing, and then Rob flew for another 30 min (Two separate flights).  I went to 10,500 msl, leveled off, resumed climb and still showed 800 fpm ROC.  This without the supercharger installed, and no fairings.  Both landings were greasers.  Didn’t explore upper region of airspeeds; want to get it in trim first.  Slow flight was wonderful – what a great airplane; what a great engine.  It flew itself off the runway – very little rudder required. Used about 5 degrees of nose up trim on takeoff, which seemed to be perfect. With Quinti prop at the fine pitch stop, it accelerated to 4900 rpm, rotated, and climbed out at 5300 rpm.  Didn’t need to mess with the prop control until more than 1500 ft. agl.  I don’t think the thermostat ever opened – OAT was    -20C.  Oil temp stabilized in climb at 205 deg.

Many thanks to Van’s, Jan’s, Gary, and Mike Seager; my electronics guru and riveting buddy (and son) Rob, my youngest son, Steve, who pulled an all-nighter with me getting ready for the DAR; and my beloved wife Susie, to whom I proposed at the Flight Deck Restaurant at Van Nuys Airport, and who secretly saved up the money to get me started on this awesome project.  The registration, 2SU, is dedicated to her. YAHOOOOO!  Keep riveting, boys and girls.  It’s worth every sore muscle, smashed thumb, and questionable vocabulary additions.

 Ross (Colorado)

Dear Mr. Eggenfellner,

First, let me thank you for the ride around Massey Air Ranch. I'm aware of your obviously busy schedule, and you certainly were kind to take the time. In case you can't place me, I'm Steve Howie, from North Carolina. I fly out of Lumberton, NC (KLBT). I'll leave my numbers at the bottom of this email. You've a standing invitation if you happen to fly up this way, for a meal on me. Your engine performed like I had always imagined an aircraft engine should. I was a little overwhelmed with the instant throttle response, and the acceleration both on the ground and in flight. The RV6 was definitely loaded, with my 225 pounds in the right seat. The ease of preflight checks, and the single throttle lever in the cockpit certainly reduced the cockpit duties. The prop controller was just as amazing to me. I loved telling my soon to be RV co-owner of us scooting along at 175 mph (indicated on a 95F day) 1000 feet over New Smyrna Beach. He was green with envy (HA HA). You've got a winner on your hands. We will be ordering an "Egg motor"  :)

 Sincerely,  Steve Howie

Just returned from Oshkosh and it was really neat to have 6 customer aircrafts, flown in by guys who recently completed their installations and the RV-6A. Jan flew in and he also had a storm with the 6 cylinder engine there.  I am very motivated to finish and fly my RV-6A more than ever now. The banquet was great to get together with about 35-40 (there were some wives and guests) others who have built or are building Subbie powered home-builts.  Gary Newsted was honored by everyone and Jan thanked him for all his hard work on the installation manual by providing him with a supercharger for his aircraft.

Ron

I had a chance to visit Jan's place this week and he graciously put up with me all day.  During that time I shot a load of digital pictures and a 15 second video of a first start on an H6.  I think it is John Stigelmeyer, sorry if I blew the name, you should have a simple one like mine :-) Anyway, the file is about 6 meg and apparently won't go into the files section but it is pretty neat.  The engine is sitting on wood blocks on a concrete floor and they got it ready to run in about 30 minutes.  Hooked up four wires, gas, and fired it up on the first crank!  Darn thing just sat there and ran perfectly like it had been tuned and prepped!  No shaking, no adjusting, no smoke, a complete non-event!  Unbelievably smooth!  Even with straight pipes the engine is so quite that you can hear us talking over the engine.  No vibration at all, even sitting on a concrete floor!  If I hadn't stuck my finger in the exhaust port before they put the pipes on I would have sworn the engine had been set up,.... but it wasn't! John, if you or anyone would like to see/hear it, reply offline and I'll forward you a copy so you can see and heeeaaarrrr it!  Vrroooommmm.  Jan was very informative.  Would recommend the visit to anyone interested but call first!  He is a very busy boy!  Many interesting observations but no time to detail them, maybe later! Sidebar, while there, the president of MT propeller dropped in to discuss prop kind of things with Jan. 

Bill Schlatterer,

Eggenfellner Subaru / RV-7a QB fuse, Arkansa

OK, clear skies today, went to 18,000 so fast I almost didn’t have time to put on my O2.  It held 32.6 MAP all the way to about 16,000’ and still had 28+ at 18.000’.  At 17,000’ I still had about 800 fpm ROC.  I’m guessing the service ceiling to be close to 30,000’  Me likee.

Ross

Hi Jan, first of all many thanks for the demo-flight and the day at your hangar. (real busy place, nice assemblies, convincing demo-flight)  As you know I am already your client for a 2.5XT+MT/ RV8 for the April shipment. Today I called MT-Props (as I am also German) and was questioning them for 20 min. about their MTV-7 props on your engine. I had the technical guy called Mr. Eberl on the phone. He has done the strain gauge testing on your RV6 in December 2003.

1. Wrong info on their website !  The MTV-7 prop is rated up to 180 hp (not 160hp) on their spec sheets.  The info on their website is simply not correct.  It´s the standard prop for any 360 !
2. Strain gauge testing results/ comparison with an O-360/320 the egg-engine caused 7-8 Newton/sq. centimeter (at blade roots) a Lyco O-360 causes 25-30 Newton/sq centimeter (at blade roots) a Lyco O-320 in a pusher causes easily 30 Newton/sq.cm !  He mentioned himself: "the Subaru is better than a regular engine by factor 3-4 ! So the 180 hp rating is for a Lycoming and it  doesn't apply for the Subaru at all because it is running much smoother."
3. Efficiency on various RPMs I was much impressed about the engine performance at 1700 RPM with MAP 32.8. Low RPM with high torque !  So I asked MT whether they have a blade on their program that runs even more efficient at 1700 RPM (with giving away some performance on higher RPM). He denied and ran some calculations. The efficiency from 1700-2700 RPM is nearly linear.
4. Swept blades or straight blades ? MTV-7-51 is the swept blade with 72" diameter MTV-7-129 is the old fashion design with 73.6" diameter  MT says that you will now sell the swept blades, only.

Ziggy,   2.5XT+MT, RV8

Just wanted to once again let everyone know how fortunate we are to have Jan builing our engines.  After a nice visit to my son in Manhattan Kansas, my wife and I returned to the plane for the 45 minute flight back home.  It wouldn't start.  It was 5:15 pm.  The great folks at Kansas Aircraft towed me over to a hanger to get out of the 8 degree temps and 15 knot wind.  After popping the cowl off and examining everything, I was at a loss as to what could be wrong.  So I hit speed dial number 8 on my cell and was presently speaking with Jan.  After some long distance trouble shooting, and a second call for clarification of directions, we were on our way home.  I can't imagine getting this kind of support from the "certified" folks.  Especially since both FBO's on the field had closed their maintenance shops by the time I had the cowl off. The problem turned out to be a loose ring terminal on the wire from the Aux boost relay to the starter.  Totally my fault, but thankfully just a short run to Auto Zone for a new terminal and off we went. I do now realize that my onboard tool kit is lacking a couple of key pieces of equipment...something to fix this weekend. (any excuse to buy more tools, right?)

Nathan Larson, RV9A N217JT / Eggenfellner Subaru

Dear Jan:  There will always be some out there who don't understand that this process, this incredible thing that you are doing for aviation, can happen in NO OTHER WAY.   This can only be done by one person, or a very small group of persons, with a love for what they are doing, a laser beam focus, vision,  and determination; and therefore, an amazing ability to sacrifice until the goal has been reached.  Almost all great revolutionary change throughout humanity has included all, or most of these attributes.   I know I speak for a large, and more importantly, inspired group of people (inspired by you), when I ask you to please continue your hands on approach, no matter how big you get. It's understood you will certainly have to cut back, some of these activities, as your organization grows, but the direct involvement with us is an amazing honor to all of us, and to yourself.  The really cool thing about you, Jan, is that you not only have an amazing vision about how to design your engine setups, but you have the rare ability to combine it with your love of sharing it with others in a very direct interactive way; and, as a bonus, you are fair and considerate in receiving all kinds of feedback.  I've followed this chat group since the beginning, and couldn't be more impressed.  Thank you for all your efforts.

-Greg

There are too many people to thank for all the advice I've received in the last week or so.  I hope they all know how vital this is to other builders.  It's the little details at the end of a project that tend to take forever and seem to defy solutions.  I now realize that "90% finished and 50% to go" really is true.  How did people get along without all of this expert and immediate advice?  By the way, this discussion group has messaged each other over ten thousand times to date, way, way more than any discussion group, including the more general RV9 group. 

Thanks again, Renner. (2003)

  Discussion group for Eggenfellner Engines.

I was out flying with a friend who has a O-320 RV-6A last night and he couldn't believe the smooth and quiet performance of the RV-9E.  Jan, thanks for all your help and assistance with the airplane. I'm very glad to have the opportunity to bring it up to the current peak of performance and the after-hours service you've provided has really been a blessing.

Matt Burch ,  September 30, 2003

Yesterday I had the good fortune of being in south Florida with a few hours to kill.  So I stopped off at Eggenfellner for a visit.  Without having called ahead I didn't expect I would have much luck talking with Jan but I have been very overwhelmed with the decision making process about my engine and I really wanted to take a look. Walking up to the hangar it was obvious that business is good.  Every square inch of room is taken and several people were working at a steady pace. Just walking up cold, Jan looked up and asked if he could help.  Explaining to him that I had ordered a 2.5xt and was just "in the neighborhood" he walked me around the assembly area and looked into my ship date. After very little discussion he offered a ride in the company 6a.  I was blown away!!!  Any doubt in my mind left after the short flight.  Noise, or lack of, power, smoothness, and ease of operation far exceeded my expectations.  The ease of prop control had been a big fear for me but it was a non-issue.  So far Jan and company have been great to work with.  Fear of, or ignorance of something new (Building and airplane, engine, panel???) really works on you sometimes and a little time spent with Jan just looking and asking questions went a long way.  He makes everything look much more comfortable.

The only thing I can find to fuss about is slipping ship date.....such is the problem with great success!!!!!!!
Thanks to Jan and company for the fine southern hospitality!!!!

Rick

Better yet, Jan doesn’t bail out on you as soon as he has your money.

Ross    (Flying RV-7A / SuperEggeroo)

OK guys, I am new here.  As an Airline pilot I am inherently a chicken.  If we have a problem it is just a simple write-up in the maint. log and the problem is solved.  Until about a week ago I would have called anyone using an auto engine in an aircraft as foolish.  Now my mind is open and I am willing to learn.  I myself have had two power interruptions in Lycoming engines, one in a PT-6 turbine and one in a
General Electric turbine.   So maybe trying something different is in order.    

Lance