Category: Uncategorized

Builders:

Below is a look at Dan Weseman’s 3.3 liter Corvair being prepared for installation on the Panther prototype. This engine was dynamometer tested with impressive results.  The prototype ‘s  original 3.0 liter engine is migrating to Paul Salter’s new Panther, which is just coming back from the paint shop, and will be completed and at Oshkosh. Paul’s  airframe will be the 8th Panther to fly.

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Above, the Wesemans make perfect baffling kits for many different Corvair powered airframes. Their most popular sets are for zeniths, Panthers and Cleanexs , but they have also made them for planes like the Bearhawk LSA. Every part it perfectly shaped, formed and comes with all the holes drilled. They are matched hole tooled, and fit the nosebowls perfectly, no trimming required. The parts shown above can be put on the engine in 30 minutes, it takes about an hour to install the silicone rubber seal strips. The kit not only provides a clean quick installation. It has excellent cooling. 

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This type of cooling is on 95% of successful air cooled planes like RV’s and Cessna’s because it works. Look up the concept of a ‘plenum chamber’ and it says a large volume of pressurized air in a container designed to allow the air to slow down and have the pressure equalize. The system above does this task better than a set of ducts because it has much greater volume,  and that means the airflow will slow down and minimize currents and inertia that can cause the air to flow unequally through different parts of the cooling fins. Picture a white water river and a broad slow moving river that are flowing the same gallon per hour rate.  The fast moving white water will have eddies and currents and pockets behind obstructions vs the slow moving flow bathes each obstruction equally, flowing smoothly and completely around it. That is the very idea of a ‘plenum chamber’ and a low volume ‘plenum’ without the chamber doesn’t do the same job.

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This is a good angle to see that this system doesn’t have a ‘choke point’ above the front cylinders. It has a very large crossectional area there to slow the flow down and not form a restriction.

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Look at how easy getting at the spark plugs is, and nothing has to be removed to perform a compression test to inspect the top of the engine or head gasket area.

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Above, having the starter on the front allows the oil filter to ride back on the engine instead of remotely mounted on the firewall. 17 years ago I pioneered mounting the filter on the firewall and using rear starters, but was open minded enough to revert to improved front starter systems and gold oil filter housings because they work better for builders. More than 90% of Corvair powered planes are configured this way for a reason: it works.

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For the same reason a large volume plenum works for the engine , the oil cooler works vastly better directly fed by the air in the plenum addressing the whole face of the cooler rather than being fed a current down a hose. Pictured above is a 9 row cooler. This is the same size and installation I built for Andy Elliot’s zenith that flew more than 600 hours without issue in the Arizona desert. It works. Having the cooler on the engine keeps the hoses shorter and they move together with the engine and cooler as a unit, not flexing in operation.

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The rear view shows how high the rear baffle is on a panther. This is a good thing, it adds to the volume in the ‘plenum chamber’ of air above the motor. Some humans may like the look of ducts, but the air flowing through the motor doesn’t care that the inside of the cowling is forming the top of the ‘plenum chamber’ it is using.  Air doesn’t have an ego, and it isn’t attached to defending something it thought up nor does air have feelings that got hurt because someone was ‘rude’ to it. Air just works to cool things in proven systems. It’s just physics.

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Builders,

Below is a story written by my brother in law, John Nerges. It contains his personal perspective on Memorial Day, the culmination of serving 30 years in the US Army, and being the son of a WWII combat veteran. For many of us, it is the chance to see our country through a different set of eyes this day.

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The officer in the center of the photo above is my brother-in-law John Nerges. The above photo was taken in the Eisenhower Suite at Walter Reed. He was head of the nurses in the intensive care ward at Walter Reed Army Medical Center. On that day, 11 February 2005,  John was being promoted to Lieutenant Colonel. Although he was Airborne and Air Assault qualified, and had been deployed with both the 82nd and 101st Divisions, the focal point of John’s career was the care for severely wounded soldiers.  My sister Alison, herself a critical care nurse, left, and my father, a career naval officer, right, pinned on John’s insignia. It was a very moving ceremony where John’s promotion was read by a recovering, severely wounded Army helicopter pilot. The pilot’s mother was on hand to thank John and his staff personally for saving her daughter’s life. With characteristic humility, John said the credit was entirely for his staff. It was a most memorable day in my family’s history in many years. John had said that his only regret was that his own father, a veteran of World War II fighting in Burma, did not live to share the day with him.

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John’s letter:

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Friends,

Most of the things I write are meant to be funny, musical cats and dogs and a swipe at pop culture. Allow me to share my thoughts on Memorial Day and get this off my chest. Memorial day is when we honor our War Dead.

When I Goggled Memorial Day to codify my thoughts, the word “Sales” came up 3#. If I go into Lowes today, I get a pretty big discount being a veteran. But it’s a conflict. I didn’t die in war so why should I get 15% of all purchases. The young man below Arlington isn’t going to need “Super Savings at Wal-Mart” today.

The Google search also gave me this:

“Memorial Day, an American holiday observed on the last Monday of May, honors men and women who died while serving in the U.S. military. Originally known as Decoration Day, it originated in the years following the Civil War and became an official federal holiday in 1971. Many Americans observe Memorial Day by visiting cemeteries or memorials, holding family gatherings and participating in parades. Unofficially, at least, it marks the beginning of summer.”

This tradition makes me proud of the United States. To my way of thinking, nations that do this this are better than those that do not. When a country honors the fallen, speaks volumes about the people.

Here is my struggle; Today’s military enjoys unrivaled support but with a hidden price. My friend is a Viet Nam vet. During an extremely intimate conversation about war, he told me he resents it when somebody tells him: “Thanks for your service”. To him, it feels like a catch phrase. Now if you met him, you would never know his feelings, he keeps his anger in check and is extremely gracious and affable. But I understand him. He is mad because people didn’t thank him for his service in 1970, they spit on him and much worse. It’s a burden he hides from most, he allowed me to see as a brother in arms. In my dark times, I suspect that slogan means more to the sender than me. I know those who breath these words don’t have any ill will but the reality is I don’t always trust catch phrase on Memorial Day.

My own hidden burden is this: as an Army Nurse, I look at every death on my watch as a loss, a failure on my part not to take better care of soldiers. It’s not a pathological sentiment but a product of my experience. I have seen an awful lot of death in 30 years of service. I know acceptance is inevitable or I would go insane. Don’t worry; I am ok today. But a soldier’s death is proof of our powerlessness. When you talk to a vet, there is usually more going on behind blue eyes than we let on, it’s nobody’s fault but it requires sensitivity.

So when well meaning friends and strangers say: “Thank you for your service”, sometimes, like Memorial day, it reminds me that I failed every KIA, whether on the battlefield, in Walter Reed’s ICU or alone from suicide.

I believe all soldiers, sailors, airmen, marines, coast guards, contractors and military families deserve the nations gratitude but if you could hold off until 11/11, or at least Tuesday, that would be great, just not on the last Monday in May. Let’s reserve those accolades for those who died from war or preparation for war, too soon, too futile, too courageous. Too many.

It would be really bad form to point this out when people offer support. I know there is good will in their hearts. This is my conflict and why I am writing now. I don’t want to discourage anybody from “thanking a vet” on Memorial Day. I want to encourage people to be more mindful.

What I would like to hear instead of

“Thank you for your service” is

“I am grateful to those who died for our country”.

Me too.

Now its time to turn to happier sentiments. We are grateful for the support. I love summer and Memorial Day is opening day for summer fun. I love me some “Ten dollars off at Ace Hardware” as much as the next guy. I am no suggesting we walk around morose for a 4-day weekend. What I am suggesting to change our thinking, just a little bit. If you have a moment, close your eyes and feel that swirl behind your eyes, the kind that shows up with a tear and thank our nation’s War Dead. In the midst of our political season, lets keep these thoughts sacred and honorable. I think we are slightly out of balance. So when you are finished with reflection, go have a blast and see you at IHOP.

Thanks for reading and have a great summer.

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Builders:

Featured run of the day;  2700 cc with Weseman bearing, all gold systems and a very detailed installation. 

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Mike Weavers uncovered Pietenpol air camper at Corvair College 38. This was the first time the engine ever started. After 3 seconds of cranking it fired right off and then ran great.

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Builders;

Below is the running 2700 cc Corvair of Jim Boyer, destined to power his Piet. It was the first engine to run at college #38.

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Above, the quality sport  planes hangar in Cloverdale  CA, they are Zeniths west coast dealer . This is the third college we have held there. 2016 marks our 13th year of working with the Heintz family, we have held 7 Colleges at their shops, participated in more than ten open houses, and displayed planes in their booth at both Oshkosh and Sun n Fun since 2004. Over the years more than 100 Corvair powered Zeniths have flown, and we have about twice that number of active builders who are learning to be experts on their own engines, progressing toward their own day in the sun .

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Builders,

Today Woody and I are packing for CC 38.

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Above, Woody’s 2,850 cc 601XL-B. As of yesterday, it had 499.3 hours on the Hobbs. 

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-WW.

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Builders,

After a long productive stay at Chino, I have packed up and driven 500 miles north to prep for Corvair College #38.

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I took the coastal route out of LA for the first time in 24 years. I got to know Malibu in 1982, when is still had  elements of the world that inspired Brian Wilson, In 1992, they were faded thoughts. As I drove through on Saturday afternoon, there was nothing detectable left, and perhaps no one left to care about it either. 

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Things got better by the Ventura County line,  Oxnard had changed little, but Santa Barbara looked overbuilt, and I made a good decision to take the very steep route 154 over the coastal mountains and travel inland to a more desolate part of the state.

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154 leads into Los Padres National Forrest, and from there you can hook up with 101 again and run 160 miles north to Salinas, through rolling golden hills , broken only by vineyards and little farm towns. The contrast to Malibu was astounding, it was hard to picture them on the same planet far less in the same state.  It was pretty enough that I stopped at a quiet rest area at mile marker 256 at sunset, in a few hours there were a billion stars out, and I camped  out right there, enjoying a solitary night that brought back a lot of what I love about the most geographically diverse state in the nation. 5 am brought first light, and I drove on to Vacaville to meet Woody Harris, the local host of CC 38.

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Above, Woody stand with his grandson at the historical NutTree airport in Vacaville. CC 38 is two hours north at Cloverdale. Woody is holding the Cherry Grove Trophy, which he was awarded last year at CC 35.  His grandson is experiencing at lot of success racing karts on road race tracks. He is a very sharp kid, but some of it may be attributable to his Grandfather having ‘car jobs’ like heading up McLarens North American efforts. Sometimes it isn’t who you know, but who loves you.

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Above, sunrise on 101, near Bradley.

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-ww.

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Builders,

This started out as a joke between Earl Brown and myself at CC #36 in Texas. I said that I was thinking of new college locations, and Kevin mentioned that he and Shelley are relocating to Tyler TX in the future. I said I’m sure it’s nice but I was thinking of something really different like the island of Martinique in the French West Indies.

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Thus it began, and for the two day’s following the college, Earl and I spun and evermore elaborate tale contrasting what CC #58 would be like vs Kevin’s future in Tyler. It evolved to Corvair powered amphibians on beaches with topless French women and our own personal bartender named “Henri ” vs Kevin driving a minivan to Tyler PTA meetings for his yet to be conceived grandchildren. Mind you, neither Earl nor I have been within 500 miles of Martinique, but details like that should never get in the way of teasing a close friend.

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OK, into the picture comes Corvair/Piet builder Stuart Snow to last Week’s CC #37.  Stu has actually been to Martinique in an official capacity; he was part of the White House secure communications team when G Bush 41 met Miterand of France there for a US-French summit meeting. Stu reports that half the stuff that Earl and I dreamed up actually happens to be real……..and so I have signed him on as communications director for CC #58. That is why he is holding the sign which says “Sorry Kevin”.  

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As a foot note Stu added that as much as we think of Airforce one, Miterand traveled on the Concorde, and after watching it leave with 150,000 pounds of thrust from four afterburning jet engines, he decided that afterburners and Mach 2 is really how the head of state should travel.

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-ww. 

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Builders;

 Here is a short video of the last Corvair to run at CC #37, this was the engine that Kiku Williams was assembling.

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In the video the engine is cooling down at 1,000 rpm after a full 40 minute break in run.  The engine is a rebuild and a partial update.  It flew 150 hrs years ago, but was removed from the damaged airframe after an acquaintance of the former owner botched a landing attempt from 20 feet in the air. Since then the engine got a full tear down and inspection, a different crank, a 5th bearing, gold oil system, and a 2400-L starter system. it retains the old black hub and bolt on head pipes.

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Builders,

It is the middle of a quiet peaceful night here, but my thoughts are drawn 4,500 miles away, to the people of France and the day they are waking up to live in. In the last 245 years, France has been on the cutting edge of a number of threats to Western Civilization. The French people have faced despotic monarchy, the ‘Reign of terror’, a dictator, world war, fascism, and international terrorism, without ever wavering from their fundamental belief in democracy and human freedom. A handful of zealots can extract a terrible cost, but they will never change the national will of the people who have been tireless supporters of individuality, democracy and reason since the phrase “the Enlightenment” was first spoken.

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If you don’t know Albert Camus, take a moment to Google search his name and ‘quotes’ to get a glance at one of the greatest philosophers of the 20th Century. I do not agree with everything he said, but his commentary on searching for meaning and value in a world that seemingly offers neither, deeply resonates with me. Camus was a man of change, he was a pacifist who came to fight in the resistance, a communist who came to hate all totalitarians, an idealist who found ethically defensible ways of living in the real world. Won the Nobel prize for literature at age 44, killed in a car accident at age 46 in 1960.

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My personal trident of inspirational French people is Camus, The painter Paul Gauguin, and environmentalist/adventurer Jacques Cousteau. They each played a very important role in keeping French thought and ideals at the forefront of the world stage at critical times. Each of them practiced their ‘art’ with elan and great personal integrity. Far too many Americans have an opinion of France that was provided for them by the media. Before swallowing one, people should go to Arlington Cemetery and learn that our own Tomb of the Unknown is sitting on 2″ of French soil, provided with the greatest of respect, that our nation’s son “Known but to God” who died in France in 1918 would eternally rest with the appreciation of the people of France.  Find more thoughts here: French Aviation to be admired.

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-ww.

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Builders.

This is the ‘Sources Reference page’, the single location for builders to understand where particular engine parts come from. The numerical listing below is directly from my 2014 conversion manual. It has been abbreviated to distill it down to the parts it takes to complete and run an engine at A Corvair College.

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The new development this year (2015) is Dan Weseman of SPA/Panther and myself now cover the full list of parts. In years past, we have had others provide some of the parts or an optional 5th bearing. But today, for the sake of builder progress, getting this done faster, and simplifying the process. Some of the old sources still make a trickle of parts, but Dan and I have committed to making the investment of great amounts of time and money to mass produce the parts and stock them. In years past, having an item like heads made by a guy who treated the task as a part time hobby lead to the number of successful builders being limited by one suppliers unwillingness to address the demand. From here forward, the number of successful builders will be determined only by the number of builders motivated to learn build and fly.

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Since 2011 we have held four Corvair Colleges per year, and in 2016, we are looking at raising the pace to five or even six Colleges. In years past I was always more than fair about bringing in smaller suppliers and encouraging builders to consider their work, but I have moved away from this because the smaller suppliers never took meeting the actual needs of builders seriously. Today I have no problem if a builder brings a set of Falcon heads or a Roy bearing to a college to finish his engine, but any builder getting started now, should just follow the sources below, because it is the proven way to make progress now. It is much easier for Dan and I to coordinate to make sure every builder get all the parts he needs, and they are fully compatible. Dan works most of the Corvair Colleges with me to demonstrate and supervise the installation and assembly of his products. If you are planning on assembling your engine at a College, utilizing a Crank, 5th bearing and heads from Dan makes sense.

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Notes on this reference page: Groups marked with a WW are from us, Flycorvair.com. Our products page is here: http://www.flycorvair.com/products.html .  Groups marked with SPA, are from Dan and Rachel Weseman, their site is here: http://flywithspa.com/corvair/ .  Below many of the group listings are links to go to stories about that specific group. At the bottom of the page are a set of links to stories about up to date sources and specific engines. This page will be continuously updated.

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Above, Dan Weseman and I stand in my front yard; This was the first run of the Panther’s engine. Although we have fully independent businesses, our products, teaching and philosophy mesh, and this directly works for both builder progress and learning. I have known Dan for almost 15 years, and for the past 10 we have lived at the same small grass airport. For each of us, homebuilding isn’t a hobby nor even a job, it is a calling. Over 25 years of work with homebuilders it has long been obvious to me that every new homebuilder needs trusted and experienced mentors, who painstakingly acquired the knowledge and experience the new builders are working to master.  A successful plane is built from a comprehensive plan, guided by mentors who know the skills from making the first part to flying it.  Dan and I have both have a very long track record of being this kind of guide to countless homebuilders.

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Corvair Flight Engine Conversion Groups And Parts Numbering System:

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1000- Crankshaft group – SPA

Sources: Group 1000, Crankshaft

1100- Camshaft group –  WW

Sources: Group 1100, Camshaft.

1200- Crankcase group – SPA (If building a 3,000 cc engine)

Sources: Closing a case

1300- Piston and rod group – WW 2,775 cc  SPA 3,000 cc and 3.3L

Sources: Choosing a displacement.

1400- Cylinder group – WW 2,775 cc  SPA 3,000 cc and 3.3L

2,775 cc Pistons are here.

3,000 cc Corvair Engine Details

1500- Head group – SPA

Sources: Group 1500 – New cylinder head source

1600- Valve train group – WW

1700- Head clamping hardware group – WW

1800- Steel engine cooling baffles group – WW

1900- Valve cover group – WW

E-mail Now: Custom Valve Covers Available Through Monday

2000- Rear oil case group – WW

High Volume Oil Pump

2100- Harmonic balancer group – Clarks Corvairs

2200- Oil pan group – WW

2400- Starter group – WW

2400-L Starter

2500- Hub group – WW

2600- Top oil group – WW

2650- Oil filter group – WW

2700- Stock oil cooler group – From your core engine

2800- Heavy duty oil cooler group – WW

2900- Standard charging system group – WW

Front and Rear alternators, their part in numbering system

2950- Rear charging system group – SPA

2970- Alternator group – SPA

3000- Weseman 5^th bearing group – SPA

Sources: Choosing a 5th Bearing

3050- 5^th bearing oil line group – WW

3300- Ignition group – WW

E/P and E/P-X Ignition systems, (3301E/P and E/P-X)

Ignition system, experimental “E/E-T”