Power limitations

[Bradrock]

In reading about which engines are appropriate, it is mentioned that 260hp is the upper number due to engine weight. Is this also the structural limit for power available, or if you had a light engine could you then use the extra available power?
I'm guessing someone has asked Bob this question.

[John Rheney]

I suppose you could put as much power up front as could be accommodated by wt & bal but you would still be limited to the structural never exceed air speed which, IIRC, is 178 mph.

john

[Bradrock]

That's promising. Thanks. Does anyone else have some input on this one?...

[jaredyates]

That's promising. Thanks. Does anyone else have some input on this one?...

I've had the good fortune to ride in three 360-powered Bearhawks so far, including David Bice's from his 6000-foot elevation airport. None of the three fell short of my expectations for performance. Each has his own mission, but it seems to me that shoehorning the biggest possible engine into a Bearhawk is a process likely to have more of an impact on your wallet and empty weight than anything else. The guys with 230hp have real rocketships, at an average premium of 100 pounds and $10k cost. The question of whether 300hp is possible might be rather moot in the context of asking why you would want it in the first place. Is 2000 feet per minute not enough of a climb rate? Bigger is not always better, especially when it comes to airplanes. Every extra horsepower or accessory has a cost in dollars and or pounds.

[Enewton57]

In reading about which engines are appropriate, it is mentioned that 260hp is the upper number due to engine weight. Is this also the structural limit for power available, or if you had a light engine could you then use the extra available power? I'm guessing someone has asked Bob this question.

Really no limit given on horsepower, but weight (CG) and VNE are the limiting factors. I've seen a couple of Bearhawks with 300 HP engines and at least one is being built with a Turbine engine with Bob's blessing.

[Bradrock]

I'm certainly not chasing massive horsepower. Given the potential availability of an engine that weighs 258 pounds and puts out 290 HP, I was interested to ascertain if there was any danger in using up the available power, or if the airframe was a limitation.

[schu]

I think that at 200HP Bob o-360 (parallel case with angle cyls) is the perfect engine for a bearhawk for most uses, however if you plan on using floats you can never have enough HP.