Engine selection question?

[DBeaulieu]

Has anyone considered powering a Patrol with the UL Power 520 engine? I think that typically a builder should go with what the designer suggests (and in this case that would be some form of the -360 engine) - but, those engines are getting harder to find and reasonable cost and time factors keep increasing. Thoughts and inputs appreciated!

Dave

[Nev]

By all accounts they are a very capable and lightweight engine with a respectable power to weight ratio. I like that they have temperature and altitude compensation built in. The engine mount might be a challenge for the first installation.

[Utah-Jay]

Gonna likely be a CG issue with the lighter weight. I talked to Mark about engine options, the response was along the lines of we would love to see you do it. Someone has to be the pioneer, but it was not gonna be me

[Mark Goldberg]

A customer building a 4 place BH in Poland has already built an engine mount and hung a UL 520 on his fuselage.. Not a Patrol but someone is doing it on 4 place. Mark

[DBeaulieu]

I imagine the engine mount would be a bit longer to offset the weight reduction WRT a O-360 variant and the longer cowl might be an issue with visual line of sight during taxi maybe? The UL Power maintenance guy at Kaolin Aviation doesn't think it would be an issue to create a proper mount once he had some specs on datum and CG range for the Patrol. Guess I should order the plans and start looking at things while I wait on my Q/B kit...

[zkelley2]

The only thing I've ever disliked about those engines is their marketing. They rate them at 3300rpm. I think they put 2800 numbers now, but before you'd have to ask for a dyno chart to see what it's actually going to make at a speed a prop can spin.

[DBeaulieu]

I learned this week that UL Power make an engine base plate that will accept a Dynafocal mount. Also an adaptor of different lengths to obtain F/W distance as requried for CG. Makes that 180 Hp UL520 a bit more enticing...

[Sir Newton]

IMHO, a Patrol with UL520T @220hp is would be the bees knees.. ya know imho
Ser# 444 is mine. oh yes !
Do not let Fear & Common sense hold you back :-)

[flyboy]

A couple of weeks ago a local pilot flying his Rans S21 with the UL 520T had the crankshaft break in two. It had about 50 hrs on it. The cause is being investigated.

[paulodonnell]

Following this thread, my Patrol QB kit is due into Ireland in the next couple of weeks.....I'm getting the SP version and hope to add Clamar or Zenith amphibs at a later stage as my house is right on a very large lake with its own dock; and in an amazing coincidence has seaplane operations already approved and marked on our charts from some previous entrepreneur who aspired to run a water borne commuter service but never came to fruition. Having the location sorted is the really hard bit... now the fun starts!

know the easiest thing is just to pop a Lycosaur 360/375 in the Patrol but I keep getting tempted by those lovely Mogas burning UL Power motors. I saw they are having a training day in Belgium on the 1st March coming so I've booked myself in for that. Will be interesting to see how they might suggest me squeezing in a UL520T 220HP motor or perhaps its non turbo 170HP variant into the Patrol... I'm told they will do weight/balance caIcs and fabricate a bespoke motor mount too.

As Mark mentioned above another Bearhawk builder in Poland is going this route but I haven't been able to make contact with him...

[DBeaulieu]

Having been a satisfied owner of a 350iS engine, II seriously considered that route also. The eventual factor that dissuaded me (though real or perceived) was the likely factor of the extended mounting distance of the engine and cowling so far forward. I think it would have been too limiting to see over the nose adequately when required. On floats permanently, I suspect not so much a factor.

[alaskabearhawk]

There is no replacement for displacement when it comes to floats…just sayin’.

[paulodonnell]

I'll report my findings after the Belgian factory visit...I've a funny feeling the 520T is somewhere around the weight of an I0-360 those 220 horses sure would be a good combo on floats I think... not seeing over the nose doesn't bother me much , landings in the Extra300 + CAP are forward blind once you flare at 80Kts! I think the 520is is some 30kG lighter and I guess that a nose stretch required.... almost the weight of two full jerry cans. That's a lot to loose!

[geraldmorrissey]

I'll probably go with a Continental 0-300. I love the smoothness. I have a fair number of hours behind one and I am familiar with maintaining one. Less horsepower then a Lyc but I'm OK with that. Plus I think it will give a nice shape to the nose. Fixed pitch prop. Plus I know where I can get one out of a wind damaged Cessna. If money were no object, maybe a Deltahawk. UL 520 sounds interesting. Will follow this string with interest.

[Utah-Jay]

I love the idea of the DeltaHawk engine, 180hp with good power retention up to 13K is a win. Jet fuel is not going away, and in lots of places is cheaper than Av-Gas. It is the initial cost that is the roadblock at this point.

IF I was gonna build another plane (doubt my marriage would survive it) I would either put in the DeltaHawk or the Rotax 916. But you know Rotax has to have a 180hp hidden away somewhere.

I just like the idea of having modern technology driving my fan

[jim.mclaughlin924]

I have a Titan IO-360 parallel valve engine in my Patrol with about 150 hrs so far. Made 192 hp on dyno and I can burn 91 octane no alcohol pump gas. No problems and starts like car. Trailblazer prop. Something would have to be a whole lot better for me to consider the effort and risk to try something else. Not sure the useful hp of an engine designed for 3300 rpm is going to be much different in a Bearhawk or similar.

[paulodonnell]

UL Spec is 220 HP at 2700 RPM to 15,000 ft. not 3300, for sure though it would be a lot less hassle to drop in the Titan - 192 is a pretty good figure too!

[Bcone1381]

Hey Jim, Have you been running Mogas in it? I'm curious anything special needs to be done to keep the fuel system ahead of the firewall cool to prevent the gas from boiling in the lines.

(Group, I ask because he and I have (I assume) a mechanical Bendix style FI. Carbs are good to go with mogas, but Peterson never STC'd a FI engine for mogas due to this issue.)