europa-list
[Top] [All Lists]

Re: Europa-List: Re: JABIRU 3300 BRAND NEW OVER TEMPERATURE DURING TAXI

Subject: Re: Europa-List: Re: JABIRU 3300 BRAND NEW OVER TEMPERATURE DURING TAXI
From: Bud Yerly <budyerly@msn.com>
Date: Thu, 14 Apr 2011 20:18:37
Just a note on Jabiru 3300 (solid lifter) cooling issues on the ground 
and in the air that we've experienced here at Custom Flight Creations.

We just finished about 100 hours of research and development trying to 
get Dr. John Kershner's Jabiru with the nice looking Andy Silvester Cowl 
to cool.  Propeller is a 64 inch Sensenich Wood Prop.

We drew heavily upon Sonnex, Jabiru techs and our own John Lawton's 
success.

We have built a similar looking but two part lunch box over cylinder 
duct for ease of accessibility and maintenance.  The duct is part metal 
and fiberglass.  The between cylinder barrel and head gaps were 
extensively worked to optimize airflow, cooling pressures and heat 
extraction.
Extensive work was done to try to direct and augment airflow through the 
square heads.  (You know, air doesn't like to go around square corners 
or over and around those wires.)

Our results are very promising.  Taxi for 25 minutes before the hottest 
cylinder gets to 275F at 80 F outside no wind.  I can live with that.

Climb is possible to 3000 AGL at 75 KIAS and Max Continuous before we 
hit 304F  (80F outside temp) then we must retard the throttle and 
accelerate to 90 IAS to keep the cylinders cool.  At max continuous, it 
will stay right at max temp, however when we reapply full power, we are 
greeted again by temps going above redline, which is not acceptable.

The cowl exit has been extensively modified as the supplied duct on the 
bottom has proven to be a ram air intake so we added a cowl flap to get 
a better draw.  The cowl inlets are a bit small for the fin spacing as 
air rapidly goes through the fins without picking up the heat.  The 
spacing of the cylinders fins and their thickness are partially to blame 
on the old engines, but we can't fix that.  The new engines were 
refined, but alas are not interchangeable with the older engine.

Oil Temps in the climb and 110 Knot cruise are within limits, thanks to 
a well sealed oil cooler, however, the oil temperature went up as speed 
increased above 120 KIAS at max continuous due to the poor design of the 
NACA and oil cooler placement.  Yes it is true, as the speed goes up the 
air stalls at the oil cooler and decreases its efficiency to nil.  More 
work needed, but trying to do it without messing up his paint is a pain.

The engine at cruise will die if the carb heat is pulled and then the 
throttle retarded so we have a carburation issue still.  It is just too 
lean it seems.  Many things may be at play.  We'll investigate one at a 
time.

Shock cooling is a pain so the inlet has a dam on the front cylinders to 
help out, but it bears watching.  We lazy Rotax people normally don't 
have to go to the cooling page of the EIS as part of our descent check, 
so make it part of your crosscheck.

To our friend in Argentina:
Thanks to Johns Lawton's and the Jabiru crowd's research, the mixture 
per cylinder has been identified as a problem in some of the stock 
engines.  The induction system we found is prone to small leaks which 
leans the cylinders and causes high EGT and CHT.  We are pulling the 
carb (again) to take out the owner installed lean kit.  The smooth bore 
inlet to the carb is a good idea, but please ensure the hose clamps and 
rubber and gasket parts in the induction are sealing well.  Also, the 
induction hose must be able to hold its shape and still be flexible 
enough to take engine movement.  If that tube collapses your engine 
dies.  My experience has been if your cylinders are running hot and the 
EGT is high, fix the induction, by either fixing air leaks, jetting the 
carb differently or moving the mixture clip or both.  I have not tried 
rotating the carb off axis.

John Kershner's plane was a 95 knot trigear and now goes 127 knots at 
max continuous with a speed kit properly installed and some cooling drag 
massaging.  I was surprised that the 100HP 912S goes faster, but then 
again, prop speed and size and a gearbox multiplies the torque so they 
are about even as far as engines go with fixed pitch props.

The Jabiru USA Rep, Pete K, was emphatic that tuning and cooling issues 
were best answered by using a Sensenich 62 inch wood prop.  As the 
engine rpm passes 2750 or so, torque drops off and engine horsepower 
increases with engine speed but not a lot of extra power is felt.  
Propeller airplanes fly on torque so his assumptions make sense when 
comparing engine charts side by side.  Most guys don't consider the 
torque multiplier of the 2.43 gearbox on a Rotax. The Rotax prop turns 
slower at 2250 RPM which looses out in potential thrust on a short 64 
inch prop where as the short bladed Jabiru turns near 2750 RPM at max 
continuous.  But it burns more gas turning that fast.   

The Jabiru is a nice looking engine that came on line before all the 
bugs were worked out, in my opinion, and it is a bit of time and 
patience to get it right.  I have watched many folks on the net and 
after about 2 years of tinkering it works OK.  

I just had to look at it myself, as I have avoided the Jabiru in the 
past as heavier, thirstier, and harder to cool.  I can make a Rotax cool 
with my eyes closed assembling the FWF.  But what is life without 
challenges...  I have put a couple thou of my own money into working out 
the deficiencies for my owners at the shop and we may do a cooling 102 
on the Jab for those suffering in silence who are still willing to 
experiment...  If it works, parts will be made available.

Here's hoping that we get all the bugs out.

Best Regards,
Bud Yerly
Still recovering from Sun 'n Fun.
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: AirEupora<mailto:AirEupora@sbcglobal.net> 
  To: europa-list@matronics.com<mailto:europa-list@matronics.com> 
  Sent: Tuesday, April 12, 2011 10:05 AM
  Subject: Europa-List: Re: JABIRU 3300 BRAND NEW OVER TEMPERATURE 
DURING TAXI


<AirEupora@sbcglobal.net<mailto:AirEupora@sbcglobal.net>>

  I can not address this problem as I have not run my engine, but I was 
told by Jim McCormick to build a square box in front of the carburetor.  
I'll include a couple of pictures.


  Read this topic online here:


http://forums.matronics.com/viewtopic.php?p=336709#336709<http://forums
.matronics.com/viewtopic.php?p=336709#336709>


  Attachments: 


http://forums.matronics.com//files/carb_box_021_853.jpg<http://forums.mat
ronics.com//files/carb_box_021_853.jpg>


http://www.matronics.com/Navigator?Europa-List<http://www.matronics.com/N
avigator?Europa-List>


http://www.matronics.com/contribution<http://www.matronics.com/contributi
on>



<Prev in Thread] Current Thread [Next in Thread>