On 7/29 Troy Maynor wrote --
>> I've been considering using the Subaru EA81 myself for my Europa. I've read
>> a lot on how reliable and "ideal" the engine is for aircraft conversion.
But now
>> I'm having second thoughts. Of all the Subaru failures in the Europa does
>> anyone know what the causes are? ie. fuel supply, ignition, overheating and
>> mechanical failure? Is it the engine failing or the ancilliaries supporting
it?
There have been at least three incidnts/accidents involving Subaru
failures in Europas. One was a redrive failure; the other causes I
believe remain undetermined. I recall reading a web page where someone
gathered all NTSB reports of auto engine coversion failures -- most
common cause looked like installation problems (fuel and electrical
failures).
I just returned from Oshkosh '98, and on display there was Lynn Elsner's
Europa (nice aircraft). He has put on 160 trouble-free hours on
a Subaru Legacy (95 hp), direct drive installation. He cites performance
numbers better than a Rotax 912, at the expense of higher fuel burn
(throttle back to 912-performance and fuel consumption is low). His empty
weight, though, is 960 pounds, and noise level is high.
The principal issue, as I see it, is you're on your own in doing the
installation, and Lynn had help from a Subaru conversion guru. Europa
is not high on Subarus, because 1) they haven't experimented
with it, and 2) the Subaru is heavier and consequently affects both the
useful load and the flight characteristcis due to the greater inertial
force on the nose of the airplane.
Hope this helps...
Regards,
Fred Fillinger
Europa A063
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