At Zenith Aircraft Company we work hard to produce designs and airframe kits that are affordable for amateur first-time aircraft homebuilders to build, own, and operate. Corvair engine guru William Wynne and FlyCorvair apply the same philosophy to light aircraft engines for builders, keeping the engines affordable to build and operate. Individuals who "build" their own Corvair engine following Wynne's instructions and methods end up with an affordable light aircraft engine for their homebuilt (kit) airplane, while also learning the skills to maintain the engine. William Wynne and FlyCorvair have contributed significantly to affordable homebuilt aviation over many years. Good video Bryan and William.
I sent William a message once to order a manual and ask a couple questions. He never wrote back. HE CALLED ME!! We chatted for 45 min! What a GREAT guy!! Hr has so much info in his head I think he has to talk to people or all that info will make his head explode! Love this guy. Cant wait to meet him! On my bucket list!
Never met the guy but I can tell from the way he talks and the comment's he's a wealth of knowledge and true gentleman. If I ever build a experimental aircraft I would certainly consider a corvair engine from him. Fly safe from Australia 🇦🇺 🙏 👌 👍
From personal experience, I’ll say that once you go from a 4-cylinder engine to a 6, you’ll never be satisfied with only 4. You can Feel and hear the confidence inspiring difference from the cockpit.
I was intrigued by the twin Corvair plane. It looks like it would be a great project for a young guy, or several young guys to build and get a twin-engine rating.
Has anyone every tried to get new engine blocks made. You would think with the success this engine someone would have tried to by now. They do it for vw engine blocks.
Awesome option for experimental aircraft! Not too keen on the Fram filters though - generally thought of as substandard in the automotive do it yourself groups.
What about the quality of the crankshafts now? I followed Mark Langford's KR2S with interest but he broke 3 crankshafts. The last one had the radius tricks and the 5th bearing.
Forgive my ignorance about this topic but has anyone installed a Honda flat 6 Gold Wing motorcycle engine (1800 cc) in a small plane? Seems like it would be a natural fit. Just curious. Once upon a time I worked for the BMW motorcycle distributor in California and they were trying to develop the horizontally opposed twin for aircraft use for a customer but the project never went anywhere.
@Experimental Aircraft Channel Thank you....I have heard of Honda 4 cylinder and V6 automobile engines used but not a Gold Wing 6. They're supposed to be super reliable with plenty of power.
Big issue with motorcycle engines is that the transmission and motor are one unit, would require a lot of work to just have a stand-alone engine separated from the gearbox.
Great video. 2 questions. 1 Any gear reduction options where we can spin the motor at 4000-5000rpm and develop more power? 2 any forced induction options? If so how much boost can they reliably stand and what’s the max power can they endure?
GREAT QUESTIONS! Maybe Search: WW Fly Corvair on FB and join the "GROUP." Ask that question there. Lot's of interaction in that GROUP. Thanks for watching!
WW has been explaining his philosophy with the Corvair conversion for decades. He has definitely covered those bases and his thoughts on them in his copius amounts of prior writings. Can of worms questions for sure if you asked him directly. If he thought they were good ideas for Corvair flight engines, it would have been offered by him long ago.
@@Fjord_Driver good point. Some crazy guys like me may be willing to sacrifice reliability for performance. Also the amount of boost and power it can make is a measure of how strong they are...destructive testing, if I may...
@@ExperimentalAircraftChannel do you still sell complete engines? If you don't have a core what is the cost for a complete 2850 CI Corvair engine? How much impact does a turbo have on power? Fuel economy? TBO? Thank you for preserving the legacy and utility of a great engine.
@@J0HN_3_16 I recommend getting in touch with William Wynne (who sells and converts these engines). We just perform the interviews and bring the INFO to you. :-) Here is a link to William's page: flycorvair.net/shop/page/2/
I've watched this video a few times and I'm pretty convinced that I would like to buy a jabiru aircraft and convert it with a corvair engine here in Australia 🇦🇺
I'm going to have to look up differential compression tester as I've never heard of it? OK, leak down tester, same tool, different name. Seems the only difference is calibrated gauges? I'm not an aircraft person but I do 'play with engines', Are the thrust bearings up to having a prop pulling crank opposite direction to design (normally thrust will be from clutch or, if automatic, virtually no thrust on bearings. Is that why it needed the prop bearing conversion?
To be CLEAR it is an CAR ENGINE used in an AIRCRAFT. I am NOT a fan of automotive car engine to airplane conversion. HOWEVER because of the guy behind them, William Wynne of Fly Corvar I approve. Wynne admits in higher HP 160HP the Lyc O320 is hard to beat. If Corvair engines did not have Wynne and people were DYI'ing them with no clue the results would be very poor. He is also about education and safety not only in the engine but flying. He has a deep background in aviation. Still a Lyc guy but he is a hoot. I talked to him and he is honest in that he does not bash Lyc. Now other "engine pushers" hype their conversion (Honda) and they may be OK but....
How does a Corvair stand up for reliability? Because that's what counts for a light-plane engine. That's why the old Lycoming and Continental flat-four lumps are still the standard. Corvair engines haven't been in production for over fifty years, and they were never designed for monster reliability - they weren't much more than GM's low-cost VW competitor. Is Mr. Wynne's upgrade in manufacturing quality enough?
…unfortunately Ralph Nader has declared them to be unsafe at any speed…..People that don’t fully appreciate their tools forget that a previous generation invented those tools.
Only thing different from a car engine is that he put an oil filter relocator on it and move the starter. Guy never mentioned how much air flow cfms. The heads flow never mentioned the size of the cam duration. Never mentioned if they're forged or cast pistons or crank. If the engine is stroked or destroked. Never mentioned what kind of carburetor? What kind of distributor if it's locked out?. Never mentioned anything about the bolts. Is that guy reusing old bolts? Me personally I use ARP bolts and only use them once. The length of time it takes him to build a motor. Wow, that's long. It don't take that long to build a motor that dude don't know what he's talking about. I wouldn't trust his motor at all. Torque wrench you want to use one that has a needle not that digital junk Guy couldn't even answer real quick if you needed special tools. Yeah you do. But most of your tools and your toolbox are the tools to use. I don't even think you mentioned a micrometer. Sorry if anything spelled f***** up. I use voice chat.
Any plane designed to fly behind 100hp engines should be equipped with a WW Corvair conversion. There are many a good reason... 1) If you lose a cylinder (although I've never heard of it) on climb out you have 5 more making enough power to maintain altitude, if not climb a little. With a 4 cylinder Lycoming or Continental you ARE going to land very soon. This translates to extra SAFETY margins. 2) It usually comes in under the installed weight of the Lycoming or Continental. 3) You would NEVER be vauegely familiar with the engine you are trusting your life to, you would be THE builder, and as such, would know everything about the operational parameters of your engine. Those reasons are the primary ones, but a few more good ones.... 4) Cost of ownership is significantly reduced because with a 'repairman' certificate from FAA you do ALL inspections, maintenance and repair. 5) If you keep to the conversion manual compression ratio recommendations and ignition timing is well checked and set up correctly you can run her on just about any type gasoline, although I believe high test is the recommended auto fuel. One more reduction in cost of operation! 6) If you have maintained a 'builders log' and maintenance log for the motor it is insurable by several aviation insurance companies. 7) With the required 5th bearing and gold 'sandwich' adapter, front starter/ top plate assembly, and the other things for an installation like air/oil separator, a proper cowling, etc... you still come out way under half of what a certificated engine would cost from the box. If I do build a plane it will be powered by a WWFlyCorvair engine.
At Zenith Aircraft Company we work hard to produce designs and airframe kits that are affordable for amateur first-time aircraft homebuilders to build, own, and operate. Corvair engine guru William Wynne and FlyCorvair apply the same philosophy to light aircraft engines for builders, keeping the engines affordable to build and operate. Individuals who "build" their own Corvair engine following Wynne's instructions and methods end up with an affordable light aircraft engine for their homebuilt (kit) airplane, while also learning the skills to maintain the engine. William Wynne and FlyCorvair have contributed significantly to affordable homebuilt aviation over many years.
Good video Bryan and William.
I sent William a message once to order a manual and ask a couple questions. He never wrote back. HE CALLED ME!! We chatted for 45 min! What a GREAT guy!! Hr has so much info in his head I think he has to talk to people or all that info will make his head explode! Love this guy. Cant wait to meet him! On my bucket list!
That’s just excellent! I’d like to meet William as well.👍🏽👍🏽
Always enjoy hearing Mr. Wynne speak. A great communicator and instructor.
Great interview - I always learn something every time WW speaks!
Never met the guy but I can tell from the way he talks and the comment's he's a wealth of knowledge and true gentleman.
If I ever build a experimental aircraft I would certainly consider a corvair engine from him.
Fly safe from Australia 🇦🇺 🙏 👌 👍
I've talked to him at Oshkosh, he's a great guy.
What a great guy that William Wynne!
Holy cow, what a wealth of information!
I absolutely love Williams philosophy! Kind of makes you want to go out and build one just for the fun of it😊
Great interview! I just ordered a Corvair conversion manual.
Great interview
Corvair Powered Pietenpol is on my to-do list.
W.W. You rock bud!
Awesome video Bryan…If I ever get to build a plane, I think it will have a Corvair! Thanks to WW for all his insight.
Awesome series!!! Happy New Year!!! 🎉❤🎉
This been great information and interviews. Thanks
From personal experience, I’ll say that once you go from a 4-cylinder engine to a 6, you’ll never be satisfied with only 4. You can Feel and hear the confidence inspiring difference from the cockpit.
This is pretty cool that these Corvair engines are getting a second crack at life in Airplanes.
This is really good to know...
I was intrigued by the twin Corvair plane. It looks like it would be a great project for a young guy, or several young guys to build and get a twin-engine rating.
Owned a corvair ss years ago, don't remember displavement but ran well
Has anyone every tried to get new engine blocks made. You would think with the success this engine someone would have tried to by now. They do it for vw engine blocks.
Awesome option for experimental aircraft!
Not too keen on the Fram filters though - generally thought of as substandard in the automotive do it yourself groups.
Fram filters are not considered airworthy. Check the conversion manual. They are only used for the first run to collect build particulates.
very very good
What about the quality of the crankshafts now? I followed Mark Langford's KR2S with interest but he broke 3 crankshafts. The last one had the radius tricks and the 5th bearing.
I think I read that one of those failures was caused by the starter ring mounted to the small end of the crank.
I bought a New Corvair Monza Spyder Convertible when they were new on the dealers lots............ wonder if the engine is flying now ?.🤔
Maybe but not delivering 140hp if it is.
Forgive my ignorance about this topic but has anyone installed a Honda flat 6 Gold Wing motorcycle engine (1800 cc) in a small plane? Seems like it would be a natural fit. Just curious.
Once upon a time I worked for the BMW motorcycle distributor in California and they were trying to develop the horizontally opposed twin for aircraft use for a customer but the project never went anywhere.
I believe it has been done... but no one offering it as a conversion as a business.
@Experimental Aircraft Channel Thank you....I have heard of Honda 4 cylinder and V6 automobile engines used but not a Gold Wing 6. They're supposed to be super reliable with plenty of power.
Big issue with motorcycle engines is that the transmission and motor are one unit, would require a lot of work to just have a stand-alone engine separated from the gearbox.
I'm also doing research on aircraft engine
Great video. 2 questions. 1 Any gear reduction options where we can spin the motor at 4000-5000rpm and develop more power? 2 any forced induction options? If so how much boost can they reliably stand and what’s the max power can they endure?
GREAT QUESTIONS! Maybe Search: WW Fly Corvair on FB and join the "GROUP." Ask that question there. Lot's of interaction in that GROUP. Thanks for watching!
WW has been explaining his philosophy with the Corvair conversion for decades. He has definitely covered those bases and his thoughts on them in his copius amounts of prior writings. Can of worms questions for sure if you asked him directly. If he thought they were good ideas for Corvair flight engines, it would have been offered by him long ago.
@@Fjord_Driver good point.
Some crazy guys like me may be willing to sacrifice reliability for performance.
Also the amount of boost and power it can make is a measure of how strong they are...destructive testing, if I may...
@@ExperimentalAircraftChannel do you still sell complete engines? If you don't have a core what is the cost for a complete 2850 CI Corvair engine? How much impact does a turbo have on power? Fuel economy? TBO?
Thank you for preserving the legacy and utility of a great engine.
@@J0HN_3_16 I recommend getting in touch with William Wynne (who sells and converts these engines). We just perform the interviews and bring the INFO to you. :-) Here is a link to William's page: flycorvair.net/shop/page/2/
I've watched this video a few times and I'm pretty convinced that I would like to buy a jabiru aircraft and convert it with a corvair engine here in Australia 🇦🇺
we built an experimental in highschool with a karman ghia engine. the teacher flew it to oshkosh from long island.
I'm going to have to look up differential compression tester as I've never heard of it?
OK, leak down tester, same tool, different name. Seems the only difference is calibrated gauges?
I'm not an aircraft person but I do 'play with engines', Are the thrust bearings up to having a prop pulling crank opposite direction to design (normally thrust will be from clutch or, if automatic, virtually no thrust on bearings. Is that why it needed the prop bearing conversion?
Does anyone know if it was tested in a gyrocopter ?, greeting from Argentina.
Do you have an engine that can be used in a Mini Max?
What is the completed weight?
Listed as 225 lbs with accessories.
To be CLEAR it is an CAR ENGINE used in an AIRCRAFT. I am NOT a fan of automotive car engine to airplane conversion. HOWEVER because of the guy behind them, William Wynne of Fly Corvar I approve. Wynne admits in higher HP 160HP the Lyc O320 is hard to beat. If Corvair engines did not have Wynne and people were DYI'ing them with no clue the results would be very poor. He is also about education and safety not only in the engine but flying. He has a deep background in aviation. Still a Lyc guy but he is a hoot. I talked to him and he is honest in that he does not bash Lyc. Now other "engine pushers" hype their conversion (Honda) and they may be OK but....
I love you sir
Awesome video! I’m a big Toyota fan and I feel like the 22RE engine could be one of these aircraft conversions.
All new Toyota replacement parts are made in China rendering what was once a reliable engine unreliable.
How does a Corvair stand up for reliability?
Because that's what counts for a light-plane engine. That's why the old Lycoming and Continental flat-four lumps are still the standard. Corvair engines haven't been in production for over fifty years, and they were never designed for monster reliability - they weren't much more than GM's low-cost VW competitor. Is Mr. Wynne's upgrade in manufacturing quality enough?
I keep waiting for something on Diesel engines
There was a turbo Corvair called a Monza. Why isn't there a turbo Corvair aircraft engine?
Hmmmm. Maybe there is :-)
Only problem is, the Corvair and VW engines of the day broke down more than any other
You regular peeks at the camera were annoying, like Geo HW Bush looking at his watch
…unfortunately Ralph Nader has declared them to be unsafe at any speed…..People that don’t fully appreciate their tools forget that a previous generation invented those tools.
Only thing different from a car engine is that he put an oil filter relocator on it and move the starter. Guy never mentioned how much air flow cfms. The heads flow never mentioned the size of the cam duration. Never mentioned if they're forged or cast pistons or crank. If the engine is stroked or destroked. Never mentioned what kind of carburetor? What kind of distributor if it's locked out?. Never mentioned anything about the bolts. Is that guy reusing old bolts? Me personally I use ARP bolts and only use them once. The length of time it takes him to build a motor. Wow, that's long. It don't take that long to build a motor that dude don't know what he's talking about. I wouldn't trust his motor at all. Torque wrench you want to use one that has a needle not that digital junk Guy couldn't even answer real quick if you needed special tools. Yeah you do. But most of your tools and your toolbox are the tools to use. I don't even think you mentioned a micrometer. Sorry if anything spelled f***** up. I use voice chat.
Левые подушки двигателя должны быть чуть больше.
UNSAFE AT ANY SPEED OR ALTITUDE
-Ralph
The engine was too far rearward affecting handling but the engine itself was always bulletproof.
Copy Volkswagen Beatle engine with two extra cilinders
SImulator is way cheaper and safer
Less noisy and no gas required.
Yea, and watching a video of someone having fun is not as good as actually having fun.
Real pilots fly in real sky.
@@SoloRenegade Counters with "Boys can't fly"
You still talk to much..
Any plane designed to fly behind 100hp engines should be equipped with a WW Corvair conversion. There are many a good reason...
1) If you lose a cylinder (although I've never heard of it) on climb out you have 5 more making enough power to maintain altitude, if not climb a little. With a 4 cylinder Lycoming or Continental you ARE going to land very soon. This translates to extra SAFETY margins.
2) It usually comes in under the installed weight of the Lycoming or Continental.
3) You would NEVER be vauegely familiar with the engine you are trusting your life to, you would be THE builder, and as such, would know everything about the operational parameters of your engine.
Those reasons are the primary ones, but a few more good ones....
4) Cost of ownership is significantly reduced because with a 'repairman' certificate from FAA you do ALL inspections, maintenance and repair.
5) If you keep to the conversion manual compression ratio recommendations and ignition timing is well checked and set up correctly you can run her on just about any type gasoline, although I believe high test is the recommended auto fuel. One more reduction in cost of operation!
6) If you have maintained a 'builders log' and maintenance log for the motor it is insurable by several aviation insurance companies.
7) With the required 5th bearing and gold 'sandwich' adapter, front starter/ top plate assembly, and the other things for an installation like air/oil separator, a proper cowling, etc... you still come out way under half of what a certificated engine would cost from the box.
If I do build a plane it will be powered by a WWFlyCorvair engine.
Respect 🫡
Pretty cool man.
Thanks 🙏🏻
you have a lot of guts flying while using a Corvair engine !!!
Super reliable engine.