<VV> Electrified fan discussion

[corvairs]

      Bob Helt is asking reasonable questions - Reminds me of a somewhat 
recent thread on the CorvAircraft last that I won't go into. Simply 
stating that a product "works" is not enough  evidence, especially where 
a radical design is concerned. And especially when a destroyed engine 
could be the possible outcome.

My observation about many Corvair "improvements" is that they are never 
fully developed or simply aren't capable of being fully developed. By 
this I mean, I have seen, for example,  numerous fuel injection systems 
that we have been asked to market  yet , when pressed, the promoter will 
admit that "there's a little detonation off the line" and "the mid range 
will spit a little" etc etc. That is not fully developed. What a 
tinkerer will put up with and what a customer paying real money will put 
up with are two different things. (Note - I'm not talking about the 
Cartright fuel injection system - Duane can quit the heavy breathing now...)

The specific issue of an electric fan for the Corvair is like the  quest 
for the Corvair Holy grail. The classic issue is that an electric fan 
with the capacity to cool  the motor takes more amperage than is 
practical to generate. Whether that problem has  now been addressed 
remains to be proven. But electric fans in current autos is totally 
proven? Remember, that  what works in a water pumper is not the same 
thing. The vast percentage of the air cooling system in a Corvair relies 
on the fan output.

The Eddie Perez car was mentioned (He's a member of Corsa Oregon) as 
having a successful electric fan conversion - BUT Eddie would be the 
first to admit that there are driving situations where his system DOES 
NOT cool adequatly. His system is not fully usable either. I have a 
number of stories from Corvair/airplane, dunebuggy, trike folks etc 
where UNDER THE RIGHT CIRCUMSTANCES they can run without proper 
shrouding or even a fan at all - for a while. If you run a trike with no 
fan or shrouding, only use it for an occassional local cruise and bike 
show, and the motor has "held up" for 5 years (but probably only 1000 
miles) have you proven anything? Nope - But try to tell that to the guy 
with the bike.

The challenege to the electric fan is to devise one that 1)Gives a net 
advanatge in hp loss and 2) Will properly cool under ALL road 
conditions. #2 is the really stinker.
Doesn't mean it can't or will never happen but, at the very least, any 
new system will have to be backed up with the kind of  testing that Bob 
is suggesting. And requests for such documentation should NEVER be 
viewed as an insult to the creator/promoter. There's enough of that kind 
of attitude among some in the experimental Corvair aircraft hobby as it 
is.     Lon

www.corvairunderground.com