UL260 update

[Guest Flyer40]

There's a question at the end of this long-winded blurb, hopefully you'll stick with it.

 

One of the things holding up my progress has been the lack of a suitable engine. I want an injected engine, preferably electronic (please don't bother trying to convince me to run a carby).

 

The IOF240 is overkill for the airframes I'm looking at, the injected Subaru's have too many reliability problems for my liking and the only other EFI engine I know of is the UL260. But it's in the 80hp bracket and the kits I've shortlisted usually run 3300 Jabs.

 

Thinking that I needed more than 80hp to get adequate performance from these kits I emailed ULPower to ask if an upgraded engine with more hp is in the pipeline.

 

Below I've copied parts of two emails I received from John at ULPower. He agreed to let me share this info.

 

But I became suspicious of the claimed performance in the second email, 114 kts at 2800 rpm just doesn't seem right for a 3300 powered Esqual.

 

I'm trying to figure out if the Esquals improved performance is due mainly to the new engine or the new prop, or both equally.

 

So my question is; do you think this guy was running the wrong prop or mis-stating his performance with the Jab engine?

 

_______________________________________________________________________

 

Our next development will be a stroked out four cylinder with an

 

> increased capacity from 2.6 liter to 3.3 - 3.5 liter (215 cu in). We

 

> designed the UL260i engine casing and cylinder heads to accomodate the

 

> longer stroke so that by keeping to a four cylinder (not going to a

 

> six like Jabiru did) we add very little extra weight for the extra

 

> power. The UL350i will become about 8 cm wider than the UL260i but the

 

> rest of the dimensions and engine mount points should remain the same.

 

>

 

> We should have something to test in about a years time, but it will be

 

> another 9 months or so after that before it becomes available as a

 

> series production engine.

 

_______________________________________________________________________

 

The Lightning is a copy of the Spanish Esqual which is no longer in

 

production. One of our Spanish reps. has taken out the Jabiru 3300 in

 

his Esqual and replaced it by the UL260i. He sent me a preliminary

 

report which I had a hard time to accept, but he's the one making the

 

claims, not me.

 

We've got two customers who have bought the UL260i for 601's. They

 

should be flying in several months so we can also give performance

 

reports also.

 

In short Mateo says:

 

_____

 

With Jabiru 3300: 2800 rpm 210 kmph consumption 22 liters The Jabiru had

 

a fixed pitch prop of 1.58 diameter

 

With UL Power: 2600 rpm 220 kmph consumption 14 litres.

 

The prop that I now have in the Esqual is Woddcomp SR 3000 J. Inside

 

wood and lined with carbon fiber. Have 1.65 meters in diameter and

 

variable pitch in flight.

 

Speeds:

 

In 2600 rpm 220 km / h

 

In 2800 rpm 250 km / h

 

In 3000 rpm 270 km / h.

 

Takeoff at 3100 rpm, 150 meters.

 

In comparison with the Jabiru 3300, the plane is faster, better and

 

takes off sooner.

 

In the spring if we have complete documentation for our aviation

 

authorities, and that with the changes we have had to make new, and if I

 

am fully recovered, I am planning a trip to Belgium with the plane so

 

you can see it.

 

 

[lambadaman]

Just a quick observation, using an inflight adjustable prop can give noticable improvement in takeoff run, and on a slippery machine like the Lightning, an even bigger improvement in cruise.

 

Gerry....

 

 

[phvdw]

ULPOWER updated his site, ul260i has lot of new brothers and sisters

 

even up to 130hp and an acrobatic version of the UL260i