Rip-off of LN Engineering?

go to some of the web forums...there has been threads... Jake says they are an "unknown" because the testing has not been done.... which leads to the consumers being the testers.... manufacturer can't offer suggestions on clearances/tolerances/etc... so yes, they are a "knock-off"...

I would have to think if these are meant to be used in airplanes that the manufacturer would have tested the heads. would make haveing heat easier. I just had a call from a guy asking me " what would be the best VW engine for an airplane?"

I hope he calls back I want to send him to that site. Someones got to try it ....lol Berg parts were unknown at one time.

Mario Vintage Werks resto

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You are confusing certified aircraft engines with VW's converted for flight. Great Plains Aircraft offers components intended for use in aircraft licensed in the 'Experimental - Amateur-built' category. There are about 12,000 amateur-built aircraft operating in the United States, many powered by engines assembled from after-market VW components. In many cases the pilot elects to build his own engine (and may have designed his own airplane). They are allowed to use whatever components they deem most suitable. (Indeed, that's how it all got started :-) A final inspection before flight and spending the first forty hours or so in a designated flight-test area has proven effective in protecting the General Public from people who like to think for themselves.

The primary advantage of nickies in flying Volkswagens is their lower weight. In most air-cooled engines the cylinder barrels contribute only about 17% of the waste heat that must be managed. That figure is a bit smaller for VW's because of the limited contact between the barrels and the heads. The idea that nickies somehow make a VW run cooler is a myth aimed at the technologically naive. Porsche introduced this type of jug because of their better heat-transfer characteristics, allowing them to direct more cooling air to the heads and less to the barrels, thus saving them from having to design a bigger blower. Since the availability of air for cooling is rarely a factor in airplanes, cast-iron or steel barrels do perfectly well. But weight is always a critical factor to flight and sometimes $100 per pound is a bargain.

But what does the heads have to do with it? (Do you actually read any of this stuff before responding?)

-Bob Hoover

PS -- Anyone interested in flying Volkswagens should visit Yahoo's AirVW Group and spend some time in the archives. But be prepared for some real engineering. No 'Red cars go faster,' nor 'Magnetic Fuel Energizer' fans need apply.

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DA20 and DA40 have flat 4 with wc heads. I am not saying those are vw engines by any means, but they are the same design.

Anton