I was told of a Super Decathlon which was running a 360HP Lycoming this morning...
Now I didnt want to call the guy out, but I dont know if that's even possible? Can anyone educate me?

I guess you would need an O-540-K (heavy block) with the high compression ratio cylinders (8.7 is it?) to get close to that power, but I had no idea a little 2 seater could handle that kind of weight in the nose??

How bout an O-360 Lyc?

Glidergeek wrote:How bout an O-360 Lyc?

I think this is the likely case. 8KCABs come stock with the O-360. Perhaps someone was confusing displacement and horsepower, and it became rumor?

Super Decathalons have an IO-360 Lyc..fuel injection for inverted flight. There is talk of putting an IO-390 in them but don't know if they are certified yet. As of last week Jerry at the factory did not have certification yet. There is a prototype Super D they are using for testing with the IO-390.

They have an IO-390 Scout though.

Its called the Xtreme Decathlon, unveiled this year at Oshkosh. Has an IO-390, MT prop, modified gear legs, and a modified clipped wing:
http://www.flyingmag.com/aircraft/pistons/american-champion-unveils-xtreme-decathlon

People have been confusing cubes with horses for as long as I've been alive, I think (and that's getting to be a long, LONG time ). I remember a fellow when I was in college who claimed his 59 Ford pickup had a 292 horse engine. I wasn't about to embarrass him that it was 292 cubic inches and only 160 hp. As long as he thought it breathed fire, he was happy.

The 180 hp IO-360 with a CS prop in the Super Decathlon gives it plenty of performance, even at Colorado's higher elevations, since the airplane is pretty light. When I took my aerobatic lessons eons ago in Boulder, the Super Dec was the airplane of choice, as it climbed to altitude faster and made vertical maneuvers more likely to succeed, than if we used the 150 hp Dec.

My LRB's O-360, also 180 hp with a CS prop, gives my P172D good performance, too. Not quite the same as the Super Dec, because my airplane is heavier. But it's a great engine. Definitely not 360 hp, though.

Cary

Zzz wrote:........... 8KCABs come stock with the O-360. Perhaps someone was confusing displacement and horsepower, and it became rumor?

Maybe their skunkworks has one fitted up with a Russian M14P radial?

hotrod150 wrote:

Zzz wrote:........... 8KCABs come stock with the O-360. Perhaps someone was confusing displacement and horsepower, and it became rumor?

Maybe their skunkworks has one fitted up with a Russian M14P radial?

Heh heh... gonna take more than one battery in the tail to balance 'er out.

I just climbed out of N313MT (Super Decathalon) withan O360 yesterday. Spent 4+ hours. Plenty of horse power, I'm not sure of a 360 hp version. Seems like a lot of power?

Battson wrote:I was told of a Super Decathlon which was running a 360HP Lycoming this morning...
Now I didnt want to call the guy out, but I dont know if that's even possible? Can anyone educate me?

I guess you would need an O-540-K (heavy block) with the high compression ratio cylinders (8.7 is it?) to get close to that power, but I had no idea a little 2 seater could handle that kind of weight in the nose??

I noticed you're down under, do your props turn opposite south of the equator?

They sure do!
The engine works opposite too - it sucks the exhaust gases out of the air, and through reverse-combustion it slowly produces fuel and oxygen.

We have to land every once in a while to empty the gas tanks into a hole in the ground... I dont know where the hole goes, but I hear it's some desert on the other side of the Earth ....?