Hotrod180

I believe there is around 20 aircraft with the Robinson conversion flying around.

http://www.v8seabee.com

I am getting my Seabee restored at the moment and this is hands down the best engine for the Seabee in terms of reliability, horse power, fuel burn and technology integration.

SkyTruck wrote:

mtv wrote:

GumpAir wrote:Yup. You can buy five Sleds for the price of one AirVan, and each Sled will make almost the same amount of money per hour flown as the AirVan. That's hard math to fight.

Long, long term the upgraded equipment will prevail and be a moneymaker, but most small Part 135 outfits in AK don't have the luxury of long term financial stability. In that tiny little corner of the world, western and northwestern Alaska, nothing has ever come close to the lowly C207 as a profitable airplane.

Though, when they finally run out of the old stuff, you're gonna need new old stuff.

Gump

Yep, by then, there should be a bunch of old, clapped out Caravans.....but those PT 6s are still God awful spendy to buy or overhaul.

MTV

Then it will cost the Taxpayers that much more to fly in Disposable diapers and soda pop!

That is the way it works, no doubt. Question is.....who runs out of old clapped out 207s first....

MTV

Don't forget the potato chips and cigarettes.

Pusher wrote:Hotrod180 I believe there is around 20 aircraft with the Robinson conversion flying around.
http://www.v8seabee.com
I am getting my Seabee restored at the moment and this is hands down the best engine for the Seabee in terms of reliability, horse power, fuel burn and technology integration.

The Robinson website seems to indicate more like a dozen. Registering: in Canada, you have the owner-maintenance category. Robinson's website also talks about registering the converted Bee in Canada as a 51% amateur-built experimental. That might work up there but from what I understand it's a no-go in the US.They do point out that in the US, the converted Seabee would have to be re-registered as an experimental-exhibition.
I have never seen a V8 powered Bee in person. I have seen a number of them repowered to a Lyc GO-480. There used to be a place in Shelton WA that did a lot of Seabee ground-up rebuilds. I got to tour the shop once about 15 years ago and it was very impressive. I never understood why the GO was so widely used, but no one seemed inclined to try the Lyc 540 or Cont 470-- both of which are used (along with some Lyc GO's) on Widgeon re-power conversions.

I am in Canada. My Seabee is in the amateur built 51% category. Looking at the pictures of the High Sierra Fly-In, I see a well known US registered Seabee with the Robinson V8 conversion which has a lot of hours on its engine. Don't know how it is registered but I know of at least 3 Seabees with the V8 in the US. I also know of one Seabee which is approaching 2000 hours of trouble free operation on its V8. The problem with automobile engine conversions is that most are done by home builders and quality control as well as engineering standards become an issue, which in return causes engine failures.
The Robinson conversion is a properly engineered solution, providing an engine which is in my opinion far more superior then what's available in the certified world. There is also another company in Calgary Canada, called SDS (sdsefi.com), which provides electronic ignition and injection solutions for aircraft and automobile engines, which is far more advanced then any of the usual certified engines.

I have this system on my other airplane. It has a programmer in the panel where you can change timing, fuel volume, mixture and many more parameters with the touch of a button if you wish. In result you have an engine which is more fuel efficient with a way higher power output then any certified engine is able to achieve with its 70 year old technology.

It amazes me that hardly any of the proven modern technologies become implemented in the certified GA world.

Of course just my opinion.

hotrod180 wrote:

EZFlap wrote: Not exactly on-topic, but this aircraft looks like a really good candidate for the aluminum V8 conversions like the ones they do on Seabees. ......

Just how many Seabees are flying behind (under?) one of those V8's? I'd be surprised if it was more than just a couple. I haven't heard about very many if any auto-engine conversions that held up. There's a reason why there's a difference between airplane engines and car engines.

This really needs to go into a fresh thread, but the reason there's a difference between airplane engines and car engines is due to the FAA certification process. That and the low numbers involved in GA are why we're flying behind engines like your O-470 that were designed nearly 65 years ago.

I love the classics, but I don't believe you have enough facts to conclude how successful an engine swap in a seabee would be. Or in anything.

Might I ask the name of the company?

Kasper Aviation Inc. is the name of the company. They will be based out of Dryden, Ontario Canada.

Steve