Hello All,
I am seeking opinions regarding the suitability of the narrow deck O-360 for use in aerobatic aircraft. I currently own a One Design with a 180 hp narrow deck O-360-A1A and a fixed pitch prop. I am considering some repairs (and perhaps upgrades) to this engine, but I don't want to "invest" much money if the engine design is not really suitable for long-term aerobatic use. In other words, I would like to know if the narrow deck engine design is generally able to withstand the various stresses imposed by aerobatics, or if I might be better off spending my money on a wide-deck engine conversion sometime in the future.
Any thought or comments would be appreciated. I am actually perfectly happy with my existing narrow deck package, but I thought that some of you folks might have personal experience with operating these engines under aerobatic conditions.
Thank you!
Rick
I am seeking opinions regarding the suitability of the narrow deck O-360 for use in aerobatic aircraft. I currently own a One Design with a 180 hp narrow deck O-360-A1A and a fixed pitch prop. I am considering some repairs (and perhaps upgrades) to this engine, but I don't want to "invest" much money if the engine design is not really suitable for long-term aerobatic use. In other words, I would like to know if the narrow deck engine design is generally able to withstand the various stresses imposed by aerobatics, or if I might be better off spending my money on a wide-deck engine conversion sometime in the future.
Any thought or comments would be appreciated. I am actually perfectly happy with my existing narrow deck package, but I thought that some of you folks might have personal experience with operating these engines under aerobatic conditions.
Thank you!
Rick