1-3-2012: Paulo Iscold from UFMG (Brazil) visits to see progress of engine for the Anequim project.
3-2-2011: Visit from engineers of Progressive X-Prize winning team, Edison2.
9-24-2010: Rob Holland visits to discuss some of our new products just before US Nationals.
7-29-2010: EAA AirVenture @ Oshkosh - Sean Tucker performing.
6-20-2010: RBAR in New York. Pictured: Sergey Rakhmanin in Staging.
1-29-10: Delivered modified IO-540 to Proxy Aviation Systems in MD for use in high altitude UAV.
1-09-10: Brought Matt Hall's new lightweight exhaust down to MX.
11-4-09: Nicolas Ivanoff and Bruno Marliere visit our facility before heading west to LyCon.
10-29-09: Another visit to MX to test fitment with their new lower cowl.
5-17-09: Brad Huelsman brings Mike Goulian's RBAR plane by to get fitted for a new Lightweight 6/1 Exhaust System.
3-7-09: Sky Dynamics visits MX Aircraft's facility to test our new lightweight systems on Alex Maclean's RBAR plane
Customer Spotlight: Dave Anders RV-4
Dave Anders' RV-4 is an excellent example of combining the right parts with ingenuity and forethought to create one of the highest all-around performance aircraft in the world. After 20 years of use on the original systems, we recently overhauled the 4/1 exhaust and upgraded his Maxi-Sump system to suit a new, even more powerful Ly-Con engine.
"I just want to say THANK YOU for such great work and such reliable systems for all these years. I've had your equipment on my plane for 2300 hrs of trouble free operation. Your systems were very instrumental in developing the drag reduction package on my plane."
- Dave Anders, Owner/Builder RV-4 230A
400+hp Lycoming TIO-540-EXP
We build a limited number of performance engines for some of the unique projects that come our way. This one was especially interesting for us because of the initial requirements: turbocharged, lightweight, pusher configuration, high power available from 1500 to 2800 RPM, and a performance ceiling to 25,000MSL. But the number one requirement for the engine was 400 HP @ 2700 RPM. From these requirements, we spec'd and built a parallel valve 540 engine that not only makes power effortlessly, but is also durable enough to handle the power. Some new and unique parts and instrumentation went into this engine in the name of longevity. During testing in our dyno cell, the engine repeatedly produced 800+ft-lbs of peak torque and a power curve that showed over 700ft-lbs available from 1449 RPM to beyond 3000 RPM. Impressive output that really proves the right combination of parts is key to making huge, reliable power.
Latest Edge 540 V3 Exhaust Design
After slight revisions and improvements to our racy V3 Lightweight 6/1 Exhaust, we shipped this latest system last week. While maintaining the performance and durability of the system, we further reduced the overall weight to 9.97 pounds total, including hardware.
Crankcase Evacuation Article in Sport Aerobatics Magazine - Jan. 2011
Check out the article on our "Information" page. Thanks to the EAA and IAC for this opportunity and for continuing to promote the aerobatic community in print and on the web with In The Loop and oshkosh365.com
Lightweight Exhaust For Mike Goulian's Extra
Like a lot of aerobatic competition and show planes recently, Mike Goulian's team is putting his Extra 330 on a weight loss program. We were able to help by building a new lightweight exhaust system that will shave almost 6 pounds from the nose of the airplane. During an aerobatic sequence this weight loss translates into faster recovery from a maneuver, reduced pilot workload, and ultimately the ability to perform new, more exciting figures. Our lightweight exhaust systems feature some innovative production techniques to maintain the exhaust system durability that we are known for.
Revised 4 Cylinder Maxi-Sump Systems Now Shipping
Customer Spotlight - Ignacy Goldfeld - Pitts S2B
Ignacy's beautiful S2B sports a Mattituck Red-Gold parallel-valve AEIO-540 bolstered by Sky Dynamics performance parts. Ignacy chose our Tapered-Tube Cold Air Intake system, Maxi-Sump with swinging oil pickup, 6/1 Exhaust System with crankcase evacuation, as well as our High-Lift Rocker Arm kit. You can see the overall performance of the plane at Ignacy's YouTube Page where he has been so kind to share his videos.
Photo credit to Victor Marcio
Carbon Cub Article in Flying Magazine
Congratulations to Cub Crafters for the glowing review of their Carbon Cub in the October, 2010 issue of Flying magazine.
Technical Articles
Click on the "Information" button to the side to view our various technical articles. These articles will contain good, readable info on topics such as the materials we choose for our products, product design, development, and testing, as well as information that pertains to aviation in general. We will be updating the articles on a regular basis.
We are also publishing some of our engine dyno sheets on the 'Information' page.
Fuel System Dyno Testing - 4-30-2010
Quick video showing the progress we're making on our new fuel system.
High Strength Gear Leg for Firefly
Proxy contacted us to have a high-strength front gear leg produced that would handle the stresses of the harsh environments that the aircraft would be subjected to in service. As we pride ourselves on being a complete aerospace engineering firm, this was a project we were eager to take on. We began by analyzing possible points of weakness in the original design and systematically addressed each to come up with a strong, yet lightweight gear leg assembly. One of the unique features of our gear leg is the progressive spring rate from top to bottom. This not only eliminates the chance for leg resonance, but also enabled us to increase strength without adding intolerable harshness.
IO-540 Turbo Conversion for High Altitude UAV
We recently completed another turbo conversion on a parallel valve IO-540 meant for powering a high altitude drone. With components from Kelly Aerospace, we built the system to deliver the necessary power to climb to 25,000+ MSL where the UAV will be programmed to loiter for up to 12 hours while taking high-resolution 3D images of the landscape. A turbo conversion like this one relies on careful heat management techniques because this platform is a tightly-cowled, pusher-type aircraft. Because this engine is in an electronics-heavy UAV, the project also required us to build an independent mounting system for a second alternator.
Lightweight IO-540 Cold Air Intake System
Introducing our latest and greatest - after months of working with various grades of material and perfecting the forming process, our lightweight intake system is now available. The lightweight system is over 3 pounds lighter than our standard intake system, which was already the lightest and most powerful system on the market. Each intake tube assembly weighs just over 6 ounces (195 grams) and the weight of the complete intake system (plenum, tapered tubes, and flanges) is only 5.93 pounds (2.69kg). Because the lightweight intake tubes are a direct replacement for our stainless tubes, the lightweight tubes can be ordered by themselves to upgrade an older system. Fittingly, the first lightweight system has been anodized gold and shipped to 2009 Red Bull Air Race Champion, Paul Bonhomme.
*We are now including Titanium fasteners with our Lightweight Systems for even more weight savings*
Thrust Dyno for Tailwheel Aircraft
We are now able to accurately and safely measure thrust produced by an aircraft. Our thrust fixture is built on a steel frame and uses floating pads for the main gear and tailwheel. These pads slide on linear bearings to eliminate inconsistent friction losses during testing. The pad for the tailwheel is height adjustable so that we can raise the tail to a true level-flight position. With the aircraft positioned and securely strapped down, we measure Thrust, RPM, and Air/Fuel ratio in real time and record the data for later analysis. Pictured above is an RV6 during a recent round of rocker arm testing.
Fuel System Development
After years of perfecting our intake and exhaust system designs, we are now prototyping parts for a complete fuel system upgrade. Our system will replace the entire Lycoming system - pump, servo, lines, distribution, and injectors. While each component is designed for increased flow, the immediately apparent benefits will be in the fuel flow consistency between cylinders, proper fuel atomization in the port, and the ability to easily fine tune the fuel delivery. Also, by removing the airflow-metering unit from inside of the servo bore, the intake tract will be wide open to allow air to flow freely into the plenum. Click on the 'Fuel Systems' button for more info.
Performance Rocker Arms Are Now Available
We have been working on a new line of High-Lift, Adjustable Rocker Arms that have shown significant power increases on the dyno. The first stage Rocker Arm Upgrade increases valve lift by over 10% and is a bolt-on installation for PV Lycomings with flat tappet camshafts. The second stage is based around an extreme lift rocker arm that requires more advanced install procedures and includes upgraded rocker pins and bushings in addition to the rocker arms and pushrods. These rocker arm kits are the first in a series of products that will increase power as well as stabilize and add consistency to the top end of the engine. We are also developing solid lifters and top cylinder girdles that will eliminate any unwanted movement from the valvetrain due to the hydraulic lash adjusters and cylinder shake at high cylinder pressure. Click on the 'Engine Components' button to see more info and pricing.
Cub Crafters Super SportCub Lightweight Exhaust and Intake Systems
Cub Crafters contacted us to help create the lightest and most powerful Intake and Exhaust Systems possible for their newest Cub iteration - the Super SportCub. What we were able to come up with impressed even ourselves and compliments CC's latest design perfectly. Each Aluminum Intake tube weighs just 2.25 ounces, and the entire 4/1 Collector-Style Exhaust weighs in at 6.25 pounds. The overall lightness of the airframe (867lbs empty) gives the plane incredible vertical performance at over 2100ft/min initial climb.
Over the years, we've relied on real-world results from our thousands of satisfied customers to be sure that our products were the best available.
Now, we can fine tune our systems even further with our own Dynamometer Test Cell. Starting with a suitable hydraulic power absorption unit, we've built a rock-solid dyno assembly to safely and accurately test Lycoming 4 and 6 cylinder engines. Our dyno cell uses electronics from the best names in the data acquisition and measurement industries such as Omega Engineering, Innovate Motorsports, and UMA Instruments. Whether you're in need of 5 more hp to stay ahead of the competition or you're looking for the safest way to have a fresh engine broken in, our combination of knowledge, equipment, and workmanship will assure you of having the strongest engine package available.
Interested in losing weight? We're coming up with new ways everyday to reduce the weight of our components.
We're now building lightweight exhaust systems for the air race market. In the past, the racers had been forced to use our standard aerobatic system which is intentionally overbuilt for strength and longevity. Those two attributes, along with high power output, are the most important factors for aerobatic pilots who expect hundreds or thousands of hours of trouble-free performance from the system. Now, we are offering our high-output exhaust systems in a lightweight package. Initial prototypes are resulting in full 6/1 systems that weigh a scant 9.75-10.5 pounds, depending on application.
Leading Supplier of Exhaust, Intake, and Oil Sump Systems to the Red Bull Air Race Planes
Supplier to Major Exhaust Overhaul Facilities and OE Manufacturers
