| Volume 3 Issue 2 | ONLINE EDITION | Summer 1999 |
Builder Progress Report: Capt. Brian Boucher
Auto-power! Chevy, Ford, VW, Subaru, etc. For years, there has been strong interest among potential airplane builders in the use of auto-based powerplants. Although interest in these powerplants has been strong, most Aerocomp builders who have successfully completed their airplanes and are now flying them installed Lycoming or Continental powerplants.
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 Boucher's Crossflow Aero Subaru SVX auto-power conversion |
The Crossflow Subaru SVX conversion is fitted with a custom high performance electronic ignition system. Redundancy is provided by 6 individual coils - one for each cylinder. 2 high performance MSD fuel pumps feed the engine’s Delco fuel injection system. Boucher hopes that the engine’s 10:1 compression ratio will allow him to consume as little as 9.5 gallons of auto fuel per hour during cruise flight. In-flight engine monitoring will be accomplished using an installed AV-10 voice/digital alert engine monitor by Audio Flight Avionics. |
Boucher has equipped his Comp Air 6 with
some great features:
While he’s been working on his airplane, he has often enjoyed listening to the
high-quality Blaupunkt CD Stereo unit installed in his airplane. During flight, Boucher
and his passengers will have the option of listening to the stereo system through the
built-in stereo speakers or the built-in 6-place intercom. Sound quality is excellent. For
passenger comfort, Boucher opted to utilize a "club" seating arrangement that
enhances passenger interaction.
For his own pleasure, Boucher
has installed a full IFR panel, which is complete with a Furono color moving map GPS Fish
Finder. That’s right: a GPS Fish Finder! Boucher hopes to eventually equip his
airplane with floats, and plans on using it as a fishing platform on some of his favorite
New York and northern Ontario fishing lakes. He has even installed a Navaid single-axis
auto-pilot, and coupled it to the Furono GPS Fish Finder.
Boucher intends to fly the airplane on conventional (tailwheel) gear for about a year, while he decides whether or not to pursue a float option with the airplane.
Contact Capt. Boucher via email at: ifiresafe@csi.com (Brian Boucher)
Gradually, the number of people successfully flying automotive
conversions may be increasing. Shown here is former Canadian bush pilot and current Air
Canada Captain Brian Boucher, who is nearing completion of his Subaru SVX-powered Comp Air
6. Captain Boucher purchased the engine from Crossflow Aero Corp. (