Thorp Air Command - T18.net

No an angle valve motor is not a good idea ... does not fit, heavy, cowl ends up looking either really fat or just plane strange

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Lee Walton
Houston, TX
N51863,N118LW
KEFD

Whew...I'm looking at an angle valve. Glad I asked. Thank you.

Hey Ryan, there’s quite a number of Thorps out there with o-360’s. The stock 360 has more torque than an 0-320, however....I went with a IO-320, it’s lighter than the O-360 which means you typically won’t require lead in the aft fuselage for proper weight and balance. ( my dad’s Thorp had 13 lbs)
And if one were to go with bigger compression ratio pistons, you could get close to the 180 hp number with less weight. I went with 9:1 and am showing about 178hp. There’s a bunch of 0-320 guys with 10:1.
I know you’ll find the right balance for your airplane.

Terry he's talking about an angle valve motor ... not recommended!

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Lee Walton
Houston, TX
N51863,N118LW
KEFD

Guess I didn’t do a good job of explaining those as options....

I believe Ryan’s flying Thorp has an 0-360. Ryan you can as Terry pointed out tweak any of these motors .. I have a parallel valve 0-360 that’s rated at 217 hp on Wendells plane in my garage. I will say that hp on a 1000 lb Thorp is quite the ride.

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Lee Walton
Houston, TX
N51863,N118LW
KEFD

That's all very good info. I appreciate it. I do have a 180hp 0-360 on my flying Thorp, but I did not know if a 200hp 0-360 was different, and I'm glad I asked. As a novice builder, I want to stay away from anything that will cause me to have to modify anything. I do want an 0-360 for this project, but would consider an 0-320 under the right circumstances.

I think the (I)O-320 is the perfect motor for a Thorp. It is lighter (as Retired Terry said) and can be pretty powerful. I have a 192HP IO-320 waiting for the weather to cool off so I can install it. Light means fast.
Cubes

I'm assuming yall are running CS props with these 320's? If so, I'm guessing I could use the same CS prop that is recommended for the RV-6/-7? Just in case...

Not sure what they use. I can find out. We have a set of props that Hartzell makes for us. They can be slightly modified with scimitar blades. Incidentally, this modification eliminates the rpm avoidance band.
If you would like a new Hartzell, let me know. I am a dealer and can beat most prices including Vans.
Cubes

I am running a fixed pitch wood prop on my O-320. Newer constant speed props may be better but my experience with metal CSP on other airframes suggests a person is better off without the extra weight. It does depend some on what a person wants to do with the airplane.

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Thorp T18
O-320-B3B (160 HP)
68x74 Sterba Propeller

"The joke in aviation is, 'If you want to make a million, you'd better start with £10m.' " -Bruce Dickinson

I am trying to decide whether to use a brake master cylinder on my firewall, or use the all in one unit at the pedals. I have the all in one units on my flying T18. I refill the brake fluid by loosening a fitting by the wheels. A master cylinder reservoir on the firewall seems much easier to refill. Is there a reason I would want to use the all in one unit over the firewall mounted brake fluid reservoir?

Hi Ryan,
The only disadvantage I can see to using a remote reservoir is the additional tubing and fittings... things get a little more “busy” around the cylinders & pedals. Also have to penetrate the firewall & have a spot to mount the reservoir. The simplicity of the built-in reservoirs is nice, but they can be a PIA to check & fill, especially in an airplane like the T-18.

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John Evens
Arvada, Colorado
T-18 N71JE (sold)
Kitfox 7 SS N27JE

thanks John. Since those are the issues, I'm thinking I'll put in the reservoir. I like to make things easy to maintain where I can.

Just to save myself some possible aggravation later, I wanted to ask if this is the proper order of installation for attaching the axle/wheel pant bracket/brake torque plate to the landing gear. I attached a photo showing what I think is the correct order of installation.