Earthstar Forums

I had a great day of flying this week end.
Had two 1 1/2 hour flights. I got a chance to check out the noise level with my Radio Shack DB meter.
At cruise holding the meter in front of me pointing backwards towards the engine I got between 100 and 110 DBs. Ouch! Are you guys getting that much noise?
Its on my to do list to quiet things down when I get the time.
Fred

That's on my list too, but I'm probably going to use an app for my smartphone. I have some 2" foam that is pointy on one side for sound absorption, and I put it behind the gas tank up to the wing bottom. It has helped some with the higher pitched noise, but I always have to have my headsets when flying because of the racket. The Titan guys have been blogging about the noise level also, and are all over the ANR headsets. I think that almost all airplanes are noisy inside, as even my friends old C-150 makes a racket requiring headsets. I know, install a Soaring Gull wing, fly up to 10,000 feet, shut the engine off and cruise around for awhile in the quiet space! There's your noise reduction.

kb

Hi Fred
Try packing blankets or pillows behind you and than measuring the noise.
Happy Flying
Mark


In a message dated 6/27/2011 5:55:41 A.M. Pacific Daylight Time,
gayford@golden.net writes:




I had a great day of flying this week end.
Had two 1 1/2 hour flights. I got a chance to check out the noise level
with my Radio Shack DB meter.
At cruise holding the meter in front of me pointing backwards towards the
engine I got between 100 and 110 DBs. Ouch! Are you guys getting that much
noise?
Its on my to do list to quiet things down when I get the time.
Fred

I just flew a soaring gull to Florida I took off my David Clark head sets
after take off and set them on the floor
I put my seeping bag behind me and I was flying the HKS that are a lot
quieter than the 503.
Happy Flying
Mark


In a message dated 6/27/2011 8:39:38 A.M. Pacific Daylight Time,
kessb@wavecable.com writes:




That's on my list too, but I'm probably going to use an app for my
smartphone. I have some 2" foam that is pointy on one side for sound absorption,
and I put it behind the gas tank up to the wing bottom. It has helped some
with the higher pitched noise, but I always have to have my headsets when
flying because of the racket. The Titan guys have been blogging about the
noise level also, and are all over the ANR headsets. I think that almost all
airplanes are noisy inside, as even my friends old C-150 makes a racket
requiring headsets. I know, install a Soaring Gull wing, fly up to 10,000 feet,
shut the engine off and cruise around for awhile in the quiet space!
There's your noise reduction.

kb

4 cycles are a lot quieter than 2-cycles. With my 2-cycle 3701 I'm getting
about 90-100 dB in my airplane but I've spent a lot of effort to reduce the
noise. Closing the right wing gap with a foam filled aluminum extension is
next on that since much of my noise comes from the right side. Smoothing
out your engine with dynamic prop balance will reduce the noise coming
because of window vibration. Dave Bonkowski with his 503 is getting about
112 db at cruise. Also, I have reed valves which dramatically reduce the
intake noise where most 2-cycle noise comes from.

_____

Allan,
I was thinking of you when got to thinking about other fast Gulls. I may be a fast runner with a 503, but that's only 50hp, and you have about 80hp? Does that mean that you have the .090 lexan windows and lotsa speed? I'm all ears about numbers, and I was drooling over the MZ-302, 3-cyl 2-stroke, (similar to a Hirth), which is about 80hp too.

kb

Hi Kess
The Mz 302 did not hold up in the Odyssey installation. after only 150 hrs
it through a rod.
You are on the right track in making your plane cleaner to go faster
because HP will not give you the speed that aerodynamic refinement will. and
aerodynamic refinements are only paid for once and keep on giving. engines on
the other hand have to be continually fed and the bigger the engine the
bigger the apitiete.
to go twice as fast it takes 4 times the horsepower. that is is if you
don't reduce your drag.
I would not even consider buying any engine for the gull other than an HKS
and now that the HKS has 80 hp, even if you wanted to take the America
approach to performance, More power but don't bother to remove the parking
brake,you have an engine option.
I have tried well over 100 deferent engines over the years and the more I
fly with the HKS the more I like and respect it! Any thing elce is a trip
back to the stone age.
Happy Flying
Mark


In a message dated 6/27/2011 10:45:03 P.M. Pacific Daylight Time,
kessb@wavecable.com writes:




Allan,
I was thinking of you when got to thinking about other fast Gulls. I may
be a fast runner with a 503, but that's only 50 hp, and you have about 80hp?
Does that mean that you have the .090 lexan windows and lotsa speed? I'm
all ears about numbers, and I was drooling over the MZ-302, 3-cyl 2-stroke,
(similar to a Hirth), which is about 80hp too.

kb

Hi Mark
You convinced me a long time ago that the HKS is the way to go and I have been saving up my pennies.
If power is not the main reason to go to the HKS and lets say money is no object, which of the two engines would you go to. The 60 HP HKS or the 80 HP turbo?
Thanks
Fred

If money was no object, why not the 80 HP Turbo? I understand the fuel consumption is the same as the lower powered carb version. An additional plus is that the power remains high all the way up to altitude with the more efficient turbo.

Me 2 cents.

Skot Weidemann

www.Weidemannphoto.com