I read with interest your response to the question “What causes engines to develop less than rated power?” (June 17 issue). May I add one more component?
I once had a 180 hp Lycoming in a Piper Cherokee. No matter what I did, this engine refused to burn more than 10 gph. I always flew wide open throttle at 2,750 rpm, usually at 8,000 feet msl. Lycoming says that the fuel consumption is 0.5 lb/hp/hr. That means that a 60 lb/hr fuel burn equals 120 hp. So one can conclude that the reason that these engines don’t make rated horsepower is because they don’t burn enough fuel.
Steve Koontz
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