Besides, it was rather irritating to watch to Old Man's perky 8A climb out like a greased owl on her meager 65 horses while I lumbered behind with an extra 200 pounds of fuel, electrics and engine.
Our 20th wedding anniversary was close upon us. On momentous occasions like this, some women desire jewelry, especially diamonds. Not I. I wanted horses, more of them than I had now. My Old Man, ever vigilant for new opportunities, saw his chance to make me his slave for life. He opened his mouth and the most amazing words popped out. Not only would Lester get a new engine, he would get a Don's Dream Machine engine. I signed my bondage papers without batting an eyelash.
Don Swords of Don's Dream Machines fame is an IA, DME and DAR who is the originator of STC No. SE 02004AT that allows the substitution of the 0-200 crank, rods and pistons in the C-85. His shop is on the field at the Griffin Spalding County Airport in Griffin, GA. (6A2).
Lustrous, sculptural engines, of all kinds, were displayed on stands like works of art. Their sheer simplistic beauty belied their utilitarian function, or perhaps it honored it. Don and his staff are more than mechanics. I didn't need any one to tell me that. My own eyes beheld it. They are artists who practice their craft and they practice it well.
Before I could be seduced by some of the finest objects I've seen in aviation, I had to voice my needs. "Mr. Swords, I really need an engine that will climb out with Boonie and me on a hot day. Can you do that?"
His smile was answer enough. A deal was struck and the deed was done. My only words to my husband were, "Mister, pay the man."
Don is the originator of several STC's, but why would a master artist/mechanic deal with the hassle of the STC approval process? Because it was in his best interests to do so and subsequently, mine. Parts for the C-85 are hard to come by. Crankshafts are virtually nonexistant. In order to keep these veritable engines going, parts had to be found.
Substituting keeps C-85s going and the demand encourages the parts manufacturer to keep making them. That's good economic sence, but what does their use do for the C-85? The 0-200 crank, rods and pistons change the displacement of the C-85 engine from 188 cubic inches to 201 cubic inches. It also changes the compression ratio from 6.8 to 1 to 7.0 to 1. If this is Greek to you as it is to me, let's put it in these terms. It changes the horsepower. Vroom! Vroom! Better yet, according to Don, it changes the torque and it's the torque that produces the horsepower.
My new engine will have good torque at lower rpms. Don gave me an example. The 0-200 produces 75 hp at 2500 rpms. The stock C-85 produces its full 85 horses at 2575; at 2275 it produces 75 hp. My hybrid produces the torque (perhaps more) of the C-85 using the 0-200 parts giving my engine "a good balance of power."
It was more than "a good balance of power" that I held in my hands on his maiden flight. I felt like I was trying to subdue an ardent suitor, but ol' Lester had his way. He climbed with vigor and with heart, and his performance was beyond my expectations. That first flight was just a hop around the pattern, but it was a defining moment in my life. I hae been able to own few truly fine things, and my new engine is one of them.
Lester, the dog that was, is a dog no more.
My engine was tested on a stand before it was installed, so the "breaking in" period has been rather uneventful. In addition to smoothness and a 5mpg increase in cruise, the most noticeable change in Lester is his eagerness to climb, which means his touch and goes offer a lot more go for the money. Don laughed when I told him of my nervousness with this new characteristic.
When he said, "It's harder to relate airspeed to altitude now, isn't it?" he hit the source of my unease on the head.
Climbing out at 70 mph puts Lester's nose straight up, it seems, but I can feel confident it's a characteristic I can quickly become accustomed to. He's a tad harder to slow down on final, but that's probably because I still subconsciously come in high. I haven't flown with Boonie yet. I feel obligate to fly a few hours first, but in my mind, I'm much safer, engine wise, than before.
I hope to check out Lester's performance with Boonie's added weight soon, but I have to juggle my flying time with my new duties as bondservant. Between Old Man's foot massages and polishing his tools, my free time of late is rather limited. In spite of my altered circumstances, some things, I have learned, are worth suffering a few indignities.
Don also holds two other STCs, one that encompasses the conversion of the C-85-12 to a C-85-8 (non-electrical) and another allows the use of the 0-200 case in lieu of the C-85 case. His shop offers a wide range of aircraft maintenance and repair services as well as engine overhauls.
D. McFarland