I have no doubt it's expensive which the main reason why Lycoming has a monopoly, not because they have a superior product. The fuel costs alone to test an IO-540 for 2,000 hours at 80% of rated power would be roughly $180k.
Even though it's an ancient platform, Lycoming is a proven and reliable engine. But current day pricing is totally ridiculous considering the tech. You just can't help but feel gouged and look for another option.
I believe in the experimental category, an engine doesn't need to be certified by the FAA. In fact when you put a certified engine in an experimental aircraft, it gets stripped of it's certificates and becomes an "experiemental" engine. If I wanted to put a Chevy LS in my aircraft, I could...
What would it take to pull together the elements of an engine program with the sole purpose of essentially cloning one of these engines?
My assumption would be to start in the computer where all of the geometry, parts and tolerances are initially established. I know nothing about the process...
I along with hundreds of others, am building an experimental aircraft called an RV10. It was designed around the Lycoming IO-540 engine. Most builders lament the monopoly that Textron Lycoming enjoys, the $80k price tag, and at the moment 18 month lead time to get your hands on one. FAA...
