IO-390 News for 112/B

[jrichards]

Hi All 112 and 112B Owners,

We have recently received FAA-approval for replacing your engines with the IO-390 while continuing to use the three-blade prop you may already have installed. This makes the engine upgrade less expensive for those of you already flying the STC Hartzell prop.

Performance increases to 1200 FPM sea-level standard-air takeoff climb, and cruise in the low 140's KTAS. Service ceiling bumps to about 16,000 MSL.

The factory new IO-390 is $35,400 net of core credit.

Jim

 

[pjdavis67]

Re: IO-390 News for 112/B

Is it compatible with the RCM hotshot mod?

 

[Lawrence Rippon]

Re: IO-390 News for 112/B

Hi All 112 and 112B Owners,

We have recently received FAA-approval for replacing your engines with the IO-390 while continuing to use the three-blade prop you may already have installed. This makes the engine upgrade less expensive for those of you already flying the STC Hartzell prop.

Performance increases to 1200 FPM sea-level standard-air takeoff climb, and cruise in the low 140's KTAS. Service ceiling bumps to about 16,000 MSL.

The factory new IO-390 is $35,400 net of core credit.

Jim

Hi Jim, usual set of questions.
Is this mod EASA approved?
Can it run on UL91?

 

[jrichards]

Re: IO-390 News for 112/B

Hi Paul,

Sorry, not compatible with Hot Shot because the IO-390 is a forward inlet engine. The benefits of the IO-390 come at no weight penalty, and no effect on engine TBO. It's just the magic of displacement, induction efficiency, and exhaust efficiency.

Jim

 

[plight]

Re: IO-390 News for 112/B

Great work Jim!

 

[commander62j]

Re: IO-390 News for 112/B

The factory new IO-390 is $35,400 net of core credit.

Jim:

Does "core credit" assume a 'like' core rather than an IO-360 core?

Andy

 

[bbh]

Hi Jim, usual set of questions.
Is this mod EASA approved?
Can it run on UL91?

Bump.
Compression still at 8.7:1 or possibly 8.5:1? Low octane gas?

 

[Lawrence Rippon]

Re: IO-390 News for 112/B

Bump.
Compression still at 8.7:1 or possibly 8.5:1? Low octane gas?

UL91 AVGAS could be all we have over here in a couple of years, hence the question.

 

[jrichards]

Re: IO-390 News for 112/B

Hi Andy,

The assumed core would be the IO-360 that is being removed.

Jim

 

[jrichards]

Re: IO-390 News for 112/B

Hi Billy,

IO-390 compression is 8.9:1.

Jim

 

[mdoerr]

Re: IO-390 News for 112/B

Any diesel on the plate?
AVGAS will be too expensive in future, no matter whether it is 100LL, 91UL or 100UL.
Diesel/Jet A1 will be the future.

 

[jrichards]

Re: IO-390 News for 112/B

Hi Markus,

We are watching the diesel developments but thus far nothing that fits our power/weight needs is coming along for another few years at least.

Jim

 

[N4843W]

Re: IO-390 News for 112/B

Seems to me ... one could buy a run-out 112 that was structurally sound with no corrosion .. $50K? Spend $40K on the IO-390. $20K on Paint and Interior. That leaves $40K for a great panel ... for $150K you could have a very fast, very economical, virtually perfect bird that nothing could compete with. Maybe another $10K - $15K on the panel ... let's go $165K. Perfect Bird.

 

[bradmc]

Re: IO-390 News for 112/B

Not knocking it, but it's still a 112. I think Judi will back me up on this, but $50K for a run-out 112 is probably high.

 

[benelong]

Re: IO-390 News for 112/B

Hi Scott, our 112B has picked up a bit of speed since installing the 3 blade Hartzell - seing around 138 kts TAS at 75%, so if you add the 390 and grab say another 8 kts, add the superstream for another 8 kts, this then gives you 154kts at 75%. Lets call it 150 to be conservative - great deal I think.

 

[gmores]

Re: IO-390 News for 112/B

I'm thinking $25K for a clean runout 112 would do it.

 

[davloose]

Re: IO-390 News for 112/B

$29,500 is the cheapest 112 on controller.com, FWIW. One rub is that those planes aren't going to have the 3 blade prop that Jim speaks of, so that's around 10 AMU more.

Still not a bad plan.

 

[Lawrence Rippon]

Re: IO-390 News for 112/B

Now I love my aircraft, I seriously do and it is a very good example of a stock 112B. It cost me £45,000 ($71,000) at the peak of the market. It has been resprayed, there have been some minor upgrades in the panel and it already has the 3 blade prop (just overhauled).

However, I can't, for the life of me, understand how I could justify spending $100,000 on it. Not just from the fuel availability perspective but for that sort of money I could have a significantly better aircraft with a low compression engine, probably no more than 15 years old.

For what it is, my 112B is an excellent aircraft, better than a 200hp Arrow of the same age by far but it isn't a modern aircraft and no amount of money spent on it will make it one.

From a European perspective, right now the only conversion running AVGAS which makes any sense is one which burns UL91. As things stand, the last thing I need is to go faster, if I wanted to do that I'd buy a 114, they are going for not much more than I paid for mine. Just keeping a 112 of any variety in the air at all is the only priority in Europe and putting another high compression engine into it doesn't add up.

 

[CenAir]

Re: IO-390 News for 112/B

jrichards

What is the loss if any in useful load for converting to the IO-390 engine?

 

[N4843W]

Re: IO-390 News for 112/B

Hi Scott, our 112B has picked up a bit of speed since installing the 3 blade Hartzell - seing around 138 kts TAS at 75%, so if you add the 390 and grab say another 8 kts, add the superstream for another 8 kts, this then gives you 154kts at 75%. Lets call it 150 to be conservative - great deal I think.

Hey Rob! Just skype-ing with a big builder in Melbourne and good chance of another project there, in which case, I will be back to visit! We did pick up a project in Perth, but I just could not fit it into my schedule and sending two of our other guys. I was major-league disappointed in that. My month in Oz is like a beautiful dream to me now.