CC 340 Questions

[Norm]

I have a couple of Qs about the CC 340 engine:

• Electronic ignition. I like this and the advantages it brings to the engine operation. Which system is this? Is this the E-Mag E or P model with a built in alternator for backup?

• Compression. What value is it? There's talk about unleaded fuel for GA and speculation that it might be the current 100LL without the lead which yields ~ 96 octane. No telling when or if this will ever happen since. We all know the TCM O-200-A with a 7.0:1 comp ratio will run on anything, including most Tennessee moonshine. What about the CC 340? Can I run homemade hooch in it? How tolerant might it be with 96 octane if this becomes the fuel of the future?

• I think the cooling plenum and the 4 into 1 are awesome. In fact, the whole thing is amazing. Kudos to Jim R and the CC team.

Thanks.
Norm Lunt

[randylervold]

Norm,

The CC340 uses the Plasma III from Light Speed Engineering, click here for their web site and further info. We use the crank trigger version because it is more accurate and ligher weight, and of course there are two complete systems for redundancy.

Regarding the compression, we are at 9.2-1. My understanding is that any of the formulas being proposed that are based on premium auto fuel should work fine on engines below 10.0-1 that are non-turbocharged.

[Norm]

Thanks, Randy.

I've spent an hour reading about the Plasma III from Light Speed Engineering. A mag generates it's own supply of electricity, of course, but I can't seem to find out if the LSEs are dependent on the engine's electrical charging system or not. I assume they are. But do they have an emergency backup source of electricity built in? Or does a pilot just need to pay more attention to the amp meter in the panel scan?

[seastar]

Swift Fuel in Lafayette Indiana, a Purdue University spinoff, has developed a 100 no lead fuel made from biomass.
http://www.swiftenterprises.net/Swift%20Fuel.html
They claim that it meets all of the 100LL specs and then some.
They have it in pilot production now and the FAA is testing it.
When I get my Carbon Cub I may try to get some and run it in my aircraft.

[randylervold]

Thanks, Randy.
I've spent an hour reading about the Plasma III from Light Speed Engineering. A mag generates it's own supply of electricity, of course, but I can't seem to find out if the LSEs are dependent on the engine's electrical charging system or not. I assume they are. But do they have an emergency backup source of electricity built in? Or does a pilot just need to pay more attention to the amp meter in the panel scan?

LSEs are dependent on a power source, the battery, not the charging system. We wire the ignitions directly to the battery, the supply does NOT go through the master contactor as they are a possible failure point. Batteries seldom fail and when they do they tend to fail slowly. We have a low voltage light adjacent to the ignition fault lights that illuminates whenever the main buss voltage drops to a level indicative that it isn't charging. This alerts the pilot that there is a problem and to land and sort it out. If the charging system goes offline the battery can power the ignition system for far longer than there is fuel.

That aside, we are working on an optional battery backup for the ignitions, but of course it will add weight.