Cost?
What was the quote...$3k?
What did the turbo cost...$35K?
Whilst I agree the underlaying theory can seem daunting...especially when you get into flame fronts, peak power pulses etc the practical side of LOP operations is pure simplicity.
Taxi leaned brutally.
Takeoff full rich, lean enough on climb to keep the hottest CHT under the 380F limit. In cruise pull the mixture back to a specific fuel flow (50 odd Lt/hr in my Bo) watch the hottest CHT...if it is gently climbing, small twist leaner and visa versa. RPM where ever you like...wanna go fast leave it at 2500, wanna go far set it at 2200.
On descent reduce MP as discussed previously..taxi in leaned as you were in cruise/descent...pull to idle cutoff when parked.
Finished.
The biggest plus is that having the technology installed alone teaches you more about your engines inner workings.
The dollars and cents plusses are many too.
* 10-15 liters per hour fuel saving. $15-20/hr?
* The strong likelyhood that if your cyclinders aren't already damaged they never will be leading to the strong likelyhood that a 1700 hr TBO will be more like 2000 hrs ++ in private ops. $2-3/hr?
* Savings on labour rates for engineers when you are able to tell them exactly what is wrong, a fecked spark plug or sticking valve for instance, as opposed to "it's running rough" and he spends 5 or 6 hrs working out why...at $60/hr
* Increased range/endurance from knowing exact fuel state and the real useable remaining as opposed to the published useable...my useable fuel went up from 280 liters to 310 liters (I call it 300 though) that I
KNOW are useable even in light turbulence...coupled with using less fuel/hr means I am less likely to have to tech stop on longer trips...that could easy save 1 hr plus on a long trip each way...turbonormalising wouldn't have the same effect (via increased TAS) and that costs 10+ times what the EDM/Gamis cost to buy and lots more again in increased maintenance.
I reckon the technology saves me $30/hr over the long run..that is the price recovered in a 18 odd mths...even in pvt ops. Commercial ops would get the money back a lot quicker...imagine the savings on a Baron, C310 or Chieftain
For a TSIO520D (did you turbocharge or turbonormalise?) the savings will be greater because TSIO520s historically operated are lucky to see 75% of TBO and that after a top overhaul along the way.
I know I sound like a zealot...that is because I am. I believe this technology, and it's associated education, should be mandated by CASA in any commercially operated big bore flat 6...especially turbos carrying passengers
Would Whyalla have happened had the aeroplane and the young fella flying it been equiped with this technology and knowledge? I guess we'll never know for sure but
I believe it would not have.
How many fuel starvation events would not have occurred in the last 7-10 years?
How much money could have been saved across the industry in fuel, maintenance, insurance etc?
Interesting innit?