VENTURIS ON SWIFTS...

To: Monty747@aol.com
From: Bob Runge (ejectr@javanet.com)
Subject: Re: C 145 Engine
Why do I never see a picture of a Swift with a C145 with a venturi? Do they:
a) have an engine driven vacuum pump?
b) have a belt driven vacuum pump?
c) if b, how come there isn't any room for one under the stock cowling with a C125 which is smaller?
Or are they all stock and don't have gyros? Just wondering............Thanks.

Bob,
Well, you'll never see one of MY Swifts with a venturi! The first thing I do is trash-can all that heavy, drag producing junk like venturis and gyros. An electric turn and bank gives me the ability to do a 180 degree turn, which is all the instrument capability I feel a Swift needs. I know, some guys have flown Swifts IFR. I think they're NUTS! A LOT of Swifts have had venturis installed. 30 years ago the "full panel" was the thing to have. For about $50 worth of WW2 surplus instruments you could have, technically anyway, an instrument airplane. To answer you directly:
a) The Swifts that have an engine driven vacuum pump are powered by an O-300D or later Continental, or a Lycoming engine.
b) The belt driven vacuum pump does not work with a stock cowl
c) a 125 is exactly the same size externally as a 145/O-300
N2460B, which I got in June, had venturis and gyros. I have a trash can started for them now. On my N2431B I installed flush patches where the venturi holes were on the side of the fuselage, on N2460B I will re-skin those areas. --- Jim