You Learn Something New Everyday...

So at the Back to the Fifties swap meet yesterday, aside from an Apollo 11 viewmaster reel, the only thing I found of interest was the February 1978 issue of Homebuilt Aircraft magazine (Special Issue: Replicas!). The main reason it caught my eye was because it said "Woman Powered Aircraft" on the cover, and there was an article about a homebuilt Westland Whirlwind replica (my dad has a slide of the same aircraft he took at Oshkosh. He said the construction of the aircraft scared the crap out of him, because it was pop-riveted together). Anyways, after the swap meet we were walking around and took a break at a bench under the bridge into the grandstand, and I started thumbing through my new magazine. Near the back was an article called "Automotive Engines for Homebuilts" where I found this picture:
It couldn't be. 104 ci Ford Taunus V4's? For airplanes? No. Freaking. Way.

You may be asking yourself, why do I find this so cool? Because as you may know, I love old Saabs. And what engine did Saab 95's, 96's, Sonett III's and Sonett V4's use? The Ford Taunus V4. In addition to being used in Saab's and multiple other cars, the Taunus V4 was also used for many different industrial and agricultural applications, but I had never heard of it being used in an airplane. Apparently the guy who decided a Ford V4 would be a good idea was a guy named Fred Geschwender of Lincoln, NE. Unfortunately, I cannot find any details about the Geschwender V4 online, but the magazine does provide some details.

"The most promising of these small engines is the 104 CID Ford V-4 which has been selected by Geschwender as the basis for a family of light aircraft engines. The dimensions, weight and design features of this engine combine to make it a very attractive candidate for conversion to aircraft use. Dimensionally, the basic engine will fit within a 21-inch cube. The propeller reduction unit adds nine inches to the length, making the overall distance form the prop flange to the water pump pulley 25 1/2 inches, or approximately three inches shorter than competitive engines."

"Total weight of the normally aspirated 110-hp engine will be approximately 260 lbs while the high performance supercharged 150-hp engine will weigh 272 lbs complete. An internal gear-driven balance shaft ensures smooth, vibration free rotation of the V-4 throughout its operating range. For aircraft use maximum engine rpms will be limited to 550, although the same engine in sports car or rally tune can exceed that rpm by a wide margin."
"Propeller reduction ratios have been selected which can be accommodated in the cast aluminum drive housing. The deepest of the ratios, at 2.59:1 is intended for use by homebuilders of the very popular 1/2 scale fighter replica series, as it will allow the use of scale three or four bladed propellers turning a maximum of 2100 rpm. The fastest ratio, at 2.0:1, will permit the use of existing light aircraft propellers on the V-4 turning up to 2750 rpm."

Interestingly, the size factor is one of the big reasons why Saab chose the Taunus V4 to replace the inline 3, because it was about the only thing that would fit.

In another article in the magazine, "Half-Scale War Planes", all about the W.A.R. replicas (which my dad actually looked into building at one point), there is more talk about V4's. The first W.A.R. replica was of a Focke-Wulf FW-190, which was initially powered by a 1600cc Volkswagen engine, but later used a Continental O-200. The article then says "A Honda Civic engine had been tried in a W.A.R. FW-190, but more recently Fred Geschwender has developed an exciting new Ford V-4 conversion of a powerplant made in West Germany for SAAB and for farm machines." It then goes to on to talk about specs on the engine.

Then it talks about Mr. Geschwender looking at two options for engines for W.A.R. replicas, either a 500ci Ford V-8, or the V4. The article says that "Second, he took a hard look at the smaller V-4 and heard loud noises of approval from W.A.R. replicators. It wasn't long before Ken Thoms put the word out that Geschwender V-4's would be available as of November '77 for one-half down ($1,600), and the balance on delivery."

"Either flat-opposed engines or V-8s can, however, fit nicely inside round cowls, and the V-4 seems made to order for the W.A.R. replicas (particularly the P-40 version), and the prototype P-51 Mustang, such as the one Bill O'Keefe is now building from W.A.R. plans at Hermosa Beach, Calif." It later talks about how mister O'Keefe planned on having his W.A.R. Mustang ready for Oshkosh '78 and was planning on a blown V4 of 150 horses to make it "get up and go".

It would seem that in the late 1970's, the Ford Taunus V4 was ready to set parts of the homebuilt world on fire, but I've never heard of a V4 in an aircraft. What happened?

The world may never know.

Or maybe I just need to start emailing people. Whichever.