The team at Vertical Performance Systems, LLC has been very busy since Oshkosh on the final version of the new Vertical Performance Systems, LLC turbocharged engine package for the experiemental aircraft market. This version incorporates the custom Vertical Performance Systems, LLC-owned & designed: pistons, rods, cylinders, rings, head bolts, gaskets, cam shaft, push rods, roller rockers, valves, valve springs, valve spring keepers and retainers, push rod tubes, valve covers, elastomeric cog belt tensioner, Turbocharger and intercooler, dual computer system, state of the art sensors, ceramic coated exhaust, VP heat sheilds, and many other VPS innovations.

The above photo shows the new VPS, LLC computers that will each simultaneously fully control the new VPS, LLC engine system at all times. Should one computer system fail, the other computer will continue to operate the engine at full capability while the pilot receives a light indication that one computer is off line.

The new Vertical Performance Systems, LLC engine utilizes the case, heads, intake, crank shaft, and cylinder castings from your experimental helicopter engine. Every stock internal component is replaced with proprietory Vertical Performance Systems, LLC components that have been engineered to meet the needs of the experimental helicopter and achieve reliability that each owner desires and expects in a helicopter powerplant package. The new turbocharger will eliminate the problems that have perplexed the experimental helicopter supercharger high altitude system should one need extreme high altitude capability.

Every internal compomponent on the new Vertical Performance Systems, LLC engine has been engineered and manufactured to Vertical Performance Systems, LLC design criteria. Every part is manufactured exclusively for Vertical Performance Systems, LLC by major manufacturing companies that specialize in the manufacture of that particular component for the auto and aviation industry. Vertical Performance Systems, LLC has paid for the design and engineering for every component and holds ownership of all intellectual property for each component.

The photo above shows the new Vertical Performance Systems, LLC connecting Rods in the process of being machined from solid billet steel

It was nearly 20 years ago when Orv installed a turbocharger on his Exec 152 engine to allow he and his wife the capability to have the power at higher altitudes to safely explore the higher ridges of the California coastal mountain range. They could land and depart LZ's that other Rotorway pilots could only dream of due to the sea level manifold pressure available at those altitudes.

BELOW is a photo of that tubo installed on Orv's ship from many years back. We have built upon this first installation and our many years of producing turbocharged engines to the present version of the new Vertical Performance Systems, LLC Turbocharged and Intercooled engine.

Above, Orv's old 152 turbo.

Around 20 years ago Orv modified the seat back on his Rotorway helicopter to provide easy access to the engine and components for his Turbocharged Exec 152. See photo below. With over 300 flight hours with this seat back modification, the helicopter did not experience any weakening of the seat back structure.

Above, Orv's old turbo intake plenum.

We have made a similar modification to our test ship for easy access to the engine compartment. Note the amount of access from the cockpit to the engine bay in the photo below.

This photo shows the front of the new Vertical Performance Systems, LLC engine during the installation into the engine compartment of our test ship.

Note that the collective control rod shown on the above photo is painted blue and NOT annodized. Thanks for all of the concern expressed by our web site viewers. Control rods should never be annodized.

This update is to let you know that the turbocharged engine is now fully assembled complete with the new engine control system and has been installed and is flying in our test helicopter. We have posted a photo below of the installed engine with the turbo installed.

The new roller rocker valve train with the new Vertical Performance Systems, LLC custom cam and new firing order, cylinder head gaskets, push rod tubes of increased diameter, and custom manufactured/hardeded head bolts will eliminate the need for the builder to re-torque the head bolts and adjust the valves every 25 hours. The valve lash will be checked every 100 hours by a very simple process during the 100 hour inspection..

The turbocharger that we are using is of a dual compressor design. Both the compressor and the tubine are dynamically balanced. The turbo is both water cooled and the bearings are engine oil lubricated to provide the ultimate in reliability and longevity.

Above Andrew Burr is operating the Mill fabricating the mount for the new Turbo/Intercooler installation.

In the photo above Anderw worked on installing the tubocharger induction air piping to the intake plenum. This required fabricating backets for securing the tubing in place. We also continued with the electrical wiring and sensor hookup as the sensors that J. Mark Wolf made up for the new system just arrived today. Very nice job Mark.

We project a 100 hour interval between valve lash checks instead of the presently required checks and adjustments that are made every 25 hours with the stock valve train.

The new VPS head bolts are also made proprietarily for Vertical Performance Systems, LLC and do not stretch with engine run time, unlike the stock version, so the head bolts should no longer need re-torqueing at 1, 5, 10, 25 and then every 50hours.

With this entirely new valve train it is impossible for the valve rockers to fall off the valves or pushrods, unlike the stock version.

We are now using our brand new Stuska Dynamometer for computer mapping and test running for every Vertical Performance Systems, LLC engine that we produce. Our second Beta test engine is being assembled and will soon be placed on the dyno for its intial test run. We now have a list of experimental helicopter owners who want to have their engines converted to the Vertical Performance Systems, LLC engine. We predict that we will be ready to start production by this coming summer following a rigorous flight test program on this engine and our beta test engines.

Check back on the updates list to view the progress reports as we make them available.

Announcement!!

Vertical Performance Systems, LLC is pleased to announce that we now have the capability to produce the entire Vertical Performance Systems, LLC engine including the heads, water jackets, and crankase. At present we will focus on retrofitting the engine castings for the RW helicopter engine but in the near future we plan on selling our own Vertical Performance Systems, LLC engine to the experimental aircraft industry. Our new engine will be capable of running both vertically and horizontally for use in fixed wing airplanes and other aircraft.

The Vertical Performance Systems, LLC engine will be offered in both the normally aspirated version and the Turbocharged/Intercooled configurations.

The Vertical Performance Systems, LLC R&D team.

Vertical Performance Systems, LLC has paid for the design and engineering for every component shown on this web site and holds ownership of all intellectual property for each component.

To read about the ongoing flight testing click this link: VPS Turbo Flight Testing