There are MANY sources of information about rotary engines, aviation, and rotary engines in aviation. This is not intended to be a complete list. However, I did find these resources very helpful and I would definitely recommend digging into them to provide supporting information for your project.
Make no mistake - the rotary is NOT an off-the-shelf product, whether you follow this recipe or not. What you don't know can get you killed. It's a simple enough engine that you ought to be able to understand how EVERYTHING in it works. If you don't, do yourself a favor and go with a Lycoming.
Rotary Aviation: Tracy Crook produces two critical components for this installation (the engine controller and redrive). He has also assembled an extremely important guide entitled “Aviator's Guide to Rotary Conversion”. This guide is actually getting a bit out of date (much of my “recipe” post-dates this material, so it may conflict with some of its recommendations), but it's still a must-have.
Mazda Factory Service Manual: Download the
PDF of the 1993 or 1994 FSM. You're going to refer to this constantly, and you aren't going to want to touch your computer with dirty hands while you do, so print it out. It's HUGE, but if you print it double-sided, it'll fit a large 3-ring binder. You can also order them online at some vendors for $120 or so. THIS IS A CRITICAL GUIDE.
If you want to save paper, just print through section G.
FlyRotary: Personally, I've found the general discussion on this mailing list to trend more toward theoretical topics. That's what you get when you stuff a bunch of bright guys onto a mailing list! Join it. You may not need to read every message, but if you ask a question, it gets answered, the answer is usually helpful, and it's usually correct.
CanardAviation Forums: Some of the same people from FlyRotary who are building or flying rotaries in canard aircraft also frequent this forum. The structure of the site makes it easier to wade through topics, especially older ones, and the conversation tends to be more practical.
John Slade's Cozy MKIV Build Site: I have to credit a lot of my own progress with following in John Slade's footsteps. His Web site is a cornucopia of must-do and must-never-do, things you usually have to learn the hard way. John is also a close friend, and I collaborated closely with him on my own engine install. Without him blazing a trail through the wilderness, I would never have installed a rotary in my own Cozy. You can follow the advice of many “gurus” online, but John is flying his rotary, regularly. His installation WORKS.
NoPistons Forums: If you want to innovate on this recipe, especially by with a porting job or by modifying any of the subsystems, these are the guys to talk to. They're mostly racers and the occasional pilot. But where the pilots on the other lists are focused on a big rebuild project of one engine, some of THESE guys have rebuild dozens or more. When you're regularly blowing up engines, you learn what works and what doesn't!
Pineapple Racing: Some of the nicest guys I've had the chance to work with, albeit briefly. I ordered my engine rebuild kit and a number of accessories and tools from these guys. They also have a set of rebuild videos that show you important techniques, like how to clean up a rotor.
MazdaTrix: Sooner or later (ok, sooner) you're going to need parts for the engine. Lots of parts. Seals, O-rings, washers, special bolts, counterweights; these guys have all of that stuff. These guys must have the worst (and slowest) Web site I've ever seen, but they have EVERYTHING, including some parts you never knew you needed until you saw them, then had to double-check your wallet before you bought them!
Rotary Aviation: You won't do much flying without a prop, and Tracey Crook makes the best redrive out there. You also need an engine controller, and his EC3 his specifically designed for aircraft use.
CozyGirrrls: You're going to need an engine mount - they sell one. Get it. (They also sell lots of beautifully-made parts for the rest of your Cozy.)
Summit Racing: Belts, hoses, fittings, throttle bodies, oil filters - everything you need to fill out your firewall, these guys have it.
eBay: The king of resources, this is where you get, well, everything you can't get elsewhere, especially if you want to save a few bucks on used components. You can find a surprising amount of stuff here - used bolts to replace the ones you broke or lost, entire engine cores, radiators, brackets, hoses, etc.
AGP Turbochargers: This is a turbo recipe. You need a turbo. A cheap one WILL NOT DO. It's a lot of work boosting at altitude - John Slade went through several cheap-o units before he bought a Turbonetics, and these guys will build it how you want it.
Atkins Rotary: There are some things that Atkins sells that Mazdatrix doesn't seem to, and vice versa.
AutoZone: Carb cleaner, wire brushes, socket sets, and all the other stuff that you just need. And there's probably one right down the road. They don't carry many Mazda parts, but if you just MUST get some sort of puller on a Sunday, they're your guys.
Harbor Freight: Cheap Chinese import tools, sometimes of nearly 0 quality. You get what you pay for. But sometimes a cheap screwdriver or socket set is exactly what you WANT when you know you might destroy the tool anyway. And they carry some very helpful tools at prices a fraction of what you'd pay for nearly the same thing at a Big Box store. I've noted some of the critical items in the Shopping List below.
B&C Specialty: Electrical products, particularly wire and switches.
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Digikey: Electrical components (resistors, capacitors, even batteries).
Burns Stainless: Stainless steel pipe, bends, sheet, and other components for fabrication, especially for exhaust setups.
