Good call.
Always wondered how VW powered aircraft handle thrust forces on the crank.
Maybe not so well..
kudos to the 80 YO builder/test pilot, my hat is off to you sir!
The VW engines have many options for engine cases and crankshafts. On a heavily modified KR2 I did a re-design / build on. We used a big VW, 2340 or something like that.
We had 2 case failures and 3 crankshaft failures before the plane was considered ready for any far reaching destinations.
This was in the early 80s, the Claudes buggies cranks are or were a single shot forging, they only lasted a few hours. Scat makes good cranks but the prop adapter tried really hard to go on a solo flight. Then a Scat crank with the added bearing, that one worked. Then the case failures started.
After a few years we determined that big a VW engine just should not turn as slow as a direct drive needs, the engine rally needs to turn up some RPM to get out of a harmonic range.
Neat airplane though, I designed the changes right when I got out of collage, used the NLF 215 airfoil. Huge flaps and drooping ailerons, flaps reflexed as that airfoil calls out for. After an initial change to the horizontal airfoil due to the stupid high pitch moment of the wing the plane had superb control harmony.
WOT was 175, cruise of 155 and approach over the fence was 30. Issue was, even with a wider and stretched fuselage, it just was not roomy enough for two. Wish we made it bigger. After a decade or so it was replaced by an RV6.