[Jeff Higgins]

There is only one way that these old air cooled motors can come anywhere close to these wild horsepower claims - exceedingly high rpm's. An engine is essentially an air pump. Horsepower is a function of its ability to pump air - the more it pumps, the more power it makes. Only two ways to make it pump more - make it bigger or spin it faster.

In this particular case, using the +15% correction factor, this 2.7 is making 330 horsepower at the crank. By way of comparison, the 2.8 RSR motor claimed just over 300 at the crank, at 8,500 rpm. Some simple math reveals that this 2.7 (with less compression than the 2.8 RSR) would have to be spinning close to 10,000 rpm to make that kind of power. Magnus's 2.5 would have to be spinning even faster.

I just find all of these wild claims rather humorous. I think one's willingness (or eagerness) to believe them runs in inverse proportion to one's actual experience with, and knowledge of, these motors. Yes, we do see some very high specific outputs from some modern engines, but look at the rpm's at which those numbers are produced. Our motors are simply not happy at those rpm's. Then, to make claims for these old motors actually exceeding these amazingly high specific outputs from these modern engines demands that they spin even faster. It's simply not possible.

Oh well. These folks seem to believe there is still some hidden "magic" to be found, allowing 2.7's to make 287 RWHP - at 6,800 rpm... They have no understanding as to why that simply isn't so, and get all pissy when challenged. They don't know enough to even carry on an informed conversation. Their engine builder has a secret...