Why Not Aircooled Engines?
Aircooled cars have some inherent advantages over watercooled engines.
The have no radiators, water pumps or coolant hoses. This means there are no opportunities for leaks and possible overheating issues.
The engines are lighter and cheaper to manufacture.
Beacause there are no ancillary plumbing strutures they are easier to work on.
Possible disadvantages are less efficient heating for harsh winter climates although aircooled engines warm up faster.
They are noiser because of the lack of the sound damping effect of a water jacket.
I have experience with several VWs, older Porsches and even owned a Corvair. They never gave me any engine troubles and even kept me adequately warm during many awful Chicago winters.
With modern metallurgical and manufacturing advances the reliability of aircooled engines could be as good as watercooled ones. There is no reason why cars can't be made FWD or even AWD aircooled. While the boxer engine has the most common configuation it is possible any number of V type engines could be designed.
In the current automobile culture where gratuitious complexity seems to be the only profitable direction could it be time to return to the old fashioned idea of K.I.S.S?
Aircooled cars have some inherent advantages over watercooled engines.
The have no radiators, water pumps or coolant hoses. This means there are no opportunities for leaks and possible overheating issues.
The engines are lighter and cheaper to manufacture.
Beacause there are no ancillary plumbing strutures they are easier to work on.
Possible disadvantages are less efficient heating for harsh winter climates although aircooled engines warm up faster.
They are noiser because of the lack of the sound damping effect of a water jacket.
I have experience with several VWs, older Porsches and even owned a Corvair. They never gave me any engine troubles and even kept me adequately warm during many awful Chicago winters.
With modern metallurgical and manufacturing advances the reliability of aircooled engines could be as good as watercooled ones. There is no reason why cars can't be made FWD or even AWD aircooled. While the boxer engine has the most common configuation it is possible any number of V type engines could be designed.
In the current automobile culture where gratuitious complexity seems to be the only profitable direction could it be time to return to the old fashioned idea of K.I.S.S?