I'm new to this, but have made a few phone calls plus a bit of reading on the subject. There seems to be arguments for both sides here. However, a story by a former PSRU manufacturer told of a belt that had lost all (or most of) it's cogs and the plane was able to land at an airport, make some adjustments, and fly home for the needed repairs. A gear driven unit may not have done as well.
Also, Rotorway Helicopter (remember the Scorpion?) switched from belted to geared, and then had many issues with torsional vibration. They soon switched back to belts. I was told also that the U.S. Army uses belts in all of it's helicopters.
I'm looking at a Chevy engine, perhaps the V6, maybe V8. Two schools of thought are from Belted Air Drives (Jess Meyers), and Firewall Forward Aero of Canada (Archie Dobbins).
If anyone has researched this issue and has empirical evidence to support an argument, please feel free to expound on your data!
Also, Rotorway Helicopter (remember the Scorpion?) switched from belted to geared, and then had many issues with torsional vibration. They soon switched back to belts. I was told also that the U.S. Army uses belts in all of it's helicopters.
I'm looking at a Chevy engine, perhaps the V6, maybe V8. Two schools of thought are from Belted Air Drives (Jess Meyers), and Firewall Forward Aero of Canada (Archie Dobbins).
If anyone has researched this issue and has empirical evidence to support an argument, please feel free to expound on your data!