Have any of you had experience with Franklin Aircraft Engines, Inc.? I’m asking because this is the company that built engines for the Tucker car. I don’t have the stats handy, but the engines they built evidently performed fantasically in US government tests. They no longer build the same engine as used in the Tucker (I suspect that their engine which is closest in size to the Tucker’s is simply the Tucker’s bored out a few more inches, they look almost identicial.), but they’re still in business. So I’m wondering if any of you have any experience with the engines, how well they perform, and if they are reliable and easy to service?
I’ve flown behind Lycomings and Continentals (actually, I fly in front of the Lycoming in the helicopters), and have no experience with the Franklin engine. Here’s a page where you can browse ads for Frankin engines.
Out of curiosity… Do you own a Tucker?
Didn’t the Bell 47 use a Franklin engine?
We had some in Korea that had Franklin’s.
And most Stinson 107’ and 108’s that I flew in the 60’s and 70’s had a Franklin’s.
They were good engines and were very rebuildable ( a good thing in most cases)because they had cylinder sleeves. That was the ‘thing’ that the mechanics talked about at the time.
It was a long time ago for me and so YMMV
http://www.centennialofflight.gov/essay/GENERAL_AVIATION/stinson/GA2.htm
Hey, pal, if I could afford the $250K+ for a Tucker, do you think I’d be posting here? 
I think that you’re right about the Bell 47 using the Franklin. I know that they were used in helicopters at the tail end of WW II.
Interesting site about the Stinson, GusNSpot.