Engine

Watched/listened to the webcast from Sonex about the Aerovee engine.Very interesting to see how it became the engine it is today, and why it is a kit, not a finished engine. However, the lack of anything that can be called engineering in that engine, is all too obvious. All in all; a bit disappointing, still I am left with the impression that the engine is well tested in the field, the complete package is well thought through functionality vise, and that the engine will do what it is supposed to do. A good engine for the Onex? Yes.

Avgas UL91 is coming. Basically it is unleaded avgas 100LL and with octane numbers of 91 MON, 96 RON (whatever that actually means). Statoil is starting to sell this fuel in Norway. Avgas 91 UL is for all practical purposes aviation quality Mogas, and that can only be a good thing. The ability of the engine to run on UL91 is yet another additional important factor.

Name	Type	HP(max)	RPM(max)	cc	kg	Price €	TBO [H]	UL91	Mogas
Rotax	912 UL	80	2200	1300	72	€ 12 142	2 000	Y	95
Rotax	912 ULS	100	2200	1400	75	€ 13 499	2 000	Y	95
Rotax	912iS	100	2200	1400	75	€ 18 329	2 000	Y	95
Sauer	1800 UL	68	3200	1835	64	€ 7 845	1 600	Y	95
Sauer	2200 UL	85	3000	2234	66	€ 9 567	1 600	Y	98
Sauer	2400 UL	100	3500	2332	75	€ 10 574	1 600	Y	95
Sauer	S 2100 ULT	110	3000	2161	76	€ 13 586	1 600	Y	98
Limbach	L2400 EFI	100	3000	2424	76	€ 23 900	1 600	TBD	98
D-Motor	LF26	92	3000	2690	57	€ 12 600	1 500	Y	95
ULPower	260i	97	3300	2592	72	€ 14 700	1 500	Y	95
ULPower	260iS	107	3300	2592	72	€ 15 800	1 500	Y	98
D-Motor	LF39	130	3000	3993	79	€ 17 800	1 500	Y	95
ULPower	350i	118	3300	3503	78	€ 18 800	1 500	Y	95
Limbach	L2400 EB	84	3200	2424	82	€ 19 500	1 400	TBD	98
Revmaster	2300	85	3200	2331	77	€ 5 729	1 200	TBD	98*
Verner	Scarlet 7H	110	3500	4127	82	€ 11 990	600	Y	95
Hummel	2400	85	3600	2400	76	€ 4 850	0	TBD	98*
AeroVee	2.1	80	3400	2180	73	€ 5 083	0	TBD	98*
Great Plains	2300	80	3600	2276	75	€ 5 199	0	TBD	98*
AeroVee	2.2T	100	3400	2180	80	€ 7 266	0	TBD	TBD
Viking	Honda	110	2300	1500	81	€ 9 439	0	TBD	98
Jabiru	2200	85	3300	2200	64	€ 11 263	0	Y	95
Jabiru	3300	120	3300	3300	84	€ 14 460	0	Y	95

* with reduced compression ratio, and thus reduced HP and efficiency.

A tiny bit too early for a conclusion. But the Rotax, D-motor, Viking, Limbach, Verner is realistically no longer options for me. It will be too much work to redesign everything firewall FWD. Limbach is too costly etc. From the other manufacturers I have received very positive correspondence about how to proceed and what kind of help I can expect. Sauer will be a drop-in replacement, with only minor modifications. ULPower have a guy selling motor mounts, etc. The list is therefore shortened to:

Name	Type	HP(max)	RPM(max)	cc	kg	Price €	TBO [H]	UL91	Mogas
Sauer	2200 UL	85	3000	2234	66	€ 9 567	1 600	Y	98
Sauer	2400 UL	100	3500	2332	75	€ 10 574	1 600	Y	95
ULPower	260i	97	3300	2592	72	€ 14 700	1 500	Y	95
ULPower	260iS	107	3300	2592	72	€ 15 800	1 500	Y	98
ULPower	350i	118	3300	3503	78	€ 18 800	1 500	Y	95
Revmaster	2300	85	3200	2331	77	€ 5 729	1 200	TBD	98*
AeroVee	2.1	80	3400	2180	73	€ 5 083	0	TBD	98*
Great Plains	2300	80	3600	2276	75	€ 5 199	0	TBD	98*
AeroVee	2.2T	100	3400	2180	80	€ 7 266	0	TBD	TBD
Jabiru	3300	120	3300	3300	84	€ 14 460	0	Y	95

To achieve 80/85 HP on the american VW conversions, I will have to use 100LL. A fuel that may not be available for much longer. All the other engines runs equally well on UL91 and Mogas.