New Rotax development

[Kyle Communications]

https://www.rotax.com/en/100-years/historical-vehicles-engines/detail/type-936.html?fbclid=IwAR0piK9bnOzo91aDYZ4ZslfbC6KnD8lQ-D6c6wCO9c-06sC96AKx0yn_lB8

 

 

[FlyBoy1960]

I saw this in an aircraft at Oshkosh a long time ago. Apparently according to the Rotax people they had the engine all of the way through certification and it was going to be approved for many different types of aircraft including many four seat aircraft. Once it became known to the legal teams in Rotax HQ which I think from memory they said was bombardier in Canada the engine was immediately canned.

 

Their concern was liability. Apparently they can handle accidents happening in two seat recreational aircraft but with this bigger engine it could be fitted into four seat certified aircraft and this was the nail in the coffin. They only ever built about 20, about 15 of these were used for testing to destruction and the other five were used for test flights. The one at Oshkosh was in a really big Tail-wheel aircraft, I can't remember it exactly but it may have been a moose or something like this.

 

It was really unfortunate that the legal team were scared of litigation and being able to carry twice as many people was the reason for the program cancellation and the immediate destruction of all of the engines. All of them were destroyed except a mockup that is now in Austria HQ from what I could find researching this about five years ago. The one on display at Oshkosh was painted bright yellow and not the red shown in the photograph.

[facthunter]

Some "Superior"/Lycoming  Motors have crankshaft problems. Producing a reliable light aircraft Piston engine ain't easy. Nev