I’ve recently had quite the about face on engine choices. Mostly this is due to developing a very negative opinion on the business behind the Viking engine, but also due to some conversations and research into what other people have done. Thinking about my criteria for an engine I came up with this (in no particular order, and in no way complete I am sure):
- price
- weight
- ease of install/no need for my own modifications
- manufacturer support
- installed base
- hot weather ability
- resellable?
Like most things in life, you can’t have all of them at once, and this is even more true in aviation. With the Viking out of the way, the choices that appeal to me are: a Wynne-built Corvair, the Rotax 912ULS, the UL Power 260iS, and the Jabiru 3300. I can put these into a table of internet-based numbers and opinions, feel free to correct me in the comments. Note that weights are posted weights on the websites, and may not be with the same configuration.
| Engine | HP | Price | FWF Kit | Weight | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Corvair 3000cc | 120 | $11,750 | $4000? | 210 lbs | Popular auto-conversion, a lot flying, well backed by flycorvair, cheap parts |
| Rotax 912ULS | 100 | $18,550 | $6,500 | 145 lbs | Very popular choice, been around a long time, seem solid and reliable, no customisation needed, expensive parts and ADs |
| Jabiru 3300 | 120 | $19,900 | $4,180 | 180 lbs | Modern aircraft engine, quite popular, has a reputation for cooling issues, cheaper parts than Rotax |
| UL Power 350iS | 118 | $24,800 | $4,950 | 173 | Very modern engine, fuel injected, FADEC, not much owner experience out there |
The most obvious thing is that once you get out of the auto-conversion world, engine price increases dramatically! This makes sense of course but is starkly obvious when laid out in a table like that. I’ve had several people crinkle their nose up at the Corvair conversion, just don’t trust the idea. I don’t have too many qualms about the conversion, there are a lot of people flying the Corvair and if I bought one made by the Corvair Authority I have no doubt it would be very reliable, plus the guy absolutely stands behind what he sells. The big downside is the weight of course. Useful load is 545 lbs, so an extra 50 takes that down 10%. The upside is that I would almost certainly have to go on a much needed diet.
The Rotax is the workhorse of the experimental market, the Company is rock solid and all I read online is how people opened the crate, bolted it on, hooked it up and have had hours of flying without any issues. Most engines I read about owners fabricating new pieces, extra hoses, experimenting with ways to keep things cooler etc. I’m not an engine designer. I hope to learn more about engines while maintaining the one I have but I am not in a position to tinker with one to get it running in the first place. So score 1 for the aircraft engines. But ouch, the price, score one for the Corvair.
I do see the appeal of the auto conversions but I am increasingly of a mind that they are not for someone like me who is not mechanically minded/experienced. So if I can find a way to buy it, I think my first choice is the Rotax. The larger prices of the other two aircraft engines probably puts them out of consideration. The Rotax will mean that my instrument panel will become a lot less fancy, I shall have to look at other options to reduce the overall price.
Speaking of which, it does make the final cost of the plane alarmingly higher than I (obviously foolishly) first estimated but nothing in aviation costs what you think!
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