V220 / V300T stillborn?

[Andy_RR]

I have heard a rumour from someone who should be 'in-the-know', that the Rotax V6 project has been cancelled. It doesn't actually surprise me if it is true, but has anyone heard likewise, or genuinely knows to the contrary?

A

[jcoloccia]

...read all about it

http://www.rotax.com/en/Media.Center...1/20061114.htm


It's dead...
deceased....
no longer with us....
won't be down for breakfast...
doing the mahogany mumbo...
pushing up daisys...
doin' the dirt nap...

Too bad...would have been cool.

[N62XS]

Happy Turkey Day, both Wild and fowl!

[gmcjetpilot]

No loss, these where LARGE engines, heavy and very expensive. Not for an RV for sure. Added to the list:

BRP
Honda
Orenda
Crossflow
Powersport

to come?

Mistral (rotary)
Diesels (yes I know the $0.25 Mil Diesel Cessna Skyhawk, hahahehe )

Hard to beat the Lycoming for weight, power, efficiency and cost. All these engines cost way more money for questionable gain.

[N62XS]

Eat your dinner and be nice.

[rv6ejguy]

It makes sense for Rotax to gear up for higher production of the 912/914 engines with the upsurge in the LSA market. We are also focusing our business activities with this in mind as well. Go where the market is.

The Orenda is maybe not dead, yet. As posted earlier, the tooling and rights have been bought with plans to produce again. Engineering and certification costs have already been paid so a new life at some reasonable cost is possible. There is a fair demand for engines in this class with the price of turbocharged 550/ 540 Contis and Lycomings exceeding $60K. The altitude performance on these was impressive. 30-40 knots faster than a PT6-28 powered King Air at 25,000 feet and 35% lower fuel burn. TBO would have been somewhat shorter though. The Lancair IV and IV-P would really move with one of these at a lower cost than the Walter turbines. Let's hope that the new owners can do better.

Power to weight ratio was competitive with air cooled engines and it was nicely packaged.

Someone posted a couple months ago that PowerSport was still around but currently not shipping anything. Any more news on them?

Any time one of the alternatives bows out of the market, we are left with one less choice.

[the_other_dougreeves]

Originally Posted by rv6ejguy

It makes sense for Rotax to gear up for higher production of the 912/914 engines with the upsurge in the LSA market. We are also focusing our business activities with this in mind as well. Go where the market is.

I doubt that Rotax needs to increase production much to satisfy the US LSA market. The 912 series is popular worldwide already.

[rv6ejguy]

The demand for more engines to power all the new airframes will require higher production rates from Rotax. Agreed Rotax has a large chunk of the 80-115hp market already but the LSA production numbers are now huge. The US market dwarfs everything else we currently see.

Continental is seeing high demand for their new O-200 from the LSA airframers as well.

I know all this because we've been approached to provide FADECS for these and several other lightweight engines.

I got an hour flight in a 912 CT as a birthday present. I'll report on what the Rotax is like soon.

[RV7Guy]

Originally Posted by gmcjetpilot

No loss, these where LARGE engines, heavy and very expensive. Not for an RV for sure. Added to the list:

BPR
Honda
Orenda
Crossflow
Powersport

.

Is Crossflow **** up? If so, I guess it is a good Thanksgiving!!!

[SweetJellyDonut]

I would like to see Rotax reallocate that V-6 R&D money to improving or introducing manufacturing processes that will help bring down the prices of their 9-series engines. (~$15k for a 912S ). I think the engines are made in Europe and shipped over to the U.S. Maybe if they built a state-of-the-art plant in the U.S. that would help cut down some of the costs.

If someone could come out with a competing product for $5k-$7k less, they would corner the market. (makes me wish took a few more Mech. Eng. classes )