KenyaCub
Registered User
Kenya, Africa
OK, here's another idea I would like to get some opinions on.
What about a Rotax 914 in a light cub such as a Sport Cub?
You save about 30-40 lbs on the engine vs. the 0-200 and gain 15hp that will still work at altitude.
What I like about the rotax is the turbo since I'm at 6000 ft.
The disadvantages is that it is complicated (gearbox, turbo, dry sump ...).
The other problem is the fact that you can only use very lightweight propellers because of the gearbox.
That would mean a composite Powerfin or Warp Drive. I spoke to the guys at Warp Drive and they said that they could get about 5.5 to 6 lbs of thrust for every hp (=632-690 lbs). That's hard to believe but would be nice if it were true. They recommend a three blade setup with 68 - 72 inch diameter. The nice things about these props is that they are very cheap and very light.
I'd imagine the airplane would weigh around 880-900 lbs empty once you add the HD gear and big tires. With an airplane of this weight on 35 inch bushwheels, you should be able to run extremely low pressures (1lb?) ... the obstacles you could go over hmmmmm ....
I'm wondering what kind of takeoff distance you'd get? I wonder if when light you could get one of these to perform better than a moded PA18?
Anyone with experience with these engines/props? How much thrust can you get out of this combination? Any ideas?
What about a Rotax 914 in a light cub such as a Sport Cub?
You save about 30-40 lbs on the engine vs. the 0-200 and gain 15hp that will still work at altitude.
What I like about the rotax is the turbo since I'm at 6000 ft.
The disadvantages is that it is complicated (gearbox, turbo, dry sump ...).
The other problem is the fact that you can only use very lightweight propellers because of the gearbox.
That would mean a composite Powerfin or Warp Drive. I spoke to the guys at Warp Drive and they said that they could get about 5.5 to 6 lbs of thrust for every hp (=632-690 lbs). That's hard to believe but would be nice if it were true. They recommend a three blade setup with 68 - 72 inch diameter. The nice things about these props is that they are very cheap and very light.
I'd imagine the airplane would weigh around 880-900 lbs empty once you add the HD gear and big tires. With an airplane of this weight on 35 inch bushwheels, you should be able to run extremely low pressures (1lb?) ... the obstacles you could go over hmmmmm ....

I'm wondering what kind of takeoff distance you'd get? I wonder if when light you could get one of these to perform better than a moded PA18?
Anyone with experience with these engines/props? How much thrust can you get out of this combination? Any ideas?