When it came to the engine choice our main priority was reliability. Of course the available power was an issue as well - the Corsair should have minimum 30 hp.
Therefore we selected the Verner Scarlett 3 V - a 4-stroke, 3-cylinder radial engine. The engine is purposefully designed as a light aircraft engine and produces 42 bhp at 2500 rpm. This power and a displacement of 1,6 liter already shows that this is a robust engine and not one of those highly tuned cart-, lawn mower- or scooter engines.
The high engine torque allows the use of a rather big and efficient propeller. We have two standard options: either a ground adjustable 3-blade 1,60 m carbon prop which can produce - depending on the blade pitch - up to 100 kg of static thrust. Or we offer the 1,75 m Helix 2- or 3-blade props which both even deliver more than 100 kg thrust. More than enough for 120 kg empty weight!
And as a side effect the sound of this engine is just fantastic!
Alternative engines and engine considerations for kits
Power and weight requirements:
- System weight (engine, mount, exhaust, air filter, ignition system, oil tank including oil): max. 42 kg / 93 lb
- Power: between 30 hp / 22kW and 60 hp / 45 kW at max rpm 3000 rpm
- Propeller diameter should be minimum 1,60 m. Very good results are achieved with the 1,75 m Helix props, but for this large diameter a maximum rpm of 2500 should not be exceeded – so most engines would require a reduction drive.
The following engines are suitable:
- Verner Scarlett 3V – as written above this was our first choice – meanwhile hard to get since Verner for the time being paused production, but definitely a recommendation! Drawings, Engine mount, exhaust, oil tank etc. are available from us.
- Briggs & Stratton Vanguard horizontal shaft engines series with reduction drive are a nice alternative. Many good and reliable conversions are available, e.g:
- Flanders V-630cc is a well-made conversion. Weight, rpm and power fit nicely. We can provide engines and all details and parts for the installation.
- Briggs & Stratton Vanguard vertical shaft engines, e.g. the 810cc are suitable, but usually come without a reduction gear. Therefore, the prop size is limited and we would rather recommend to stick with a lesser modified horizontal shaft engine plus a reduction drive.
- Aixro XF 40– nice Wankel engine with low weight, high power and a nice sound, too. However, the high exhaust temperatures require some attention. We have detailed information and drawings available and are in close contact with this German manufacturer.
- Hirth F23 – low weight and high performance 2-cylinder boxer. Well known engine with many of them flying even in much heavier airplanes. We are in close contact with the manufacturer and can provide engines and all parts and drawings for the installation.
- Polini Thor 250 / 250 DS – possible, but many owners claim that reliability is nothing to write home about… nevertheless if well maintained and regularly inspected and your airfield and skills allow an occasional forced landing than the risk is manageable.
- Polini Thor 303 – a brand new engine in 2021. No experience so far regarding reliability, but we are in contact with Polini factory and will give it a detailed check. Thumbs up or down will follow as soon as we have the details and some experience.
Whatever your choice - either we build it or help you to install it on your kit and provide you with drawings, parts and recommendations for installation and a good propeller selection.
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