MontanaMan
Well-Known Member
Hi Folks. I have a Hipps Superbird J3 Kitten with the Mosler 35HP 1/2 VW (see pic)
I'm pretty disappointed with the performance of the motor. It weighs about 95+ lbs and doesn't have much oomph. Climb rates are about 200 fps. The plane was designed for a Rotax 277. The heavier 1/2 VW requires putting lead beanbags in the tail for weight and balance, which is definitely not ideal.
Can anyone recommend a 40-50 HP 4-stroke motor? Maybe a converted motorcycle or snowmobile motor in the 300-450 cc range. Preferably less than 80 lbs.
I've also thought of doing other things to fix the weight & balance, like moving the gas tank to the wing, which would move 31 lbs rearward about a foot or more. The gas tank currently sits in front of the cockpit. You can see the gas cap just in front of the windshield. Moving it to the wing should help an 80+ lb motor to balance properly without the lead in the tail.
Any recommendations you have for an ultralight, 4-stroke engine would be much appreciated.
Thanks!
I'm open to all ideas.
I'm pretty disappointed with the performance of the motor. It weighs about 95+ lbs and doesn't have much oomph. Climb rates are about 200 fps. The plane was designed for a Rotax 277. The heavier 1/2 VW requires putting lead beanbags in the tail for weight and balance, which is definitely not ideal.
Can anyone recommend a 40-50 HP 4-stroke motor? Maybe a converted motorcycle or snowmobile motor in the 300-450 cc range. Preferably less than 80 lbs.
I've also thought of doing other things to fix the weight & balance, like moving the gas tank to the wing, which would move 31 lbs rearward about a foot or more. The gas tank currently sits in front of the cockpit. You can see the gas cap just in front of the windshield. Moving it to the wing should help an 80+ lb motor to balance properly without the lead in the tail.
Any recommendations you have for an ultralight, 4-stroke engine would be much appreciated.
Thanks!
I'm open to all ideas.
