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Rotax

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For the former British component manufacturer, see Lucas Industries.
BRP-Rotax GmbH & Co KG
Company typePrivate company
IndustryMechanical engineering
Founded1920
Headquarters
Gunskirchen, Upper Austria
,
Austria
ProductsInternal combustion engines
OwnerBRP-Powertrain Management GmbH,
BRP Holdings (Austria) GmbH
ParentBombardier Recreational Products
Websitewww.rotax.com

Rotax is the brand name for a range of internal combustion engines developed and manufactured by the Austrian company BRP-Rotax GmbH & Co KG[1] (until 2016 BRP-Powertrain GmbH & Co. KG), in turn owned by the Canadian Bombardier Recreational Products (BRP). Under the Rotax brand, the company is one of the world's largest producers of light piston engines.[2]

Rotax four-stroke and advanced two-stroke engines are used in a wide variety of small land, sea and airborne vehicles. Bombardier Recreational Products use them in their own range of such vehicles.[3] Since the 1990s, Rotax has been the world's dominant supplier of engines for ultralight aircraft and light sport aircraft, and a major producer of engines for other light aircraft.[4][5][6][7][8]

History

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The company was founded in 1920 in Dresden, Saxony, Germany, as ROTAX-WERK AG, the name referring to the „rotanda axis“ used in the 1906 bicycle freewheel patent by Friedrich Theodor Gottschalk (1858-1932). In 1930, Rotax was taken over by Fichtel & Sachs and transferred its operations, soon reduced to sales, to Schweinfurt, northern Bavaria, Germany. When this area came within reach of allied bombing in 1943, the engine production of Fichtel & Sachs, was moved further south-east within the Greater German Reich, to Wels, Reichsgau Oberdonau, into the facilities of Reform-Werke Bauer & Co that had produced agricultural machines. To conceal this move, the Rotax named was used.

After the war, under US control, Reform-Werke Bauer resumed agricultural production in the Wels city center near the central station. Rotax was moved to nearby Gunskirchen in 1947, and ownership was transferred by the 1955 Austrian State Treaty to Austria. In 1959, the majority of Rotax shares were taken over[9] by the Vienna-based Lohner-Werke, a manufacturer of car and railway wagon bodies.

In 1970, Lohner-Rotax was bought by the Canadian Bombardier Inc. The former Bombardier branch, Bombardier Recreational Products, now an independent company, uses Rotax engines in its ground vehicles, personal water craft, and snowmobiles.[3]

Applications

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Snowmobiles

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The original application for Rotax engines was Ski-Doo snowmobiles from Bombardier Recreational Products including two-stroke and four-stroke, turbocharged and naturally aspirated, two- and three-cylinder models.[10]

Aircraft

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Rotax is one of the world's principal suppliers of aircraft engines for ultralight aircraft, light aircraft and unmanned aerial vehicles.[2] Between 1985 and 1995, 60,000 Rotax engines were sold for aircraft propulsion.[2] In the light aircraft class, in 1998 Rotax outsold all other aero engine manufacturers combined.[4] Their four-stroke engines powered most U.S.-certified light sport aircraft when they first appeared around 2004.[5] Over two decades later, Rotax engines remain the most popular line of engines for light sport and ultralight aircraft,[6][7] and the second-most-popular (after Lycoming Engines) for U.S. Experimental / Amateur-Built (E/A-B) aircraft.[8]

Two-stroke aircraft engines

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Rotax air-cooled, two-stroke engines began appearing on ultralight aircraft in the early 1980s, with a pair of single-cylinder, 9.5-horsepower Rotax 185s[11][12] powering the single-seat Lazair ultralight by 1982.[12] Soon, the 26-horsepower, single-cylinder Rotax 277[11] became the most widely used engine powering U.S. ultralight aircraft (and remains, for many, the only Rotax engine they can use to adequately power the aircraft and still remain within the FAA-mandated weight limits for ultralight aircraft which can be operated without a pilot's license).[13]

Two-stroke Rotax model numbers approximated the engine's displacement (in cubic centimeters), and the first two digits (from the 277, on) are very roughly similar to the engine's horsepower (e.g.: The Rotax 447 engine displaces 437 cc, and is rated at 40 hp).[11]

Subsequent evolutions of the early designs included the two-cylinder, two-stroke Rotax 377, Rotax 447, and Rotax 503, all in production by 1985[11] (the last of these, the 503, was discontinued in 2010-2011, by then the most popular engine it its class, and still widely used as of 2023).[14] Later two-stroke designs included the Rotax 532 (circa 1984) and Rotax 582, both of which augmented the air-cooling with liquid-cooled cylinder heads.[11]

Most Rotax two-stroke engines were rated, recommended, or reported with a TBO (time between overhauls) of about 150-300 hours (compared to 1200-2000 hours for government-certified, conventional, four-stroke, light aircraft engines), though later models improved upon that some.[15]

Four-stroke aircraft engines

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Moving towards more demanding aircraft applications, Rotax, by 1989, developed a four-stroke, four-cylinder, engine: the Rotax 912, with versions eventually ranging from 80 to over 100 horsepower, followed by a turbocharged 115 horsepower Rotax 914.[5]

Rotax four-stroke engines differ from conventional four-stroke aircraft engines by their unusually small displacement for the amount of horsepower -- compensated for by higher than normal rotational speed (over 5,000 rpm). To reduce propeller-shaft speeds to normal aircraft propeller rotational speeds, (around 2300-2400 rpm) the engines use a reduction gearbox.[5] They are also designed to accept motor spirit, with up to 10% ethanol content.[16][17]

These engines were initially given a 600-hour TBO, less than traditional light aircraft engines.[5][18][19] But operational experience and modifications to address specific reliability issues over time gradually extended the TBO to 2,000 hours.[5][18][19][17] An independent 2022 statistical study of U.S. government accident data found that the Rotax 912 family had the lowest rate of failure of the six most common lines of engines used in registered Experimental/Amateur-Built (E/A-B) aircraft.[8]

By 2014, Rotax had produced and sold 50,000 of 912/914 four-stroke engines.[5] Later models increased horsepower, with several variants of the 912 family, and a new 135-horsepower Rotax 915 iS.[5][20]

The Rotax four-stroke aircraft engine line immediately dominated the emerging category of U.S.-certified "Light Sport Aircraft" (LSAs), powering most of them.[6][14] One general aviation industry media reporter found that 70-80% of the 66,000 aircraft he'd identified, worldwide, used Rotax four-stroke engines.[14] The 912/914/915 series also powers larger certified aircraft, including the Diamond Katana, and the twin-engined Tecnam P2006T and Leza/Lockwood Aircam.[6]

Motorcycles

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The Can-Am division of Bombardier Inc. developed a line of motorcycles starting in 1971, powered by Rotax engines. The Can-Am motorcycle operation was outsourced to Armstrong-CCM Motorcycles in 1983, with production ending in 1987.

Can-Am resumed motorcycle production with a series of on-road three-wheel motorcycles, starting with the Spyder, using Rotax engines. As of 2020, there are three models: the Ryker uses the 2-cylinder 600 ACE and 3-cylinder 900 ACE, the Spyder F3 and the Spyder RT use the 3-cylinder 1330 ACE. 1000 V-twin 5sp.[21]

In the motorcycle world Rotax are particularly known for their single-cylinder engines of comparatively small to medium displacement. Several major motorbike manufacturers, who are otherwise renowned for their proprietary but bigger engines, use Rotax engines in their smaller models.

As an example of larger displacements, Rotax developed a 798 cc parallel twin engine with and for BMW, which was built from 2006 to 2020.

Brands using Rotax engines include:

Personal watercraft

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As of 2020, all Sea-Doo brand personal watercraft from Bombardier Recreational Products are equipped with four-stroke, supercharged and normally aspirated, three-cylinder Rotax engines of the Advanced Combustion Efficiency (ACE) series.[22]

Off-road vehicles

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Can-Am Off-Road vehicles from Bombardier Recreational Products are equipped with Rotax engines.[23]

Karting

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The company introduced the Rotax Max for karting in 1998, and started organizing the Rotax Max Challenge in 2000.

Products

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Aircraft engines

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Rotax 912 installation

Rotax engines designed specifically for light aircraft include both four-stroke and two-stroke models.

Current models are:

Certified engines[24]
Model 912 A/F 914 F2/F3/F4[25] 912 S/iSc Sport 915 iSc A/B - 916 iSc3 B
Type Certification 25 September 1989 15 May 1996 27 November 1998 14 December 2017
Configuration 4-stroke, 4 cylinder boxer, spark ignition, liquid cooled heads, ram-air cooled cylinders, dry sump
Aspiration natural turbocharger natural turbocharger+intercooler
Fuel delivery 2× CD carburetors injection, dual channel FADEC
Fuel automotive petrol or AVGAS
Stroke 61 mm / 2.40 in
Bore 79.5 mm / 3.13 in 84 mm / 3.31 in
Displacement 1211 cm3 / 73.9 cu.in 1352 cm3 / 82.5 cu.in
Compression 9:1 10.8:1 8.2:1
Gear ratio 2.27:1 / 2.43:1 2.43:1 2.55:1
Length 590 mm / 23.2 in 665 mm / 26.2 in 596 mm / 23.5 in 657 mm / 25.9 in
Height 375 mm / 14.8 in 531 mm / 20.9 in 398 mm / 15.7 in 398 mm / 15.7 in
Width 576 mm / 22.7 in 578 mm / 22.8 in
Dry Weight 57.1⁠–⁠59.8 kg / 125.88⁠–⁠131.8 lb 71.7⁠–⁠74.4 kg / 158⁠–⁠164 lb 58.3⁠–⁠64.4 kg / 128.52⁠–⁠142 lb 84.6⁠–⁠85.2 kg / 186.4⁠–⁠187.8 lb
Take-off Power 59.6 kW (79.9 hp) 84.5 kW (113.3 hp) 73.5 kW (98.6 hp) 100–117 kW (134–157 hp)
Take-off RPM 5800
Rotax 503

Historical models no longer in production include:

Karting engines

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The Rotax MAX engine karting engine is a two-stroke engine series, launched in 1997.[27]

OEM

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The company also produces unbranded engines, parts and complete powertrains for original equipment manufacturers (OEM).[28] Uses include motor bikes and scooters, with complete engines including the Rotax 122 and Rotax 804.[29]

References

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  1. ^ BRP-Powertrain GmbH & Co. KG (2014). "Company profile at brp-powertrain.com". Archived from the original on 17 March 2015. Retrieved 1 September 2014.
  2. ^ a b c Gunston, Bill: "Rotax", in "Austria", in "Aero Engines," in Jane's All the World's Aircraft, 1995-96, (1995), page 690, ISBN 0-7106-1262-1, Coulsdon, Surrey, U.K.
  3. ^ a b "Bombardier Recreational Products & Vehicles - BRP USA". brp.com. Archived from the original on 14 June 2012. Retrieved 24 September 2015.
  4. ^ a b Gunston, W.; "World Encyclopaedia of Aero Engines", 4th Edition, Patrick Stephens Ltd, 1998, Page 170.
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h Busch, Mike: "Outside the Box: The Rotax 912 is delightfully different," June 1, 2017, AOPA Pilot, Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association, retrieved June 29, 2023
  6. ^ a b c d Pimentel, Dan: "A Deep Dive into Rotax LSA Engines: Phil Lockwood provides insight on the most popular light sport engine," February 18, 2022, Flying, retrieved June 29, 2023
  7. ^ a b "Troubleshooting the Rotax ultralight aircraft engines," Ultralight News, retrieved June 29, 2023
  8. ^ a b c Wanttaja, Ron: "Homebuilt Accidents: Passing the Engine Baton," December 19, 2022, Kitplanes, retrieved June 29, 2023
  9. ^ "Company history up to 1969". Retrieved 14 February 2012.[permanent dead link‍]
  10. ^ "Rotax Snowmobile engines". Retrieved 26 October 2020.
  11. ^ a b c d e "Rotax," in "Engines" in Burger-Burr's Ultralight and Microlight Aircraft of the World, 2nd Ed., pages 493-495, (1985); Haynes; Somerset, England, U.K.; ISBN 0-85429-481-3
  12. ^ a b "Lazair Series III..." in "Ultraflight Sales," in "Canada" in Burger-Burr's Ultralight and Microlight Aircraft of the World, 2nd Ed., p.101 (1985); Haynes; Somerset, England, U.K.; ISBN 0-85429-481-3
  13. ^ Burger, Alain-Yves and Norman Burr: Burger-Burr's Ultralight and Microlight Aircraft of the World, 2nd Ed., (1985); Haynes; Somerset, England, U.K.; ISBN 0-85429-481-3
  14. ^ a b c Johnson, Dan: "What’s Affordable in 2022? A New “503,” Wheeled-Carriages, and Two-Place PPGs," February 3, 2022, ByDanJohnson.com, retrieved June 29, 2023
  15. ^ "Rotax air-cooled aircraft engine troubleshooting, Rotax 185, 277, 377, 503 troubleshooting reports, Volume 2," Ultralight News, retrieved June 29, 2023
  16. ^ Twombly, Ian J.: "Does light aircraft equal light maintenance?," May 6, 2011, AOPA Pilot, Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association, retrieved June 29, 2023
  17. ^ a b Leineweber, Ed: "Rotax 912 Series Engine Operation & Maintenance Concerns: An Interview With Brian Meyerhofer of Leading Edge Air Foils," Midwest Flyer, August, 2011, retrieved July 11, 2023
  18. ^ a b "Rotax Service Interval Guide" (for the 912/914), ConAir Sports, via Light Aircraft Association (U.K.), retrieved July 11, 2023
  19. ^ a b "SB-912-005" / "Technical Bulletin 912-05 R 2 Special inspection to increase the TBO for engine", July 19, 1996, Rotax, retrieved July 11, 2023
  20. ^ Horne, Thomas A.: "Rotax dials up the power," July 21, 2015, AOPA Pilot, Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association, retrieved June 29, 2023
  21. ^ "2021 Models". Retrieved 26 October 2020.
  22. ^ "Rotax engines - High performance engine for Sea-Doo Watercraft". Archived from the original on 25 October 2020. Retrieved 26 October 2020.
  23. ^ "2021 Off-Road models: Side-by-Side and ATV models". Retrieved 26 October 2020.
  24. ^ "Type Certificate Data Sheets for Rotax 912 series" (PDF). EASA. 15 September 2020. Archived from the original (PDF) on 25 October 2020. Retrieved 26 November 2020.
  25. ^ "Type Certificate Data Sheets for Rotax 914" (PDF). EASA. 5 September 2016.
  26. ^ "The Glaser-Dirks DG500M". aopa.org. Retrieved 24 September 2015.
  27. ^ Gschossmann Dominik. "Kart Engine Business of BRP-Powertrain". rotax-kart.com. Archived from the original on 24 June 2015. Retrieved 24 September 2015.
  28. ^ Gschossmann Dominik. "we build your engine - Home". rotax-oem.com. Retrieved 24 September 2015.
  29. ^ "Startseite". BRP-Rotax. Archived from the original on 11 March 2015. Retrieved 24 September 2015.
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Rotax.
External videos
video icon How Rotax Builds Aircraft Engines on AVweb
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