Wrathall Mark wrote:

I've been thinking about the wankel germany thing.

I have requested more specific information concerning inventory, patents
related to the LCR's and tooling/jigs/nc programs/patterns inventory.

If there is concrete interest in this project I feel it should probably

move

off the Open forum. At least if it gets as far as talking $$$

In terms of starting a company for these, do you really want to get into
changing the rotor housing immediately? Strikes me with the materials
compatiblity issues quoted for the rotary development, it would be

better to

just start cranking out these things exactly as the Wankel GmbH BOM calls
out, and start changing things once established.

If the consensus is that the German company went under due to marketing
errors, maybe the new company should aim at hitting the ground  running.

If the Wankel is to be aimed at a market dominated by two-stokes, and the
general publics perception of the wankel is that it is as suspect as a two
stroke, then you have to be offer the LCR at a price competitive to the
two-strokes. UL's are sold as turn key product right? What will the UL
market pay for 35hp? For 75HP? My guess is say $2500 for 35hp and $4500 for
75hp. Is it realistic to manufacture these engines, at  low production

rate,

at a cost which will allow you to pay the staff, market them, and still

have

change to eat? It comes back to the question, can this project offer a
positive return on investment?

By the way, for production engineering, I have a good contact n NZ. My best
school friends father has a medium size production engineering shop,

and the

NZ dollar exchange rate make them very competitive.
Mark Wrathall

I am not so hot on going with what they have for the asking price.

I would not try to go head to head with the two strokes. Two strokes
have a bad reputation here in the States.
The 4 stroke Rotax 912 and 914 at $8K to $10K US would be more like it.
As I said, I think the Wankel GmbH NA power is limited to 75 HP at 6000 RPM
while a scaled down all aluminum Mazda of the same displacement with
P-ports would easily exceed 100 HP.

Paul Lamar

Al Fuller wrote:

Paul, and all:

Unless i misread Mark's email, you missed his point.  [Mark, correct me if
I am wrong...]

It seems that Wankel offers two engines, one of which is the low power
model - in the 35-45hp range.  If so, then a successor will not be able to
avoid competing head to head with the two stroke manufacturers, because
that is who is in the market at that power level.

Also, I agree that the safest approach will be to hit the ground running,
and just sell what they have in the beginning.  Then, if you want, use the
cash from sales to develop a 'better' engine [as opposed to using our own
money.

Finally, the deal should include the rights to the name.  [It has been
several years since I had to negotiate a trans-national deal, so I am sure
I have missed something, but the basic ideas expressed here are sound.]

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