Paul,   I just visited the Rotamax site  and they have published
prices for the line of engines they are planning to  build.  They are
very expensive.   The single rotor,  "SkyPower 100"  would be my
engine of choice.  Turbocharged, with dual ignition,  but $17,700 is a
lot for 100 hp.

I don't understand why they don't offer a lighter (price and weight) p
port version without the turbo.  They seem to be oblivious to the
potential jewel they can have.   The LSA market is looking for a
better engine and this would be it.    Instead they have just offered
an alternative to Rotax for about the same money.

Jerry

Think about it.  They aren't converting a Mazda engine, they are
building a new engine from raw materials.  The engine cost has to not
only cover the materials and work done on the one you're buying, but it
also has to make up some of their R&D costs.  The only reason that
Notaxes aren't more expensive is that the initial development costs were
spread across a huge base -- snowmobiles and wetbikes, a market several
times the size of ALL of aviation.  Their 2-stroke aviation engines are
just a slightly-modified version of engines that they had already been
making, and they only got into the aviation market because people were
yanking their engines out of snowmobiles.  From the 2-strokes they got
into 4-strokes, as a next step.

The Rotamax people don't have that advantage, and had no "first step" to
start with.  They are putting tons of money into this without a
large-pockets customer, and hoping to get that money back.

So, they won't beat the Notax engines based on purchase price.  They
will beat them based on technology.  A rotary engine is more dependable,
requires less maintenance, is smaller (and lighter) per horsepower, has
less vibration and you can hold all of the moving parts in one hand.
Dollar per dollar, that's worth a lot more than any Reciprosaur on the
market.

However, if you compare the cost of the Rotamax to that of a new
Renesis, the pricing doesn't look all that bad, does it?

Keith

Retail price at your local Mazda dealer for a new Mazda RX8 short block engine is $5800.
If you are an independent repair garage the wholesale price is about $3800.

Paul Lamar ...No rotor no motor.

How much for an all-up, ready to run (aircraft conversion) Renesis?
That's the apples-to-apples comparison.

For me, it's a race -- I want a Rotamax, but I'll have to save up my
pennies.  On the way to that goal, it's possible that a good, solid
one-rotor conversion package will show up for my 13B for less money.
Whatever I can afford first, wins!

Keith Wood


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