Paul, what year rotary engine would be the best choice to get 300-350 hp with turbo charging (for an airplane)? I am looking for a complete running unit. James Whitehurst

Anything after 1989. Best to get a running car. Then you can do a compression check.
Before 2004 the nylon lines that feed oil to the apex seals get brittle and some times crack. If the engine is running however you can do a compression check and if that is OK the engine is fine.

2004, 2005 RX8 suffered from the same problem as Mazda cut back too far on the apex seal oil for smog reasons. Mazda gave people a new engine.


My 2004 is still running great as i always put in an extra one ounce per gallon
 of 2 cycle each time i filled the tank from day one.

About 2006 Mazda fixed it with three oil injectors per rotor and a bit more apex seal oil. Some early RX8 computers were re flashed to increase the oil.

Now if you don't mind learning how to take them apart you can get a real old junker and practice taking it apart and putting it back together.

It is real easy once you do it once. Lots of Video's on how to do it on youtube.

Then you can put in 20,000 hour life silicon nitride apex seals. About
$1200 to
$1500 for a set. It will run long after you die if you are now 20 years old :-) Assuming you are consistent about mixing 2 ounces of apex seal oil per gallon of fuel.

Here are some picture of an aircraft with a side port turbo I did.

Paul Lamar

    James,
    Even the obsolete 10A engines with a turbo will put out that HP. In the early racing days for Mazda the 10A engines in RX3's made 270HP with the Mazda Factory Race rotor housings and destroyed Nissan's 50th straight victory in the 2L GT-R that was highly developed. Parts for 10A engines are virtually inpossible to find now. The 12A is also obsolete and parts are getting difficult to find. The RX7 13B engines and RX8 engines are the way to go at this time. Something to take note of is the gact that automotive tubochargers in OEM application do not make great AC turbochargers. It is the difference in duty cycle that creates the troubles. Housings with a larger A/R are required. Otherwise the turbo is not likely to last long.

    Dale Davies


Paul, the first pic- isn't  the intake radiator causing a lot of restriction?
where do we stand on a 3+ to 1 gear box? is anyone building any for sale?
James Whitehurst

It is a bit over kill but no restrictions. Water never gets over 130 F.

Neal Ungar is working on a producing a gear box in Oz.
We just found an a company in Oz willing to build a one rotor LSA for the upcoming air show in Oct at Narromine. They will work together. http://ozkosh.com.au/

Oz is in dire need of a one rotor as Jabiru is having a lot of durability problems. The exhaust valve is the Achilles heel of the piston aircraft engine.

Paul Lamar

Hi Paul,
As you know I am building a single rotor, there will be no oil injection from the engine to the apex seal so am I correct in thinking that I should add 2 ounces of 2 stroke oil per gallon of fuel.
Andrew Campbell

That is correct.

Paul Lamar

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