Aeromomentum AM15T TURBO 160HP FOR KITFOX S7 for $17k

[Gflo916]

Aeromomentum peaks my interest. This is a new item from aeromomentum that is a 1.5 L turbocharged engine that produces 160 horsepower. Has anybody considered this for a kitfox series 7? Would this be too heavy ? I have sent a message to aeromomentum regarding this engine fitting in a KitFox and have yet to get a response? Does anybody have any insight into this engine? Aeromomentum states that all their engines blocks are brand new and each engine is blueprinted and build by them in their factory using all new parts. Aeromomentum states their engines are based off Suzuki blocks that they buy from the company directly. I remember reading in the past of a member that used the AM15 non turbo that produces 131hp in a kitfox S7 but I can't seem to find the youtube videos that were posted before.

AM15T

Horsepower 160@5800
(2240prop)
(2388prop )
Weight(lbs) 215
HP/lb 0.744
Displacement 1497cc
Bore X Stroke 75×84.5mm
Valveing 16V DOHC
Cooling Liquid
Compression 9.5:1
Fuel Delivery Fuel Injection
TBO 1500hours
Typical Price $16,995

[alexM]

That was Nate Ashton. Looks like he took down his content. I'll PM you his number.

[avidflyer]

Didn't they swap that aeromomentum motor out for a 912 or 915? And then had a bit of an issue with the Rotax on the way to New York or somewhere out east? JImChuk

[Eric Page]

Yes, the AeroMomentum AM15 on that aircraft was removed and replaced with a factory-new Rotax 912iS. During the ferry flight we saw a Lane B light, first intermittent, then later continuous. The aircraft was left in a hangar in Wichita. A technician later identified a faulty pin in a connector that explained the Lane B issue. The aircraft was subsequently ferried the rest of the way to Brunswick, Maine. Even with the Lane B light, the Rotax ran perfectly.

[Gflo916]

Hi Eric. Do you know why the original Aeromomentum engine was removed? I just want to know if there was something faulty with the AM15 or if it doesn't work in a kitfox. Seem kinda odd to remove a brand new engine and install a rotax.

[alexM]

Since the thread is continuing I'll just say most of the problems Nate had weren't with the core engine, they were with the entire installation (which is why the factory strongly prefers that builders go with a proven Rotax installation). Nate was patient zero for Aeromomentum. They worked with him to develop everything from the engine mount forward. Some problems he had were with the oil cooler and radiator mounting solutions, at least one of which involved him landing with oil all over the windscreen. Thankfully he was in the pattern when the leak developed. Before I knew Nate I discussed his plane with the IA who used to do the annuals on my Citabria. Nate had consulted with him on more than one occasion and the IA was not impressed with the selection of hoses and fittings supplied to him.
He had one occasion when the plane quit cold during the run up. I forget the name of the component but Eric Page probably remembers. Commutator? It is the ring with a missing tooth that the crank position sensor gets signal from. If I recall the details it launched some of the teeth it needs which confused the crank sensor and caused loss of spark (kind of handy on a gasoline engine). To me the most glaring flaw of the installation was this single point of failure. As statistically rare a condition as it probably is, I don't think it was feasible to modify the system to add redundancy.

Nate flew off the 40 hours and did enjoy some flying with the plane. This is a low budget short clip I made of the two of us out beating up some local strips, including dropping in to see Eric Page at his home airport.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qbjEZ5CwJWI
Aero didn't supply a cowling of any kind so that is why it is missing in the video. He did create his own later on, which took a lot of hours sculpting foam and body filler, then doing the layup. He did a good job.

Nate was on a trip with his wife in the plane and somewhere in Utah landed for gas. It wouldn't start and the initial diagnosis was that it was seized up. I think in the end it was not seized but that was enough for Nate to un-install version 1.0 and move on.

As Eric said, we flew the plane with the 912iS and the lane B issue was just one pin in one connector. We took the conservative approach and discontinued the flight in Wichita. Once it was fixed Nate flew it the rest of the way to Maine where it is getting Clamar amphib floats installed.

[Eric Page]

The part that Alex mentioned is called a reluctor wheel (https://www.google.com/search?q=reluctor+wheel&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X). It's bolted to the crankshaft and spins past a Hall effect sensor to feed crankshaft position to the ECU.

[Gflo916]

Thank you sir. Wow that is all I need to hear. I plan on flying with my 7 year old son. I didn't know it was possible to love someone so much untill I had him (I love my son if you cant tell) and I would never want to put him (knowingly) in a plane with an inferior engine. I think we all crave reliability and redundancy meaning saftey. When your life is on the line I bet the extra cost of a rotax won't matter so much. Thank you for taking the time to explain this to us. You have helped more than you know. I was on the cusp of ordering the AM15 thinking it would be "just as good" as the rotax while saving some money. What it is to be naive. Again I can not thank you enough for sharing your experiences. I guess I'll work a few more overtime shifts to get the rotax.

[Danilo]

Thank you sir. Wow that is all I need to hear. I plan on flying with my 7 year old son. I didn't know it was possible to love someone so much untill I had him (I love my son if you cant tell) and I would never want to put him (knowingly) in a plane with an inferior engine. I think we all crave reliability and redundancy meaning saftey. When your life is on the line I bet the extra cost of a rotax won't matter so much. Thank you for taking the time to explain this to us. You have helped more than you know. I was on the cusp of ordering the AM15 thinking it would be "just as good" as the rotax while saving some money. What it is to be naive. Again I can not thank you enough for sharing your experiences. I guess I'll work a few more overtime shifts to get the rotax.

Why are you planning to go with such high HP engine? I see you live in Sacramento, I'm in Galt, not too far from you, building a Model 7 and just got my 912ULS 0hrs SMOH from Edge Performance last week. It was just under 12k shipped. Looks brand new and comes with a one year warranty. These are well designed and proven engines that will work just fine for my mission and probably 99% of everyone's mission. You are welcome to come check it out if you are ever down on HWY 99.

Cheers,

Danilo