912 ULS clone

[bbs428]

Looks like the patent on the 912 has run out and our "friends" across the pond have been busy.

Any thoughts?

As for me - I hope it causes Rotax to adjust their prices downward but I'm not sure if pricing will ever trend downward.
The Chi-coms can reverse engineer as good as anyone, but can CD ZKD Aero get the metallurgy right as the Austrians do. (heavy satire) :rolleyes:
Watching the video at 22.30 you can see some crap welds on the oil tank. Not good!

I thought I read somewhere that this 100hp clone is about 16K $$ with a 500 hour warranty??

https://youtu.be/2RhL6DeMGYI?si=YiurzNcw_nzQFIYa

[jrevens]

?
Watching the video at 22.30 you can see some crap welds on the oil tank. Not good!?.


I think that?s the muffler, Brett. You asked for thoughts. Rotax created and then refined/improved a unique design to meet a need. Many years and likely many thousands of engineering hours were expended. Hard lessons were learned. Some folks complain about the prices, but have they priced a much simpler, brand new Lycoming or Continental lately? Not looking for a political discussion, but I wouldn?t personally trust or feel good about supporting something of this nature, coming from a place that I consider a huge threat to our country.

Surely some IT guy should be able to fix the issue of this site creating a question mark when an apostrophe is typed.

[Kitfox Guy]

Competition is always good. Now whether I would want to be flying behind the first generation model of this engine that?s a whole different story. If you recall several decades ago when Rotax entered the aviation engine field they were met with skepticism and scorn. I remember all the quips about the ?lawnmower/snowmobile engine?. Rotax has proven itself with time as one of the most reliable aviation engines. Only time will tell if this Chinese knock off will prove its value too.

[avidflyer]

More and more military drones around the world, and I wonder if these engines aren't being used in some of those. Many of those drones probably aren't expected to make TBO or even close to that if it's a suicide drone. If that's the case, maybe something that lasts a few hundred hrs may meet it's intended purpose. Not saying this is the case, but more wondering out loud... JImChuk

[Geek]

More and more military drones around the world, and I wonder if these engines aren't being used in some of those. Many of those drones probably aren't expected to make TBO or even close to that if it's a suicide drone. If that's the case, maybe something that lasts a few hundred hrs may meet it's intended purpose. Not saying this is the case, but more wondering out loud... JImChuk

There was an article (AOPA I believe) that talked about Rotax 912 engines being found on Iranian drones that had been supplies to Russia for use in Ukraine. The serial numbers on the engines of those drones matched 912 engines that had been stolen right off aircraft at airports. Would not surprise me if that was the initial market China was looking at.

[Av8r3400]

Hard pass on the Harbor Freight 912 clones...

[mike92104]

I'm not going to judge something simply because it was made in China. However, the Rotax engines have a long established history or reliability that these clones don't.

[Billiken]

I was told a few months ago by a maintenance instructor that these are exact copies and that the parts are interchangeable. However, the metallurgy and process was different. Be careful if the parts end up on our shore into our aircraft. Buy genuine parts is my advice for what it?s worth. The thought was that these were manufactured for drones and don?t need reliability or 2000 hour TBOs.

[gsxrpilot]

Hard pass on the Harbor Freight 912 clones...

I was thinking the same thing. I spend plenty of money at Harbor Freight, but only on certain things. Cheap consumables and certain convenience gadgets are great from HF. But if I need something with close tolerances, or it needs to last, or will be under significant pressure where it would be bad if it failed... I'm probably not buying that stuff at HF. And the engine on the nose of my aircraft certainly falls into that category.

[desertdave]

Hard pass on the Harbor Freight 912 clones...

My issue with Harbor Freight is when the smoke escapes from their electric tools I can never stuff it back in to make them work. I can only imagine the US General/Bauer/Hercules 912ULS. :rolleyes:

[Kitfox Pilot]

My issue with Harbor Freight is when the smoke escapes from their electric tools I can never stuff it back in to make them work.


Haha, this is a true quote from my experience!

[Av8r3400]

My issue with Harbor Freight is when the smoke escapes from their electric tools I can never stuff it back in to make them work. I can only imagine the US General/Bauer/Hercules 912ULS. :rolleyes:

This may solve your problem....


33601

[rv9ralph]

I was at Sun N Fun on Wednesday and came across the "Clone". It at a vendor at Paradise City, the ultralight area. He revealed that the manufacturer had beeb producing "official" Rotax parts for years. I didn't get the spelling but the engines had "ZD" on the valve covers and he said the company was Zeuzus ... or something like that. Below are a few pictures. It looks much like a 912ULS, 100 hp, the castings did look a little rough, in that the surfaces weren't smooth. The carburetors also looked like knock-offs.

336023360333604

[ADK-Flyer]

MMatt is a You tuber who has installed one of these a while back on his Zenith. He Paid a 3rd of the price of the Rotax when he bought it so I'm assuming around $8,000 but when I looked them up they go around $16,000 now. I feel for only $6,000ish less than a Rotax 912ULS it doesn't really seem like it's worth it at least not for me. I feel that the price of Rotax engines does seem inflated when compared to the prices of engines in other machines with equal or better engineering and technology not just airplanes. Personally I'd want the Rotax for piece of mind and resale. I attached a couple videos one where he talks about the engine on his own and the next his interview with the Experimental Aircraft Channel. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gnCEgmwTv5U https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wrZAQlKEJ8s

[Kitfox Guy]

This will be interesting to see how this plays out. I?d be reluctant to fly behind a ?new? engine manufacturer?s first generation model, but there are others (less risk averse than me) who will. Hopefully this gentlemen will publish updates on how the engine performs over time. If it has comparable reliability to Rotax, that might spur Rotax to readjust their pricing. If it doesn?t it will soon disappear just as other experimental aviation manufactures have. Only time will tell!