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I thought this was a really cool video. He gives you a walk-around of the L15A7 engine from the second gen Fit. I also did not have any idea this was a popular engine to swap into small aircraft. Very cool.
This would in all likelihood only be used with "experimental" aircraft, which generally are homebuilt (either from a kit or from plans—plans that possibly one devises oneself). There are some significant restrictions on how homebuilt aircraft may be used—including that they cannot be used for any sort of commercial uses.
The weight is not vastly different from comparable common aircraft engines. The Rotax 914, for instance, a comparatively modern engine, weighs 172 pounds dry with accessories and is rated for a little over 100 hp. The Continental O-200 (also around 100 hp), a very typical traditional light airplane engine, also weighs in around 170 pounds dry. By the time a speed reduction and air filter and radiator are added, the Fit engine will be little bit heavier, perhaps 25 or so pounds I might guess.
Modified car engines have been used for (some) homebuilt aircraft for a very long time. For instance the Pietenpol Air Camper, a design that first flew in 1928, traditionally has used either a Ford Model A engine or a Corvair engine, though air campers have been built and flown with a good many different engines.
This would in all likelihood only be used with "experimental" aircraft, which generally are homebuilt (either from a kit or from plans—plans that possibly one devises oneself). There are some significant restrictions on how homebuilt aircraft may be used—including that they cannot be used for any sort of commercial uses.
The weight is not vastly different from comparable common aircraft engines. The Rotax 914, for instance, a comparatively modern engine, weighs 172 pounds dry with accessories and is rated for a little over 100 hp. The Continental O-200 (also around 100 hp), a very typical traditional light airplane engine, also weighs in around 170 pounds dry. By the time a speed reduction and air filter and radiator are added, the Fit engine will be little bit heavier, perhaps 25 or so pounds I might guess.
Modified car engines have been used for (some) homebuilt aircraft for a very long time. For instance the Pietenpol Air Camper, a design that first flew in 1928, traditionally has used either a Ford Model A engine or a Corvair engine, though air campers have been built and flown with a good many different engines.
Just my 2c: I would rather see an aircooled engine for lighter weight and simplicity. VW engines were used in a lot of kitplanes, but I suppose one could use a Porsche or Corvair engine as well.
