Tipsy Nipper

Hi all.

After reading all the posts regarding engines, I never read something about 2 stroke engines installed in a Nipper.
I intend to buy a Nipper Mk1 which is now classified as "Light Aircraft" in France, but with a max weight limitation at 300 kgs. That means that once into the cockpit, with all the usual stuff, I won't be able to carry more than 5 and 10 lbs of fuel with a VW 1600 (and not so exciting) if I want to respect french rules... The 2 stroke changeover is, then, the solution (permitted legally). And when we see, nowadays, the available choice in the 40/80 hp range for a weight divided by 2, even more, it is worth to think about it.
So, has somebody jump ahead amongst Nipper community?
Thank you.
Regards.

Hi,

Not been a particular fan of 2 strokes(!) have you considered an HKS 700E @ 108 lbs or a Pegasus DP-1 @ 105 lbs?
An Aixro rotary is probably not going to give enough power, but very light.

Check the 4 stroke Briggs and Stratton conversions used by hovercraft people (and crazies that race lawn mowers ) Complete with belt reduction gear you are looking at 40HP at about 2200 propeller rpm and a weight of ~ 100lbs. This won't be much less thrust than a 1600 VW at 3400 rpm, if at all. Information is fragmented about the web - BMAA, BHA and Youtube and there is a firm in India which manufactures a bolt on reduction gear. There was an article in the LAA mag a while back describing this conversion. Anybody remember the issue?

With ~ 65 lbs less up front you will have some interesting CofG calculations to do, and if you remedy the moment by moving the engine forward then you may exchange the moment arm problem for a yaw stability one.

Good luck!

Jim