Anybody know anything about the Verner Scarlett radials? I know they're made in the Czech Republic, and a Canadian dealer told me that they carry their oil supply in the crankcase. I have no idea how they prevent the oil from leaking out the bottom cylinders.

The familiar Rotec R2800 from Australia is a more traditional design with an external oil sump.

Rotec:

7 cylinders.
Bore and Stroke: 80 x 80 mm
Total displacement: 2800 cc.
Power: 110 hp @ 3600 engine rpm
Gear reduction: 3:2 (Rated power at 2400 prop RPM.)
Dry weight: 102kg, 224 lbs including all bolt-on accessories, but NOT including the external oil tank!
Diameter: 810mm, 31.9 inches.
Fuel consumption: 5.81 gph at cruise (From Rotec website.)

Verner Scarlett 5:

5 cylinders
Bore 97mm, Stroke 90mm
Total displacement: 3325 cc.
Power: 125 hp @ 3000 engine rpm
Gear reduction: NONE.
Dry weight: 85kg, 187 lbs. NO external tank.
Diameter: I have no idea. Can't find any info. But from the look of it, it's MUCH smaller than the R2800. Will proably fit in a modified Kitfox "bumpy cowl."
Fuel consumption: 5.5 gph at FULL POWER (3000 rpm)


My uneducated opinions:

1. The Rotec looks better. It's obviously intended to be a "traditional" radial. It's gorgeous. If it could cook I'd marry it.

2. The Verner is actually the wimpiest version of their 5-cylinder series. The same, exact engine is available in a 170 hp version that simply has a higher rated RPM: 3500. And it has a reduction drive. They also have a wicked 190 hp, 4600 rpm SUPERCHARGED version with a reduction drive. That tells me that the standard "Scarlett 5" is very de-rated and is just basically loping along. It is introduced with a 1000 hour TBO. So it appears that the 125 hp version should last a good, long time assuming the engineering is sound.

3. The Rotec is a more proven design. The Verner Scarlett series was recently introduced, and I don' know of anybody who is using one yet. It's made in the part of the Czech Republica that Hitler wanted real bad when he invaded Czechoslovakia. They're renowned for their aviation and weapons manufacturing. I'd like to think they know what they're doing.

4. Judging from the photos, the Verner motor uses much shorter connecting rods. The over-square design is clearly a high-rpm one, which allows them to spin the same engine at enormous velocities to achieve up to 4600 rpm. The whole engine is much lighter and more compact than the Rotec. You save 37 pounds over the Rotec without even factoring in the weight of the Rotec's oil tank. That's no small item!

5. The Kitfox is a pretty tiny airplane, and therefore wants a tiny prop. The Rotec, with it's big gear reduction, wants to sling a relatively long club. The Verner, on the other hand, sounds like it would be happy with exactly the sort of prop that people want to use on a Kitfox.

Prices are similar. Both use premium mogas or 100LL. The Verner, lacking gear reduction, would be happy using a broader variety of lubricating oils. (No need for gear lube specs.)

Opinions? If anybody knows, or has heard anything about the Verner Scarlett engines I'd love to hear it. I can't find ANYTHING on the internet, and even the dealers seem to know very little about them. I don't think they've actually sold any yet. If they are what they're cracked up to be they sound ideal for a Kitfox, if somebody wants a genuine radial engine and wants to keep it enclosed in a full cowl. And the weight savings is a VERY big deal for somebody as high on the Bubba Scale as I am.

www.rotecradialengines.com