Aircraft
The air-cooled opposed four-cylinder Beetle engines have been used for other purposes as well. Especially interesting is its use as an experimental aircraft engine. This type of Beetle engine deployment started in the 1960s. A number of companies still produce aero engines that are Volkswagen Beetle engine derivatives: Limbach, Hapi, Revmaster, the AeroConversions AeroVee Engine, and others. Kit planes or plans built experimental aircraft were specifically designed to utilize these engines. The VW air-cooled engine does not require a heavy gear reduction unit to utilize a propeller at cruise RPM. With its relative low cost and parts availability, many experimental aircraft are designed around the VW engines.
Formula V Air Racing uses aircraft designed to get maximum performance out of a VW powered aircraft resulting in race speeds above 160 mph.
Some aircraft that use the VW engine are:
- Aerosport Quail
- Airdrome Bleriot Model XI
- Airdrome Dream Fantasy Twin
- Airdrome Fokker DR-1
- Airdrome Fokker D-VI
- Airdrome Fokker D-VII
- Airdrome Fokker D-VIII
- Airdrome Nieuport 11
- Airdrome Nieuport 24
- Airdrome Taube
- AirLony Skylane
- Akaflieg München Mü23 Saurier
- Aurore MB 04 Souris Bulle
- Bensen B-8
- BK Fliers BK-1
- Circa Reproductions Nieuport 11
- Circa Reproductions Nieuport 17
- Corby Starlet
- Denney Kitfox
- Druine Turbulent
- Evans VP-1 Volksplane
- Evans VP-2 Volksplane
- Falconar F9A
- Falconar F11 Sporty
- Fisher Avenger V
- Fisher Youngster
- Flaglor Sky Scooter
- Flitzer Z-21
- Great Plains Easy Eagle
- Hummel H5
- Hummel Ultracruiser Plus
- JDT Hi-MAX
- JPM 01 Médoc
- Junqua Ibis
- Just Superstol
- Mignet Pou-du-Ciel
- Mini-Hawk Tiger-Hawk
- JDT V-MAX
- Kolb M3X
- Leger Pataplume 1
- Light Miniature Aircraft LM-5
- Milholland Legal Eagle - half VW and full Type 1 VW engines
- Mini Coupe
- Monnett Sonerai
- Nicollier Menestrel
- Parker Jeanie's Teenie
- Pazmany PL-4A
- Pober Pixie
- Preceptor STOL King
- Preceptor Ultra Pup
- RagWing RW1 Ultra-Piet - half VW and full Type 1 VW engines
- RagWing RW7 Duster - half VW and full Type 1 VW engines
- Rand Robinson KR-1
- Rand Robinson KR-2S
- Rutan Quickie
- Sisler SF-2A Cygnet
- Sonex Aircraft Onex
- Sonex Aircraft Sonex
- Stewart Headwind
- Stolp SA-500 Starlet
- Taiwan Dancer TD-3
- Taylor Monoplane
- Thatcher CX4
- Viking Dragonfly
- Zenair CH 100
Read more about this topic: Volkswagen Air-cooled Engine, Other Applications