The high-lift
features of the design give the STOL CH 701 its excellent short
take-off and landing capability. The light two-seat STOL CH 701 was
designed to provide excellent STOL performance without the need
for a lot power: Overpowering an existing aircraft is the easiest way to achieve short take-off performance (with enough power
anything will take-off in a short distance!), but this requires a lot of fuel for acceptable
endurance, and is an expensive, heavy, and inefficient way to obtain STOL performance, and does not provide good slow flight or
payload due to the heavier engine weight and fuel load requirement.
While all aircraft are designed within certain power
and engine weight guidelines, Chris Heintz does not
design his aircraft "around" a particular engine - to maximize the customer's choice of installed powerplant.
Recommended power is 65 to 100 horsepower, up to 185 lbs. installed
weight.
That said, designer Heintz highly
recommends the Rotax 912 series engines for the STOL CH 701:
"If you were to design an engine specifically for the 701,
you would probably end up with an engine much like the Rotax 912.
The 912 provides great reliability, and it's very efficient and
smooth-running. The power-to-weight ratio is good, and Rotax
engines are supported worldwide, something that's important to customers
around the world," Heintz stated. "While the initial purchase
price is significant, the price actually compares very favorably with
other engines when factoring in the low operating costs and long life of
the engine - many owners are easily exceeding the published TBO."
At Zenith Aircraft Company, our specialty is
airframes and not powerplants. The standard recommended engine for the STOL CH 701 kit aircraft is the Rotax
912 series - an 80-100 hp aircraft engine manufactured by Bomardier. We
can supply our customers with complete firewall-forward kits for this engine, including the
propeller, engine mount, and all other firewall-forward accessories. Click
here for details.
Typically, customers purchase the kit without the engine, and only purchase the powerplant when
needed (once the basic airframe is completed). Unless a builder in mechanically inclined to work on engines, we highly recommend the standard Rotax 912 installation over
other custom installations.
For most customers, Zenith
Aircraft recommends the standard 80-hp Rotax
912, while the 100-hp Rotax 912S
will benefit owners operating at higher altitudes or those that equip
their STOL CH 701 with floats.
Related Information:
Alternative Engines:
Regarding alternative engines for the STOL CH
701 designer Chris Heintz has stated: "I've designed the STOL CH
701 to be suitable for different engine types - 50 to 100 hp, up to
185 pounds installed. Literally dozens of
different engine types have been custom-installed in the 701."
Most custom engine installations require a lot of work and
often "troubleshooting" to properly install, and frequently don't provide the expected performance and reliability.
Designed as a light sport utility kit aircraft,
top speed of the STOL CH 701 is limited by its high-lift design
features, and more power will not yield significant top speed gains.
An inexpensive engine may cost you less to purchase initially, but may not provide the
proven reliability and performance you expect, and may need to be replaced a lot sooner than expected.
Zenith Aircraft Company
stocks engine mounts and accessories for some other engine types (including Continental, Rotax 582) but does not provide support for such installations.
Alternative engines will affect performance, specifications and flight characteristics of the aircraft. Also, the weight and balance of the aircraft may be adversely affected by
different engines, and the original fuel system may not be adequate or suitable for some
engines and installations. Most alternative engines will require a custom engine mount and
cowl. Zenith Aircraft Company does not manufacture or directly support engines nor their
installations.
Equipment, features and availability
subject to change without notice.
