UL Power Aircraft Engines - Meet the Owner and Engineer Interview - Engine Week 2022

[@pilotblue6535]

I'm flying one in my Zenith STOL CH750. UL 350iS. Sensenich carbon prop. Amazing. It starts and runs like a Honda -smooth. Burning 22-26 litres/ hour. Chevron 94. Lots of comments at airports on the sound - Like a well-tuned traditional engine. I love FADEC - no mixture and no carb heat. 100 lbs lighter than an O-200.

[@ExperimentalAircraftChannel]

Thanks for sharing your experience here! :-)

[@Cornstalker7273]

You have come a long way with your knowledge of engines and your interviewing style. Great job.

[@foesfly3047]

Hey Brother Bryan, I was frustrated with the background noise but understand you had only one chance to get the interview before they left. So glad you did. Although I’m surprised they don’t have specific, detailed answers for some of your technical questions but Wow, you asked Very good ones.

[@chippyjohn1]

I think you have to realise that they come from a non English country. They are most likely the two that could speak the best English, not the most knowledgable.

[@mattgibbs111]

Great interview. I’d like say, I have a 260iS on my Onex. It’s well-matched size and power-wise to the airframe. It’s a great engine. Starts quickly and runs very smooth at all rpm’s. I can’t say enough good things about it. Thank you ULPower!

[@mhilderbrand7693]

Great interview! Not sure they were expecting some of those detailed questions😄

[@ExperimentalAircraftChannel]

Thank you....and RIGHT?! :-)

[@paulslevinsky580]

Good technical interview

[@gendaminoru3195]

any interest in a TN 680 8 cylinder? Love the 520 powered Velocity twin. PS. it's the area of the fins and the volume flow of the oil and not to over stress the bearings.

[@hadleymanmusic]

I kept that in my head for so long now they made it

[@josefernandosilvacroskey4042]

Merry Christmas my friend 💖

[@tetttettamilli6761]

(1.) In the next interview (given the challenging environments) is there a way to maybe run the audio (obviously during edit) say, thru a mixing board/equalizer to maybe filter out the background noises, leaving only the host/guests? (2.) For an "old technology" (air/oil cooled) platform, what he said (should/could have said?) was eye-opening: "If the temperatures are good ('keep it in the green'?), then you can run it at 100% for however long you want"; those "old technology" mid-engined air-oil cooled Porsche Lemans engines were "torture tested", and won races, sooooo.... (3) what's the weight?(4) provisions for AC and/or dual alternator? (5) Actual real-time test data: when "in the green" what were the differences in the piston/cylinder heads/oil/fuel consumption? (6) And finally (drumroll) what's the price (as compared to Rotax and Lycoming/Continental, etc)? Unrelated: Why did RamAir abandon their liquid-cooled engines(...someone...anyone)?

[@ExperimentalAircraftChannel]

Tett.... Thank You for chiming in here. There was some work done in "Post Production" to try and filter out the background. It was simply too overpowering. And... we were standing in front of a completely flat surface reflecting the noise back at us from that direction as well. SORRY. These guys were about to leave the show for the year and we only had a few moments to capture this. The prices were not shared here because everything is changing so quickly (both in exchange rate and inflation).

[@Cornstalker7273]

@@ExperimentalAircraftChannel Come on... give us the prices... everyone knows that they can change. It at least gives us a starting point for this current time. No one likes not having the price. Do not fall in the trap of every other presenter. Love your videos.

[@stephenbennett9481]

I was quoted 45k for the engine and 19k for the fire wall forward (520t) with constant speed prop

[@t.hangar]

they have build a really good engine but they NEED to hire sales people that can delivery the info and present the advantages of their design.

[@dirtcop11]

It was hard to follow the interview with all of that background noise. With your next video, maybe you can do the interview indoors or somewhere away from the PA system.

[@LTVoyager]

I concur. I understand the desire to have aviation ambiance, but when you can’t hear the speakers, the purpose of the interview is defeated.

[@ExperimentalAircraftChannel]

Agreed! Sorry guys. I was told of their presence at the show just moments before they were leaving for the entire week. This started sames time the afternoon Airshow started at OSH. It was difficult to edit and attempts were made to adjust background noise in post editing. No joy. Won't happen again. :-)

[@jimlay5708]

Plan ahead - book them now for the 2023 show in a quiet location.

[@oneninerniner3427]

Yup, too bad you couldn't have waited for the rip snortin radial to be done.

[@mikeryan6277]

Don’t use the Cone of Silence, it never worked well for 86

[@glsracer]

Great interview. The only thing that I'd like to see is longer TBOs. Hopefully they are still monitoring fleet reliability and will be comfortable extending TBO over time, but it remains a question mark.

[@dvsmotions]

I really want one of these engines to replace my O320.

[@telace1]

These engines seem to be well made and the 520t has great power...are they using some kind of fadec and why aren't they more popularly used in more kit planes

[@tonylam9548]

Their high prices.

[@telace1]

@@tonylam9548 the rotax 915 just as much though...and they're rolling them things out

[@LTVoyager]

@@telace1 The Rotax is liquid cooled as are most other modern engines and backed by a huge company with years of experience. UL Power is a clone of old technology and it is hard to see the advantages over a Lycoming or Continental. I fear UL Power will suffer the same fate as the Japanese motorcycle makers that tried to copy Harley Davidson. If you want an old tech engine, you buy Lycoming or Continental. If you want high technology you buy Rotax. Not sure why you would buy an old tech clone from a small company that may not be around in 10 years when you need parts or overhaul. I suspect that is the issue with UL Power. They just don’t seem to have much differentiation from Lycoming or Continental.

[@vitordelima]

@@LTVoyager They could improve the cooling (not water cooling since it doesn't fit their current models, but adiabatic engines, thermosiphons, water-methanol mix cooling, water injection or any other more exotic method that may fit what they already have), use composite materials for reduced weight and better heat dissipation or any other "plug-and-play" improvement to gain some advantage. Another idea would be the support of more widely available fuels such as gasoline-ethanol blends, which also improves cooling, since it already accepts high octane MOGAS. Jet A is also an option since it can be used in spark ignition if mixed with some other fuel such as ethanol, maybe syngas obtained from reforming the Jet A itself.

[@Austinmediainc]

​@@tonylam9548 compared to what? Have you seen the price increases on the Lycoming and Continental engines I t he last 2 years? I had a quote for 520 normally aspirated and it was 8k less than the Lycoming. So I would have to disagree.

[@streettosky5983]

I know there is a bit of a language barrier but they seem to not know their names product very well for being the business owner/ customer relations. I don’t see any reason to switch to this engine over a Lycoming.

[@Austinmediainc]

Besides Lycoming now charging 60k for 180hp engine. They have a basic monopoly and unfortunately they know-it, hence no new technology and outrageous pricing. I know there are a lot of die hard lycoming owners out there but damn, it's like the political environment now everyone picks a team and supports them no matter what. But hey that's the great thing about experimental, you can choose what you want, and the more choice the better for consumers.

[@vitordelima]

@@Austinmediainc And every attempt to being something new to this market fails due to "a series of unfortunate coincidences". TRACER being one of the most obvious examples.

[@glsracer]

@@vitordelima yeah or the government contracts just happen to go to the big players with the lobbying money. The aviation market is strangling itself to death with corruption and regulations. I've been in the industry (mostly in quality) for ~20 years, I used to love working with the FAA on the commercial side but I'm not sure they should exist other than in a basic form for General Aviation. The flaws with GA oversight have really come out over the last 10 years and are getting hard to ignore.

[@vitordelima]

​@@glsracer The FAA could be replaced by non-governmental comittees for GA, LSA, ultralight, drones, experimental... electrical engineering, computing and many others work like this.

[@glsracer]

@@vitordelima definitely would be better than what we have now. While not perfect, it could be equitable so long as the committee wasn't dominated by individuals tied to the big players.

[@stevemyers2092]

i would like to know what is the difference between this and the closest competitors.

[@ExperimentalAircraftChannel]

Well stick around friend. This.. is "ENGINE WEEK." There will be a new episode available each day all week long! Thanks for watching!

[@SoloRenegade]

FADEC, light weight, cost

[@Factory400]

The UL520T seems like a sweet option for RV14......has anyone done this?

[@michaelberry950]

Watching this with CC on is a MUST, turn down the volume.

[@ExperimentalAircraftChannel]

Yes. Sorry Michael. No running from the Airplane sounds at an Airshow. It was the only opportunity we had to get the owner on camera for you though.

[@marcusfalconieri4576]

Next on my list 350is

[@skyman4397]

Answers were vague without specifics. This video, IMO, did not inspire confidence ref UL engines.

[@ExperimentalAircraftChannel]

Maybe we caught them off guard. People have been flying these engines for a long while with very much great success. But... we are producing these videos all week for you to listen, decide or have you start the conversation with them yourself to get your specific answers... answered. Thank You for watching today.

[@skyman4397]

We all want them to succeed. I wish them well.

[@bkastell7285]

Well and try an interview in another language yourself, first…

[@PHMNX]

My RV-7 with a ULPower 520iSA, had it's first flight in January this year.The engine is running great. You can check my build on kzbin.info

[@joedoakes8307]

You should have waited to record this interview , UNTIL , the pilot in the plane landed !

[@chippyjohn1]

I feel bad for these blokes with the size of their country and sound restrictions. I am lucky in Australia, so much room and our skies are empty compared to other continents.

[@darrielmccarter957]

almost all we can hear is background noise otherwise could be a good one

[@ExperimentalAircraftChannel]

Thank You. Yes...sorry. afternoon Airshow started at the same time. They were leaving soon so it was the only opportunity to get the OWNER and ENGINEER on camera for you.

[@JeffreyinChina]

I wanted to know more but the background sound did make the video unwatchable

[@map4ca]

Im not convinced they have done enough research or stress endurance testing. Felt like they avoided or couldn't answer good questions. They could go to another location temporarily for testing where noise isn't a limitation. I liked a lot of what i heard. Just want to be more convinced about quality and durability.

[@tonylam9548]

Your company did little to ease the high prices of aviation engines. I can get a Suzuki engine for aircraft use at around half the price.Rotax is also guilty of this. I also feel you need a gearbox for the engine. That way, your HP output are not limited by the prop limits. Liquid cooling will enable you to make the engines tighter and immune to shock cooling and have a nice cabin heater.

[@scottmiller4711]

You are not buying a Suzuki aircraft engine as they don’t make aircraft engines. If it is a Suzuki then it is an auto conversion engine and in an entirely different class. As soon as you add all those things you mentioned above the engine then becomes very heavy like all the auto conversions tend to be but they distract you with the “price”. The UL Power is best in class when it comes to power to weight ratio. Something many forget about in lightweight experimental aircraft.

[@vitordelima]

@@scottmiller4711 I'm not so sure about this, there are comparative videos available for some models. Of course those engines aren't certified.

[@scottmiller4711]

@@vitordelima I am sure. I own and fly a ULP 350is, it and the Rotax 912 both weigh about 175 lbs (two of the lightest engines being produced), but the ULP is 130hp to Rotax 100hp. Both engines are designed as aircraft engines and not a car engine with an aftermarket gearbox and ECU attached. I would bet if you ask any of the auto manufacturers of the core auto engines if they back their engines use in an airplane it would be a resounding “NO”.

[@vitordelima]

@@scottmiller4711 You didn't mention the weight of the converted engines.

[@scottmiller4711]

@@vitordelima all the ones i have researched were similar in weight to small Lycomings and continentals. Low to mid 200’s…

[@JRS2248]

You know we can hear you very clearly but we can barely hear what your guest is saying. Why cant you put your mike closer to them?

[@johnmarkgatti3324]

Good stuff , but funny, if bloody aero engines had mufflers on we could have heard what they were saying !?. I still want to see the Aussie revetech engine revived for aero use,near 40% real efficiency , full tourque at 1500 rpm , built in contrarotation .

[@ExperimentalAircraftChannel]

YES. We we mandate mufflers on all Aircraft at Airshows for the future. :-) (Sorry about the noise on this one) The Revetech would be a cool option for Aviation! Thanks for sharing!

[@oneninerniner3427]

Need some prop mufflers ha ha

[@johnmarkgatti3324]

@@oneninerniner3427 interesting, did you watch 'blue thunder' back in the day , good movie ,a bit spookily predictive knowing what we do now , but the silent hover ?, and more than few people have reported having black helicopters over head , being blown about but no noise . Looks like it is possible . mind you i nearly got run over by an electric suv the other day ,backing out of his park at a busy supermarket ,not a sound ,no backing warning . an older guy not looking very well ,suddenly had a large vehicle right at my side ,too silent can be a hazard .

[@oneninerniner3427]

@@johnmarkgatti3324 hmm don't think saw that one. But my point was that propellers almost always make more noise than the exhaust note. How are we gonna address that?

[@johnmarkgatti3324]

@@oneninerniner3427 I get your point , i posit that a little more reseacrh will show you its incorrect , maybe go and listen to the electric planes , they are way quieter ,even the fastest rolls test bed one ,the piperstrels are almost stealth craft . BUT , US airfource did do a 'supersonic prop' plane the republic XF-84H,suitable nick named thunder screach , tales told , without suitable protection ground crew died !.That prop was louder than any ice power plant . Personally i am suprised planes are still allowed to be unmuffled ,particularily as power gains can be had even on 4 strokes . most city parks only allow electric RC planes now it seems .

[@willcall9431]

These engines aren’t big on torque hence the need for smaller props. Love the design and the Fadec which is on par with modern automotive engines can’t be beat, but…. Torque turns props. The newest rotax 916 puts out more torque than the current iteration of the 200 hp UL. Kind of a shame really.

[@andremarais2706]

Jeez No indoor area for interview? WTF

[@doncarlo5]

do these guys realize that it is possibly the worst place to make an enterview ? i‘ve got a migrane … dude

[@peglegjim57]

The background PA made this painful to listen to.

[@tomwaltermayer2702]

Interesting engine, especially since it's going in Darkaero. Too bad you couldn't do this interview in better audio conditions. This is the most difficult and unpleasant video to listen to I can remember. Really bad production on your part, but am grateful for the content.

[@andylewis210]

I would have stopped the interview and gone somewhere indoors. The background noise ruining the interview.

[@vitordelima]

There are some background noise removers available online but I never used them. This one seems to be the best but it requires a nvidia video card: kzbin.infobEurXLfzXfw

[@ExperimentalAircraftChannel]

Hey Andy! Thanks for stopping by. They were leaving the event within the hour and only had a short time slot to speak to them. Agreed... the background noise is annoying and we did our best to filter out some.

[@chippyjohn1]

So Jabiru copied a KFM engine and UL copied Jabiru, lol.

[@glsracer]

Jabiru has been sitting on their hands, I don't feel bad for them. They had a lot of time to improve product quality, innovate, and reduce prices and they really haven't. I'd like to see them do those things because more competition is always better.

[@Captndarty]

I would’ve scrapped this video. Better to have quality than quantity

[@claude7473]

Terrible interview, these people deserve better.

[@frankinpattaya]

That was a waist of time for all,,, so much background noise