yamaha experimental aircraft engines

Liquid-Cooled Yamaha Genesis 4-Stroke Snowmobile Engines for Experimental Aircraft and Flat-Bottom Air Boats

Engines are pulled out of sleds on a per-order basis from several salvage retail parts shops located in Pennsylvania, New York, Wisconsin and Minnesota.  Greg also drives up north and picks up sleds when he has time, or comes across an exceptional find.  

Send us an email (clik on adres below) or use the contact form at the bottom of the home page to request a list of current engines <clik here> .  Be sure to tell us where you're located, your full name and phone, which type of engine you're interested in or HP requirements, and type of aircraft you plan to use it in. 

                        [email protected]

165 HP YG4i EXUP, EFI with titanium ECU-controlled valved exhaust produces up to 20% more midrange power.  Available in 2011-2018 Apex sleds

  Basic engine weight with starter and throttle bodies 120 lbs

Installed weight w/o battery

160-170 lbs

For more info on Yamaha EXUP click here: EXUP

150 HP YG4i, EFI

Basic engine weight with starter and throttle bodies 120 lbs

Installed weight w/o battery 160 - 170 lbs

140 HP YG4 w/heated carbs,  available in 2003-2005 RX1 sleds.

Basic engine weight w/starter & carbs

125 lbs 

165-175 lbs

80 HP YG2, EFI

Basic engine weight with starter and throttle bodies 88 lbs

Installed weight w/o battery 129 lbs

Yamaha Looks At Airplane Engines (Corrected)

Yamaha is dipping a tentative toe into the aviation engine market in a partnership with a japanese manufacturer. the recreational and industrial vehicle giant will modify one of its existing….

Yamaha is dipping a tentative toe into the aviation engine market in a partnership with a Japanese manufacturer. The recreational and industrial vehicle giant will modify one of its existing small engine designs to fit a RANS S-6 to be adapted by ShinMaywa Industries. “Under this agreement, Yamaha Motor will explore avenues for adapting its small-engine technologies to the aviation industry,” the companies said in a joint news release. “ShinMaywa will adapt its aircraft engineering technologies and expertise—garnered through the development of flying boats and various other aircraft—to designing concepts, constructing prototypes, conducting tests, verify autonomous technology and more for small aircraft.”

The companies released no details on the engine or the airframe but images show what appears to be a two-cylinder vertically configured liquid-cooled engine that might be a variation of a new motorcycle engine the company released in 2018. It’s called the CP2, a 700-cc mill that puts out about 70 horsepower. The aircraft has an ultralight look to it with a fabric-covered airframe and two-place cabin. Neither company is making predictions on whether the aircraft will make it to market. “Both companies will use this joint research endeavor to explore possibilities for the commercialization of next-generation small aircraft, and take into consideration the direction and future of the project based on market interest and other factors,” the news release said.

An earlier version of this story stated that ShinMaywa was building a prototype aircraft for the engine. In fact, ShinMaywa is adapting a RANS S-6 for the proof-of-concept aircraft.

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Yamaha-Powered STOL Highlander

Makes it to Reno and scores podium finish.

Eddie Sanches herds an American Airlines 777 around for a living, but on the weekends he enjoys the rough and tumble world of STOL drag racing. Three years ago he purchased and raced a Just Aircraft Highlander with a Rotax 914 engine, which he later upgraded to an EP 912, putting out 155 hp. At ArkanSTOL 2022 (what a great name for a STOL event) Eddie ran into seasoned STOL racer Kevin Hoopes, who was working on a one-off Highlander XL designed with modifications to make it a top tier competitor. Sadly (or not so sadly in Eddie’s perspective) Kevin then became a partner and designer at Badlands Aircraft to work on their new Vaquero model. Kevin had to devote his time, attention and loyalty to the new brand, so he and Eddie struck a deal where they would both finish the new Highlander and Eddie would walk away with the keys at the end of the process. Eddie and Kevin finished STOL Race 48 only a month before Reno.

What resulted was the creation of a next level Highlander with an incredible new powerplant and stunning build quality. The engine on this creature comes from the world of Yamaha snowmobiles (“snow machines” if you are from Alaska). Officially the engine is designated the Sidewinder 998T, and yes, the T stands for turbo. This little 3 cylinder engine currently puts out about 250-260 horsepower, but Eddie is expecting tweaks to bump up that number to over 300 hp. The engine spins at 8200 rpm static and 9300 in anger. All that torque is converted to thrust with a Skytrax fully reared gear box built by Teal Jenkins and a four blade NR prop.

The most impressive feature of Race 48 is its incomparable build quality. If it had been completed on time for AirVenture, it would have certainly won the dead grass award (and probably a Lindy). Eddie named his ship “Devil Girl”, his nickname for his wife and crew chief, Sherri Sanches. The cockpit features a sleek Dynon SkyView installation, overhead switches and grand champion level fit and finish. This ship is not only beautiful, it is all built for STOL racing. Eddie designed and fabricated a motorcycle style twist grip throttle on the flap handle which enhances the speed in which he can change configurations and power settings. The landing gear was designed and built by Acme Aero .

The final STOL Drag results were determined on Saturday night. Eddie and Devil Girl Race 48 scored an incredible second place finish among the squadron of seasoned and well sorted out competitors. Eddie says that he is not through tweaking and modifying Devil Girl. He will be competing at ArkanSTOL later this season.

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Yamaha Motor and ShinMaywa Sign Joint Research Agreement for Next-Generation Small Aircraft

June 29, 2021

Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Iwata, Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan; President, CEO and Representative Director: Yoshihiro Hidaka) and ShinMaywa Industries, Ltd. (Headquarters: Takarazuka, Hyogo Prefecture, Japan; President and CEO: Tatsuyuki Isogawa) have signed an agreement for the joint research of next-generation small aircraft. Under this agreement, Yamaha Motor will explore avenues for adapting its small-engine technologies to the aviation industry. ShinMaywa will adapt its aircraft engineering technologies and expertise—garnered through the development of flying boats and various other aircraft—to designing concepts, constructing prototypes, conducting tests, verify autonomous technology and more for small aircraft. Both companies will use this joint research endeavor to explore possibilities for the commercialization of next-generation small aircraft, and take into consideration the direction and future of the project based on market interest and other factors.

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General Aviation News

Because flying is cool

Japanese companies team to research new GA aircraft powered by Yamaha engines

By General Aviation News Staff · July 8, 2021 ·

Yamaha Motor Co. has teamed with ShinMaywa Industries , a Japanese industrial conglomerate descended from the Kawanishi Aircraft Company, to conduct joint research on a next-generation general aviation aircraft.

Under a new agreement, Yamaha Motor will explore avenues for adapting its small-engine technologies to the aviation industry.

ShinMaywa will adapt its aircraft engineering technologies and expertise — garnered through the development of flying boats and various other aircraft — to designing concepts, constructing prototypes, conducting tests, verifying autonomous technology, and more for small aircraft.

Both companies will use the joint research endeavor “to explore possibilities for the commercialization of next-generation small aircraft, and take into consideration the direction and future of the project based on market interest and other factors,” officials with both companies said.

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July 12, 2021 at 6:01 am

Kyle is right, I stand corrected…the Aero Momentum engine is based on a Suzuki 1.5L engine.

July 10, 2021 at 1:36 pm

Wish Honda would join in as well

July 10, 2021 at 9:58 am

Take a look at the Aero Momentum engine. It’s based on a 4 cyl Yamaha engine. A friend has one on his RV12 and it is a very strong engine.

July 10, 2021 at 2:01 pm

I believe that the Aeromomentum engines (there is a series of different HP versions) are based on brand new Suzuki automotive engines. They appear to have a good track record.

July 10, 2021 at 7:04 am

I have wondered why this didn’t happen a decade ago….my guess would be liability. However, to me this is a game changer and Continental and Lycoming will have to work even harder to keep customers once they get into the larger competing engines. I would bet that if this works out and they get certification, they will be the engines of the millennia and not the 1900s.

July 10, 2021 at 5:08 am

How much HP would these new engines produce?

July 10, 2021 at 1:50 pm

From what I could find on the Yamaha website, it’s a 900 cc twin, so I’d expect it to produce 50-60 hp. They also displayed a 3cyl engine, probably 80-90 hp.+

It might compete with the 80 hp Rotax 912, but the smallest Lycoming and Continental are 115 and 100 hp.

July 9, 2021 at 10:11 am

Or, maybe, “bike on aircraft” 😁

July 9, 2021 at 7:57 am

About time. My Yamaha boat is simply amazing. Can’t wait to get in a plane with a bullet proof , fuel efficient Yamaha engine

July 8, 2021 at 9:56 am

A sign of hope. Rotax is ramping up its prices to the point of be comparable to Lycoming/Continental levels. While 1990 technology beats 1950, GA has no future with $40,000+ engine prices.

July 10, 2021 at 5:46 am

The carberatorated Rotax 912 ULS is a FAR CRY from the 915 iSC engine. Hence the price range. The 915iSC develops 141hp with full FADEC, turbocharger and fuel injection. The little Yamaha engines will have a long way to go to equal the 915. And when it does, the prices will reflect it.

July 10, 2021 at 2:10 pm

The Yamaha Apex based EpeX engine series (EPeX150i, EPeX200Ti, EPeX300Ti) from Edge Performance in Norway range from 150 hp to over 300 hp.

Steve Henry has switched from Rotax to the EPeX300Ti and has posted some videos. They all use the Sky-Trax gearbox which is a work of art (and a lot stronger than the Rotax gear boxes).

July 8, 2021 at 8:51 am

Maybe they should google “steve henry yamaha apex”…..

July 9, 2021 at 8:11 am

Or “Molt Taylor Kawasaki”

July 9, 2021 at 4:57 pm

OTOH; had a Yamaha engine in my 1992 Ford SHO Taurus. It was fairly stout.

Yamaha Announces Partnership With ShinMaywa For Small Aircraft

One parallel twin to power them all..

A certain type of human has always loved the pursuit of flight. Whether it’s flight via airplanes, feeling as though you’re  flying on motorcycles , or even pulling together the best of both worlds to develop a flying hoverbike prototype , it’s a dream that humanity will seemingly never outgrow. That’s honestly great, because why  should  we? 

On June 29, 2021, Yamaha Motor Company formally announced that it signed an agreement with Japanese aeronautics company ShinMaywa Industries, Limited for “joint research of next-generation small aircraft.” It appears their goals, much like their twin-cylinder engines, are parallel.  

What will each partner bring to the table? Yamaha plans to bring its small engine technology along for the ride, and will be utilizing a parallel twin design to power the duo’s first prototype aircraft. Meanwhile, ShinMaywa’s long experience in aircraft engineering will serve to design concepts, build prototypes, and conduct tests, among other research facets.  

There’s no mention of any sort of timeline included with this announcement, so we have no idea of when we can expect to see the first fruits of this partnership. Developing and testing working prototypes is, of course, only part of the puzzle. After all, both Yamaha and ShinMaywa are businesses, so investigating the potential commercial applications of any creations they develop together will necessarily be a part of the process.  

While you may know any one of the sprawling Yamaha family of companies for the wide variety of products produced under that name, it’s not typically closely associated with aircraft. Conversion kits to transform four-stroke Yamaha snowmobile engines to power light aircraft have been around for some time, but they’re offered by aftermarket specialists and not directly from Yamaha itself. 

Back in January, 1982, Yamaha first announced that it intended to develop engines for small aviation pursuits, from motorized hang-gliders to unmanned helicopters, such as those used for remote control agricultural spraying. That’s still significantly different than manned small aircraft, though. Pursuing this 2021 partnership with ShinMaywa, in this context, makes a lot of sense. 

Does this mean that we’re one step closer to Yamaha building its own flying motorcycle? Probably not, but no one can deny that it’s been a weird couple of years. In any case, we look forward to seeing whatever it is the two companies do end up building together.  

Fly, My Pretties:

Sources: Yamaha Motor , Yamaha Motor

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