ULPower Engine Makes U.S. Debut on Zenith 650

April 24, 2009

ULPower's enticing 95-horsepower four-cylinder engine, which has tempted us from afar, is now flying in the U.S. on the nose of a Zenith 650 that was on display at the Sun 'n Fun show. The Belgian engine features electronic fuel injection and full dual ignition. With a comparably low firewall-forward package weight of only 170 pounds, the UL260i, this 158 cubic inch engine sits far ahead on its mount, leaving endless possibilities for all that space in between it and the firewall.

"It's pretty amazing" says Zenith 650 builder and pilot Gus Warren, "I can lift it by myself easily since it only weighs about 150 pounds without accessories. I had no problem moving it about the shop by hand. And given its low weight, this airplane has a useful load of just over 600 pounds."

ULPower representitive Nicolas Josson was also on hand, and added that a 125 horsepower version is in the works. Both engines are designed to run on 100LL or premium auto fuel, with an average fuel burn of just under 4 to 5 gallons per hour respectively at 2500 rpm. "I averaged around 120 (mph) on the way down," Warren claims. "It ran perfectly and performed really well."

The price is $16,200 for the 95-hp UL260i, and Warren is offering a complete firewall-forward package for the Zenith 650 for an additional $4000.

For more information, visit ULPower.