Zonsen Aero Engines - Rapture Aviation (Adelaide)

[Rapture]

Please guys. Going off topic will really devalue this thread for folks actually wanting good information about the Zonsen engines and installations.

i shall respectfully ask an admin to moderate this thread to remove junk. Please start your own threads for sidebar conversations.

[Rapture]

Our prop spacer arrived a couple of days ago. Now we can really make headway with the mount.

 

Edited January 15 by Rapture

[skippydiesel]

Hi Rapture,

 

"Our prop spacer arrived a couple of days ago."

 

Aside from the obvious,  moving the prop forward, what is the purpose/benefit of having a prop extension in this installation?😈

 

[Thruster88]

The obvious would be to move the engine back to help with CoG. 

[skippydiesel]

36 minutes ago, Thruster88 said:

The obvious would be to move the engine back to help with CoG. 

True!

However there are sometimes other reasons. Its not unknown for aesthetics to be one, air flow, prop clearance (nose wheel), etc

 

What weight is the Zonsen (?) compared with the origional Jab?? .😈

Edited January 15 by skippydiesel

[BurnieM]

Another possible reason is to retain the original cowlings and reduce cost.

 

[Blueadventures]

7 minutes ago, BurnieM said:

Another possible reason is to retain the original cowlings and reduce cost.

 

He did state that earlier in the updates, plus being a heavier engine it needed to shift rearwards, hence the spacer.   Savannahs have much longer spacers.  Great Idea and have seen two R Jabs and owners happy with them and they would have excellent w7b and mod info.  I can't wait to see it flying and being a fairly straight forward engine brand swap under existing cowl. 

[Moneybox]

11 hours ago, Rapture said:

Our prop spacer arrived a couple of days ago. Now we can really make headway with the mount.

 

I've done a lot of prototype work. If you have the manpower and a simple thing like this is holding up progress it may be better to knock up a dummy one. Perhaps an hour or so for a good guy to produce a correctly dimensioned dummy allowing you to continue with other work. A couple of endplates welded to a suitably dimensioned tube and dressed in the lathe for accuracy should do the job.

[Methusala]

On 16/01/2026 at 7:01 AM, Rapture said:

Please guys. Going off topic will really devalue this thread for folks actually wanting good information about the Zonsen engines and installations.

i shall respectfully ask an admin to moderate this thread to remove junk. Please start your own threads for sidebar conversations.

 

I would say that the site is provided (very generously) by our host for the use and enjoyment of its members. No one has exclusive rights to a thread. As mentioned earlier, a little thread drift keeps it lively, interesting and inclusive. IMHO

[Kitfox QLD]

Interesting read, if I was Rapture I would stop commentary not the best way to promote your engine. 
A group of us were tossing around to go down that path but very little info about it.

KFA IN South Africa do not post much on there website now.

 

I think you guys have killed it, should of got a few ca500 100hp out there build hours

our Rotax arrives Fed 

 

[Rapture]

More progress. The engine mount turned out really nicely with prop flange location, offset etc. all being extremely close.

Exhaust and accessories to be installed now. The paint shop for the fuselage isn’t too far away…

 

 

 

 

[BrendAn]

9 minutes ago, Rapture said:

More progress. The engine mount turned out really nicely with prop flange location, offset etc. all being extremely close.

Exhaust and accessories to be installed now. The paint shop for the fuselage isn’t too far away…

 

 

 

 

Coming along nicely 

[Rapture]

28 minutes ago, BrendAn said:

Coming along nicely 

Thanks BrendAn. We are really happy about how the mount turned out. It all fits nicely into our cowling. Most of the accessories were pre-installed to make sure they all fitted in. Now with the engine in its final location, the accessories can be installed around it. The overhauled landing gear will be reinstalled next week so we will then have it sitting on its gear as well.

[Moneybox]

Of course we can't see a lot but it appears to be a long way forward. I guess you've carefully calculated W&B?

[facthunter]

Isn't that what the prop extension is ABOUT? Nev

[Moneybox]

That's one of the difficulties of a retrofit. Move it so that one thing fits and it upsets something else. No so much of a problem when you're solidly stationed on the earth but a bit different when a few kilos fore and aft can have a dramatic effect when in the air. I used to love this sort of work but I'd want it finished yesterday....

[facthunter]

There's always the Old trick of  moving the Battery further back and the advantage of that is you can calculate exactly how far you have to move it before you do anything. Being a fair way from the CofG (long moment arm) it has a lot of effect.. You have to start Nose heavy though. Adding/moving a weight that is not a part of the Plane is a waste and Last resort.  Nev

[Blueadventures]

I recall one of the aims / criteria was to use the existing cowls without need to modify if possible.  That way you offer a direct engine swap package with existing shape.

[danny_galaga]

16 hours ago, facthunter said:

There's always the Old trick of  moving the Battery further back and the advantage of that is you can calculate exactly how far you have to move it before you do anything. Being a fair way from the CofG (long moment arm) it has a lot of effect.. You have to start Nose heavy though. Adding/moving a weight that is not a part of the Plane is a waste and Last resort.  Nev

Totally agree and I see this on Zenith 701s. The only drawback is you have to add more weight in the form of thicker and longer battery cable. But better that than just adding lead or something useless.

[facthunter]

Aluminium is an alternative to copper. Nev

[danny_galaga]

9 minutes ago, facthunter said:

Aluminium is an alternative to copper. Nev

True. I personally wouldn't be comfortable with aluminium cabling. Mainly where lugs are connected to the cable. As per the other thread, I think we both agree there's a lot of chance of electrolysis if moist. 

 

Then again, I vaguely recall the Piper warrior having aluminium cable, and I haven't heard of problems with it.

 

On aluminium cabling, my American friends tell me it was popular in housing years ago, and still a big cause of house fires.

Edited yesterday at 12:18 AM by danny_galaga

[facthunter]

It doesn't have to be woven strands.  Even covered copper wire corrodes. (verdigrese) . Insulated solid bar is fine. Some Welders and Motors use al windings, Bad  electrical connections of any kind cause electrical fires, House wiring is single strand. Nev

[kgwilson]

HV transmission lines are usually aluminium. Copper is just too heavy and expensive. I have aluminium jumper cables, about 40 years old & have lived at the back of my workshop without any cover for that time except while being used and still work as good as when i got them.

[onetrack]

Aluminium corrodes badly where it meets dissimilar metals, and is aided by moisture, corrosive dust and chemicals in the air. This is well known and well understood.

 

Aluminium is a highly reactive metal that needs a passive coating, or it will immediately start to develop a coating of aluminium oxide, just with contact with moist air. That aluminium oxide is what we recognise as aluminium corrosion. 

[facthunter]

There are Plenty of Metals more corrosive than aluminium,  It  has been the Main Metal used in aircraft construction since  Planes were Made  We are having corrosion problems in steel tube frames of Aircraft. .Nev