Hirth 2-stroke engines
Phantom
problems) and the other half swore at them. I'm thinking about using
the 65 hp 2706 in-line 2-cyl engine. One proponent simply said "It's
not a Rotax, and you can't treat it like one. I learned the hard way
not to torque the bolts when the engine is at all warm. You simply
must follow the owner's manual to the letter; you'll be very pleased
with it" Several critics complained that things vibrated loose; some
said the basic engine was good, but the accessories weren't
engineered in a complementary way. The flightpark in San Antonio has
about 6 or 8 ultralight-type aircraft with Hirths and they seem to
have gotten past early problems and they like them. What do the rest
of you think? Duncan Charlton, Austin, TX
ron...@xs4all.nl
Have a look at :
You find there a Dragon Fly page. (The two seat helicopter)
This helicopter is equipped with the Hirth F30 - It's a certified engine!
Hope you like the information
Rgds,
Ron
Wylie Ewing
Mike Maurer
>
> Half the Hirth owners I've talked to swore by them (400+ hrs. w/o
> problems) and the other half swore at them. I'm thinking about using
> the 65 hp 2706 in-line 2-cyl engine. One proponent simply said "It's
> not a Rotax, and you can't treat it like one. I learned the hard way
> not to torque the bolts when the engine is at all warm. You simply
> must follow the owner's manual to the letter; you'll be very pleased
> with it" Several critics complained that things vibrated loose; some
> said the basic engine was good, but the accessories weren't
> engineered in a complementary way. The flightpark in San Antonio has
> about 6 or 8 ultralight-type aircraft with Hirths and they seem to
> have gotten past early problems and they like them. What do the rest
> of you think? Duncan Charlton, Austin, TX
I am a kitplane dealer (used to be a Hirth dealer as well), and still
fly with a Hirth on my own aircraft (Challenger II with Hirth 65hp
2706), and own another Hirth (55hp 2703). Several pilots at our
flightpark are using them. Our experience has been excellent. I am no
longer a Hirth dealer due to lack of time & resources to run that part
of my business. But I still think the engines are very good. Especially
the 2703, 2704 and 2706 two cylinder in-line models.
I flew on a 2703 for over 300 hours (before selling the plane) and loved
it. Never had a single glitch, and it ran a lot stronger, smoother, and
quieter than a comparable Rotax 503. Got better fuel economy and overall
performance too. That same engine is still going strong with who knows
how many hours on it now. Then I got a new Challenger with a 2706. All I
can say is Wow! I love it. There are 4 of these here in my area now, and
all are doing great and have had zero problems. All 4 owners swear "by"
them and wouldn't have anything else.
The one complaint most Hirth owners have is the difficulty in obtaining
factory support. The North American importers in Canada are under
staffed, and don't seem to make customer support a top priority. It is
obtainable, just not exactly convenient or efficient. Parts are
available, but not so easily as Rotax parts, and are more expensive. I
have heard my share of complaints about some engines. We worked through
a few of the early bugs ourselves. I also know of a few real lemons that
seem to have nothing but trouble. But for the most part, my experience
with perhaps 20-30 customers, as well as with my own personal engines,
has been much more positive than negative. Nothing is perfect. I hear
about plenty of Rotax problems too. And buying a Hirth will definitely
not solve everyones two stroke engine woes.
I think that you might have to know a little more about what you are
doing to successfully operate a Hirth, and do a bit more initial
tinkering, tuning, & fussing. But my experience is that it will reward
you for it as well. Rotax is more proven & tested (with so many more in
the field), is easier to get serviced, and probably requires a bit less
from it's operator. Hirth is no Rotax in this respect. But then again,
Rotax is no Hirth in other respects. They are both two stroke engines,
of the same basic design & theory, and subject to the same basic
misgivings. I also heartily agree with the previous post that said "a
Hirth is not a Rotax, and you can't treat it like one". This is so very
true. Run a Hirth like a Rotax (with regards to prop loading & rpm's,
temperatures, carb jetting, etc) and it WILL have problems. But learn
how to treat a Hirth like a Hirth and it will return the favor many
times over.
These engines are very robust, have much heavier duty lower ends
(cranks & bearings) than Rotax, have more power/torque and have it in a
more useable rpm range (which is one of their biggest assets...great
cruising motors!), have built in electric start, can withstand much
hotter temps without sustaining damage, etc. I think they have many good
things going for them, along with a few negatives. But the good outweigh
the bad (IMHO).
BTW, I'm in the middle of working on a plane trade deal with a customer,
and may end up with an extra brand new 2706 engine & redrive out of it.
If so then I'll be putting it up for sale at a price well below that of
a new one. Anyone interested?
scott rider
>Phantom wrote:
>>
>BTW, may end up with an extra brand new 2706 engine & redrive out of it.
>
>mi...@wpmail.code3.com
Yes interested.
I know of a builder locally who has an old Hirth F30 and wants to upgrade
to the 2706
Pls contact either of us.
Scott Rider (scott...@ccm.hf.intel.com) (me) or
Joel Haugen (jtho...@bpa.gov)