In its centenary year, BMW is celebrating its origins as a manufacturer of airplane engines. Now another airplane has taken flight, lifted by a BMW engine—but this time it's a BMW motorcycle engine.
The mechanical design department of the Czech Technical University in Prague has constructed a prototype light aircraft styled after the popular L-39 Albatross, a jet trainer widely used by Warsaw Pact countries during and after the Cold War. Dubbed the UL-39 Albi, this two-thirds scale not-quite-a-replica class project was presented at Germany’s AERO global aviation show in Friedrichshafen.
For you aviation buffs, Friedrichshafen was home to the first Zeppelin factory, and for you BMW buffs, ZF, the company that makes more than a few parts for BMW, started in Friedrichshafen building gears for Zeppelin.
Although it looks like the jet that inspired its shape, the ultralight, carbon-fiber UL-39 Albi gets its thrust from a thirteen-blade ducted fan turned by the BMW S 1000 RR motorcycle's four-cylinder engine. The designers had originally considered a Yamaha R1 engine but the Beemer’s mill had a better power-to-weight ratio.
If the BMW engine wants to keep flying, it’s going to have to really work at it. To keep the ducted fan rotating at an optimal rate, the engine will have to turn 12,000 rpm—continuously. That keeps it at the peak of its torque curve. The engine is located 30 inches in front of the fan and is connected by a reduction unit and a hollow, carbon-fiber tube.
Let’s see, continuous 12,000 rpm, maximum torque, 30-inch hollow carbon-fiber tube. Sure, why not; what could happen?
The UL-39 is designed for a maximum speed of about 180 miles per hour and a cruise speed of around 160. Right now it’s just a prototype, but the designers say that it could become a production airplane in two years. If that happened, the price is estimated to be at least $230,000 which, by the way, is about what a real L-39 Albatross in good condition would run you. Of course, for a real L-39, your fuel bill would be a little higher—as would your speed.
We’re not sure if BMW is thrilled that its bike motors are becoming airplane motors, but that’s what it gets for building light, strong engines.—Scott Blazey
[Photo and video courtesy of AVweb and CVUTFS.]
Here’s a report on the UL-39 from AERO Friedrichshafen:
See the UL-39 in flight at its home field in the Czech Republic. Listen for the high-RPM engine sound.
