Able engines are Volkswagen auto engines converted to aircraft engines and are delivered as either complete engine assembly kits or completed engines by Able Experimental Aircraft Engine Co. of Fort Walton Beach, Florida. Able advertised that all of their engines have new VW crankcases, Able proprietary crankshafts, and other custom parts. Besides building full-VW engine conversions, the firm at one time also built 1/2 VW conversions, although that activity seems to have terminated in about 2001. Able also developed Altimizer II carburetors, all models of which incorporate altitude compensation and can be used with two-stroke cycle engines as well as the Able VW conversions. Hoverhawk Corp. builds kits for hovercraft and wing-in-ground effect vehicles and shares a Website. Information on Able products could be found at the former Able Website until about May 2005, but now the status of the firm is unclear. The only information about the firm that the compiler has found, other than from its former Website, is a classified ad (SA7/97).
O-139 - - {3.701 / 3.228 / 138.9} / {94 / 82 / 2276}
Same bore as O-152, O-305.
4cyl; Able "2275" Geared Drive; 105hp@3800rpm, 120@4500 (TO); 2000-2005; Wt = 177#.
Carbureted engine with an Altimizer II; geared to 0.5, 0.521, 0.621, or 0.775 by synchronous-belt PSRU and with single solid-state ignition.
Applications: None found.
O-152 - - {3.701 / 3.543 / 152.5} / {94 / 90 / 2498}
Same bore and stroke as O-305.
Same bore as O-139.
4cyl; Able "2500" Direct Drive; 85hp@2700rpm, 100@3000 (TO); 2000-2005; Wt = N/A.
Carbureted engine with an Altimizer II and with single, or dual, solid-state ignition available.
Applications: None found.
4cyl; Able "2500" Geared Drive; 180hp@4500rpm (TO); 2000-2005; Wt = N/A.
Carbureted engine with an Altimizer II; geared to 0.5, 0.521, 0.621, or 0.775 by synchronous-belt PSRU and with single, or dual, solid-state ignition available.
Applications: None found.
O-305 - - {3.701 / 3.543 / 304.9} / {94 / 90 / 4997}
Same bore and stroke as O-152.
Same bore as O-139.
8cyl; Able VW x 2 Geared Drive; 360hp@4500rpm (TO); 2000-2005; Wt = N/A.
Carbureted tandem engines with Altimizer II; crankshaft of each engine has a synchronous-belt PSRU so that each engine drives one propeller of a co-axial, contra-rotating set; dual solid-state ignition. It is not clear whether this engine was built, but it was described on the former Able Website.
Applications: None found.