RotorWay International (US)

B.J. Schramm of San Gabriel, California first flew his Javelin light helicopter in August 1965 after 7 years of development. His company was known first as the Schramm Aircraft Co. The company and the helicopter were renamed RotorWay Aircraft, Inc. and Scorpion, respectively, in about 1968 when operations moved to Mesa, Arizona. Early in his work, Schramm adapted liquid-cooled marine engines by Mercury and Evinrude for the propulsion systems. Later, he converted VW auto engines with the addition of liquid cooling. RotorWay engines are still derived from VW auto engines, but with specially manufactured aftermarket components just as most contemporary VW-based aircraft engines have. Schramm sold the company in about 1990 to John Netherwood, a RotorWay customer from the UK. The firm was renamed RotorWay International, Inc. and is now in Chandler, Arizona. Netherwood retired in about 1996 and sold the firm through an Employees Stock Ownership Program. The firm has continued to develop and manufacture kits for the helicopters and engines. The engines were marketed in the past for applications besides the RotorWay helicopters (see the RW-100 listing), but for at least 20 years have been sold only as part of RotorWay helicopter kits. Since all of these later engines have been developed for helicopters only, reduction from the crankshaft rpm to rotor speed is always necessary. Thus the engines can be designed to deliver maximum power at a much higher rpm than direct-drive engines of comparable displacement. Published details of all of their engines are limited; for example, no bore and stroke dimensions have been given in Jane's or on the RotorWay Web Site.


OL-100 -- {N/A / N/A / 100} / {N/A / N/A / 1639}

4cyl; RW-100; 100hp@3000rpm; 1979-1982; Wt = 165#; TC = none.
Liquid-cooled, normally-aspirated, dual-ignition engine for horizontal applications as a tractor or pusher; developed as an alternative for the Continental O-200; a few complete, ready-to-run engines were built, sold, and delivered before cancellation of the project.
J81-82toJ83-84.
Applications: (US) Rutan VariEze.


OL-133 -- {N/A / N/A / 133} / {N/A / N/A / 2179}

4cyl; RW-133; 133hp@N/A rpm; 1976-1984; Wt = N/A; TC = none.
Liquid-cooled, normally-aspirated, dual-ignition engine for RotorWay helicopter kits.
J75-76toJ83-84.
Applications: (US) RotorWay Scorpion 133.

4cyl; RW-133; 160hp@N/A rpm; 1976-1984; Wt = N/A; TC = none.
Liquid-cooled, turbocharged, dual-ignition engine for RotorWay helicopter kits.
J75-76toJ83-84.
Applications: (US) RotorWay Scorpion 133.


OL-145 -- {N/A / N/A / 145} / {N/A / N/A / 2376}

4cyl; RW-145; 145hp@N/A rpm; 1981-1986; Wt = N/A; TC = none.
Liquid-cooled, turbocharged, dual-ignition engine for RotorWay helicopter kits.
J81-82toJ85-86.
Applications: (US) RotorWay Exec.


OL-162 -- {N/A / N/A / 162} / {N/A / N/A / 2655}

4cyl; RW-152, RI-162F; 152, 162hp@N/A rpm; 1986-present; Wt = 170#; TC = none.
Liquid-cooled, fuel-injected, turbocharged, electronic dual-ignition engine for vertical applications in RotorWay helicopter kits. RotorWay-developed Fully Automatic, Digital Engine Control (FADEC) is standard. A power increase from 152hp to 162hp through improved fuel management in the FADEC sytem was announced in July 2003 (KP11/03; SA9/03).
BGP; J86-87to present.
Applications: (US) RotorWay International Exec 162F.

4cyl; RI 600N; 147hp@N/A rpm; 2007-present; Wt = N/A; TC = none.
Normally aspirated, updated version of RI-162F for RotorWay helicopter kits.
RotorWay Website.
Applications: (US) RotorWay International A600 Talon.

4cyl; RI 600S; 167hp@N/A rpm; 2007-present; Wt = N/A; TC = none.
Belt-driven supercharged (not turbocharged) version of RI 600N for RotorWay helicopter kits. A RotorWay Altitude Compensation Induction System (ACIS) has been added to the FADEC system.
RotorWay Website.
Applications: (US) RotorWay International A600 Talon.


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Updated 8/24/08