Chris, Despite Paul's criticism, the VW powerplant works pretty well. Mike Stirewalt, who will undoubtedly chime in here, owns the KR 1 1/2, built by Ken Cottle, then sold to Steve Bennett, then to Mike. If I recall correctly, it is a stock KR-2 that is narrowed a bit to make a comfortable single seat cockpit. I know Mike likes to fly it high and long and it performs reasonably well. Build it light and clean.
Engine choice gets to be like arguing politics. Not much point in it unless you want to be an irritant. If you're under 200#, it will probably be a good performer on a VW type powerplant even at 6200'. If you build the plane heavy (like I did) and weigh well over 200# (like I do), then you probably need significantly more HP. -Jeff Scott Los Alamos, NM > Sent: Tuesday, January 06, 2015 at 6:10 AM > From: "Chris Kinnaman via KRnet" <krnet at list.krnet.org> > To: "James Cook" <golden.spiral1.618 at gmail.com>, KRnet <krnet at > list.krnet.org> > Subject: Re: KR> Newbie question - KR-1 or single seat KR-2S > > I am thinking along these lines, not building yet. The airport where I > will base my completed aircraft, whatever it may turn out to be, is at > 6200'. Much as I like Jeff Scott's O-200 approach for a hot and high > home airport, a VW based engine is about the size of my budget for > purchase and to keep running. There will be way more times I would be > flying alone and it doesn't make sense to me to build a 2-seater. The > added span and wing area of a KR-2 on a single seat fuselage would seem > to make the most of the available power of a VW at high altitude. > > Chris
