Teledyne Continental Motors has slimmed down its 100-hp O200 engine, renaming it the O200 Lightweight Engine, and is offering it for the light sport aircraft and kit markets. The 199-pound, $21,499 engine is fully certified under FAR 33 regulations. Deliveries start in August.
Continental official Mac Little said the engine is different than the one Continental has developed for the Cessna SkyCatcher LSA. He provided these answers to written questions submitted by AOPA Pilot.
“The O200 Lightweight that we are offering today is different from the engine that will be going into the Cessna SkyCatcher. We’ve made a few modifications to the engine to make it a closer facsimile of the O200A engine—the oil filler neck has been relocated to the right-hand side of the engine. The Cessna SkyCatcher engine carries the designation of O200D1B. We decided to sell now because we’ve completed the certification of the sump changes. This engine was in development right behind the D1B and was always intended to be launched on the open market. This engine is a fully certified engine per CFR33 regulations. Not an ASTM or experimental rating—that will come later.”
Dimensions for the engine are identical to the heavier O200. The engine comes with a starter, ignition, and fuel system. Weight was removed from the cylinders, crankshaft, the sprocket propeller flange, and connecting rods.
The recommended cruise power setting is 75 hp at 2,500 rpm. As an added incentive to builders considering an O200 Lightweight Engine, Continental will accept any aviation engine core in the 85-hp to 115-hp range, regardless of manufacturer. The engine need only be complete and operable.
Little had this to say about turning in an engine core: “Typically, when folks are buying a certified engine from us, there is a core fee or an exchange core required when purchased. With this engine, we are allowing folks to trade in a Continental O200 core as well as a Rotax, Lycoming, or similar aviation engine core. Our intent here is to help folks that are building a kit or an experimental engine, and who have already purchased an engine, to upgrade to the Continental O200 Lightweight Engine without losing any money invested in their current engine. The core value for an O200A is $9,200. That amount would be added to the sales price for non-exchange purchase.”
