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New 'Bolt-On' LSA Engine Announced From Italy's ICP

Top view of the ICP M09 engine shows the V configuration.


M09 Engine from the side.


Actual prototype engine as shown in September at I.C.P. factory fair and fly-in. (Photos courtesy ICP/Italy)

By Marino Boric, EAA 1069644, EAA European Correspondent

November 21, 2012 - Well-known Italian kit and ready-to-fly aircraft manufacturer ICP will launch a new LSA engine next year, the ICP M09. The company unveiled the new two-cylinder, four-stroke powerplant to a limited audience during its factory fair and fly-in September 15-16 and intends a larger announcement in Italy next February - with an official launch slated in April at AERO in Friedrichshafen, Germany.

The engine will be marketed as a bolt-on solution for the European UL (ultralight) and U.S. LSA markets.

The idea for the all-new engine comes from ICP owner Edi Razzano, who had Franco Lambertini from the motorcycle industry design it. Lambertini incorporated the two cylinders in a 90-degree "V" configuration. The normally aspirated, liquid-cooled engine has a displacement of 1.225 liters. The engine family will likely have up to four different versions - from the basic 80-hp model to a turbocharged version generating close to 150 hp.

The liquid-cooled engine is fitted with a 2.95:1 reduction gear that will deliver the max power at 2,400 prop rpm. The engine cooler will house the air box, three-phase electric generator, two fuel pumps, and the engine control unit. Total ready-to-go weight including all liquids is 178 pounds, according to the company.

If those numbers prove accurate, the M09 will have one of best weight/power ratios on the market. The M09 has redundant electrical systems, ignitions, fuel pumps, and mixture control. To achieve favorable fuel economy, the engine uses electronic fuel injection with a secondary low-pressure backup system. The M09 will not stop running even if the engine is disconnected from the main electrical system and from the battery.

Likely price will be around 12,000 to 13,000 Euros ($15,240-$16,510). The company plans to provide much more information at AERO 2013, April 24-27.

ICP manufactures and markets European UL airplanes worldwide. Models include three high-wing aircraft akin to the Zenith CH 701 - the Bingo, Savannah (five versions), and Vimana. Several months ago the well-known Zenair low-wing CH 650 entered serial production in Italy under the name CH 650Ei. ICP operates in the U.S. as ICP Aviation North America LLC, which exhibited a Savannah at EAA AirVenture 2012.

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