I Think I'd Feel Better If It Was The Organ Company

[MIflyer]

Yamaha is dipping a tentative toe into the aviation engine market in a partnership with a Japanese manufacturer. The recreational and industrial vehicle giant will modify one of its existing small engine designs to fit a conventionally configured light plane prototype to be built by ShinMaywa Industries. "Under this agreement, Yamaha Motor will explore avenues for adapting its small-engine technologies to the aviation industry," the companies said in a joint news release. "ShinMaywa will adapt its aircraft engineering technologies and expertise—garnered through the development of flying boats and various other aircraft—to designing concepts, constructing prototypes, conducting tests, verify autonomous technology and more for small aircraft."

The companies released no details on the engine or the airframe but images show what appears to be a two-cylinder vertically configured liquid cooled engine that might be a variation of a new motorcycle engine the company released in 2018. It's called the CP2, a 700 cc mill that puts out about 70 horsepower. The aircraft has an ultralight look to it with a fabric-covered airframe and two-place cabin. Neither company is making predictions on whether the aircraft will make it to market. "Both companies will use this joint research endeavor to explore possibilities for the commercialization of next-generation small aircraft, and take into consideration the direction and future of the project based on market interest and other factors," the news release said.

 

[SaparotRob]

When are we getting flying cars? We were promised flying cars!

 

[herman1rg]

I'm holding out for Matter Transportation a la Star Trek

 

[SaparotRob]

Sorry herman1rg. I share Dr. Leonard McCoy's dislike of that murder machine.

 

[Gnomey]

When are we getting flying cars? We were promised flying cars!

It's Yamaha so maybe we'll get flying motorcycles instead…

 

[pbehn]

When I worked in Japan my hotel bathroom was a sort of pre formed plastic construction with the Yamaha logo. When I put my clothes in the the laundry it came back with every piece of clothing carrying a ticket with the Yamaha logo on it, it seemed they make everything.

 

[MIflyer]

Some guys I knew acquired an an ultralight with a 2 cycle engine back in the mid-80's, filled it with gas and went flying. The engine quit on them; they were out of gas. They failed to note the manual's statement that until the engine got broken in it used a LOT more gas than the usual consumption rate. They deadsticked it into a rock quarry and bent one of the gear legs when they hit a big rock. So they got some gas from somewhere, bent the gear leg somewhat straight and took off again.

 

[GrauGeist]

Considering that Yamaha (then called Nippon Gakki) during WWII had a Navy contract making propellers and other aircraft parts, this shouldn't be too far out of the ordinary for them.

 

[gumbyk]

It's Yamaha so maybe we'll get flying motorcycles instead…

They wouldn't be the first Japanese motorcycle company to enter the aviation market - Think Kawasaki.

 

[nuuumannn]

Don't forget Honda...

2207 Farnborough Airshow Hondajet

 

[GrauGeist]

Or Honda, who manufactured aircraft engines during WWII.

Well, it looks like Grant beat me to it regarding Honda, so I'll go ahead and change my Honda to Mitsubishi (because like Yamaha, Kawasaki and Honda, they make motorcycles).

 

[Shinpachi]

I knew Yamaha as also unmanned helicopter maker in the 1980s though it's called 'drone' now.

 

[Thumpalumpacus]

The only Yamaha engine I've heard having QC/QA issues is the 6-cyl Ford contracted for the Taurus back in the late-80s/early-90s. They seem to know how to build a good IC engine from what I've read and heard over the years.

 

[GrauGeist]

Going by memory, Ford used the Mazda K or L series engine in several models, like the Taurus and Probe.
The Mazda was replaced by Ford's own Duratec engines in later models.

 

[Thumpalumpacus]

Going by memory, Ford used the Mazda K or L series engine in several models, like the Taurus and Probe.
The Mazda was replaced by Ford's own Duratec engines in later models.

They did. After around 1992, Ford and Mazda had a partnership that saw the MX-6 and Probe, for instance, using the same Mazda engine that got 160 ponies out of a small V-6. The partnership was also great in the Ranger trucks; I've owned two from that era and though the engine is hard to work on under the shade-tree, it's reliable as anything you could ask for.

The Yamaha V-6 Ford used for the Taurus between 88 and 92 was better than Ford's original engine for that car, but not by much.

 

[SaparotRob]

I think my '91 Ford Escort GT had a Mazda engine. Unlike previous Escort "GT's", which were decals and nice wheels, the '91 had a 1.8 litre DOHC 16V with fuel injection. The stock Escort had a 1.9 litre pushrod.

 

[GrauGeist]

Ok...the only Yamaha engines I'm familiar with that were used in the Flying Potato, was the V-6 and V-8 SHO high-output collaborations.
Otherwise, the standard engines were the native 2.5, 3.0, 3.5 and 3.8 types.

Ford and Mazda go back quite a ways, much like Mopar and Mitsubishi.

 

[pbehn]

I think my '91 Ford Escort GT had a Mazda engine. Unlike previous Escort "GT's", which were decals and nice wheels, the '91 had a 1.8 litre DOHC 16V with fuel injection. The stock Escort had a 1.9 litre pushrod.

From 1974 to 2015 Mazda and Ford had a partnership.

 

[SaparotRob]

I knew about the Ford-Mazda connection, not the Mopar-Mitsubishi connection.

 

[pbehn]

I knew about the Ford-Mazda connection, not the Mopar-Mitsubishi connection.

There are or were all sorts of connections I used to have a Volvo 360, it was designed by DAF from Netherlands and had a Renault engine.