 | |
| Company type | Company with limited liability |
|---|---|
| Industry | Aerospace |
| Headquarters | Königswinter , |
Key people | Shuide Chen and Peter Limbach |
| Products | Engines |
| Owner | Shuide Chen |
| Website | limflug |
| Footnotes /references [1] | |
Limbach Flugmotoren (Limbach Aero Engines) is a Chinese-owned company based in Germany that produces aircraft engines.
The company is named after Peter Limbach who expanded his father's engine repair business in the 1970s in Königswinter. By May 2006, Limbach had produced more than 6000 engines. [2] The engines are certified according to CS-22 Subpart H [3] for use in motorgliders, CS-LSA [4] and CS-VLA [5] type of aircraft.
Most Limbach engines are based on the Volkswagen flat-4 boxer unit with displacement of up to 2.4 liters, and up to 160 BHP in the turbocharged model. The smaller engines, all 1700cc and some 2000cc, are based on the air cooled "Type 1" unit, also referred to as the Beetle engine. The larger engines, some 2000cc and all 2400cc, are based on the Volkswagen Wasserboxer engine. The most powerful versions of the 2400cc engines have water cooled cylinder heads as well as electronic fuel injection and electronic ignition. Limbach also makes two-stroke engines for UAV as well as uncertified versions of a few four-stroke engines for the experimental Homebuilt aircraft market. For most aviation enthusiasts though, Limbach is synonymous to the powerplant found in most German Motorgliders. [6] [7] [8] [9]
By late 2011 the company planned to close due to a worsened climate in which they were unable to operate. Allegedly an open letter dated 25 August 2011 could be found on their website, saying: "Years of ever increasing regulations and requirements have been choking us. Our efforts to operate in that environment were not successful because we cannot provide the necessary resources. Additionally there are government activities that hinder our current business and we cannot make plans for the future." [10] Around the same time, Limbach was under investigation by German authorities for the unauthorized export of engines to Iran. [11] [12]
In late 2011, it was announced that the Limbachs assets had been sold to Chen Shuide who tends to continue producing Limbach engines with Peter Limbach still on board. [1] [2]
In September 2020, Germany's intelligence services reported that motors sold to Iran were found in drones used by Houthi rebels. [11]
Engines from subsidiary Xiamen Limbach have been used in drones by Russia during the Russian invasion of Ukraine. [1] [13] In October 2024, the U.S. sanctioned two companies, Xiamen Limbach Aircraft Engine Co. and Redlepus Vector Industry, involving the production of long-range attack drones for Russia, including the Garpiya. [1] [14]
The Aero AT-3 is a two-seat, low wing, utility aircraft manufactured in Poland by Aero AT in ready-to-fly certificated form and as a kitplane. The aircraft is of conventional configuration and features fixed tricycle undercarriage. The structure is largely of all-metal construction. Designed by Tomasz Antoniewski it first flew in 1997 and deliveries to customers commenced in 2002. It is certified under the European Very Light Aircraft regulations. On July 2, 2010 Aero AT-3 was granted an American Federal Aviation Administration type certificate, based on its European VLA certification.
The Volkswagen air-cooled engine is an air-cooled, gasoline-fuelled, boxer engine with four horizontally opposed cast-iron cylinders, cast aluminum alloy cylinder heads and pistons, magnesium-alloy crankcase, and forged steel crankshaft and connecting rods.
The Scheibe SF-25 Falke is a German touring motor glider developed from the earlier Bergfalke glider by Scheibe Flugzeugbau. Since May 2006 the business has been run by Scheibe Aircraft GmbH.
The Pipistrel Virus is a two-seat, single engine light aircraft manufactured by Pipistrel in Slovenia and Italy and sold as an ultralight, homebuilt kit, or light-sport aircraft.
The Limbach L 2400 are a series of German piston aero-engines designed and built by Limbach Flugmotoren. It is a four-cylinder, four-stroke air-cooled flat piston engine typically between 93-130 hp (69.4-97 kW) power output.
The Limbach L2000 is a series of German piston aero-engines designed and built by Limbach Flugmotoren. They are four-cylinder, four-stroke, air-cooled horizontally opposed, piston engines with a power output of 75 to 80 hp.
The Scheibe SF 28 Tandem-Falke is a German motorglider that was designed by Egon Scheibe in 1970 and which flew for the first time in May the following year. It was a development of the Scheibe Falke with seating in tandem rather than side-by-side as in the original Falke design.
The Scheibe SF 36 is a German two-seat self-launched powered sailplane designed and built by Scheibe Aircraft.
The Tecnam P2008 is a single-engine, high-wing two-seat aircraft built by Tecnam in Italy but aimed at the US market. It is the first Tecnam aircraft to incorporate major composite components. It was introduced at the AERO Friedrichshafen 2009 show, with first deliveries in December 2009.
The Swift Aircraft Swift is a single engine, conventional light aircraft, seating two in side-by-side configuration. It is being developed in the UK but has yet to fly.
The Sauer S 1800 is a family of German four-stroke aircraft engines, certified according to JAR 22-H
Sauer Flugmotorenbau or "Sauer" is a German manufacturer of aircraft engines based at Ober-Olm in Germany.
The Sauer S 2100 is a family of four-stroke aircraft engines, certified according to JAR 22-H
The Sauer S 2500 is a family of four stroke aircraft engines certified according to JAR 22-H
The Limbach L1700 is a series of type certified German aircraft engines, designed and produced by Limbach Flugmotoren of Königswinter for use in light aircraft and motorgliders.
The Limbach L550E is a German aircraft engine, designed and produced by Limbach Flugmotoren of Königswinter.
The Aero East Europe Sila is a family of Serbian ultralight and light aircraft, designed and produced by Aero East Europe of Kraljevo and later of Jagodina, introduced at the AERO Friedrichshafen show in 2013. The design is supplied complete and ready-to-fly.
The Carplane GmbH Carplane is a German roadable aircraft under development by Carplane GmbH of Braunschweig. The aircraft is intended to be supplied complete and ready-to-fly.
The OneAircraft One is a Slovenian light-sport aircraft (LSA) and certified light aircraft designed by Iztok Šalamon and produced by OneAircraft of Celje. The aircraft is supplied complete and ready-to-fly.
Garpiya is a family of long-range combat drone produced by IEMZ Kupol for use in the Russo-Ukrainian War. It incorporate engines, parts, and technology from China.
