Volkswagen air-cooled engine

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.

Additionally, the engines were widely used in industrial, light aircraft and kit car applications.

[3] As industrial engine, its rated power is 22.8 kW (31 PS; 31 bhp) at 3000 min−1 without a governor, the highest torque 81.4 N⋅m (60 lbf⋅ft) at 2000 min−1.

With a governor set to 8% accuracy, the rated power is 21.33 kW (29 bhp; 29 PS) at 3000 min−1, the highest torque is 69.63 N⋅m (51 lbf⋅ft) at 2000 min−1.

It was a problematic engine, and so only used in the North American market in type 2 vehicles for model year 1966.

[6] Beginning in 1987, Dunn-Right Incorporated of Anderson, South Carolina, US has made a kit to perform the conversion of a VW engine to a compressor.

Kit planes or plans built experimental aircraft were specifically designed to utilize these engines.

The VW air-cooled engine does not require an expensive and often complex gear reduction unit to utilize a propeller at efficient cruise RPM[clarification needed].

With its relative low cost and parts availability, many experimental aircraft are designed around the VW engines.