MidWest AE series

The MidWest AE series are lightweight, liquid-cooled, single- and twin-rotor Wankel engines, with dual ignition, designed for light aircraft.

Unlike the Norton engine, the rotor-cooling air was forced in by a belt-driven centrifugal pump and then dumped overboard as it was considered too hot for ideal volumetric efficiency.

[5] This gave the advantage both of precise fuel delivery and avoided the need for carburettor heat as the risk of induction icing was diminished.

The AE engine's characteristics made it suited for aviation use, being lightweight, very compact, low vibration and simple in construction.

The engine was originally intended to be the main powerplant for the Europa XS, but the kitplane's designer, Ivan Shaw, lost patience with the crude Tillotson carburettors, and opted for the Rotax 912 as a replacement.

Diamond discontinued production of the MidWest twin-rotor engine, but for a period they continued building the single-rotor model, mainly for the motor glider market.