The Norton NR642 (Originally the Aerotor 90) is a British aircraft engine that was designed and produced by Norton Motorcycle Company in the 1990s for use in light aircraft (particularly by amateur constructors) and UAVs.[1]
Design and development
The NR642 is a twin-rotor Wankel engine.[1] It is a 588 cc (35.9 cu in) displacement[2] petrol engine design, with a heavy-duty[1] 2.94:1[2] reduction gearbox. Cooling is provided by a fan for the rotors, plus liquid cooling for the housing.[1][2] It was designed to meet JAR-E[2] and FAR 23 regulatory requirements.[1] Norton aimed for 1,500 hours running time between overhauls but was initially specifying 200-300 hours.[2]
The NR642 first flew in late 1989, with two units installed on a Rutan Long-EZ to create what its builder called a "Twin EZ".[3]