31 March 2025
For decades, Rotax has powered the light end of aviation—from ultralights to sport aircraft—with engines that are lightweight, efficient, and brilliantly engineered. Their four-cylinder 912 changed everything in 1989 and still dominates to this day.
But what if we told you Rotax once designed a 300-horsepower V6… and almost brought it to market?
Meet the Rotax 936—a bold, high-tech engine project from the early 2000s that promised to revolutionise general aviation piston power. Unveiled under Bombardier branding at Oshkosh 2003, the 936 was a liquid-cooled, FADEC-controlled, turbocharged 120° V6 with impressive specs and even bolder claims.
Designed to rival big six-cylinder Continentals and Lycomings, the V300T version of the 936 was tested in multiple airframes and was reportedly set to hit the market by 2008. But then… it disappeared.
In this video, Ed dives into the history, the tech, the promise—and the mystery—of the Rotax 936. Why did it never reach full production? What impact did it have on the Rotax lineup we know today? And could something like it return in a world moving away from 100LL?
Watch now to discover the engine GA never got to fly.
