istr hearing the same engine troubles with the piston version and that the original honda civic engine was just too heavy. Weren't there also problems with reduction gearng - not a well developed science in aircraft like it is now - and especially the long driveshaft as the engine and prop were two feet or more apart - sounds like an engineering nightmare in any production machine, let alone a homebuilt.
Yet another triumph of hope/hype over reality in the homebuilt world I fear, and once again a lot of people lost their shirts. Those cost "promises" published by Bede look especially questionable in terms of achieveability and, frankly, smell to me of snake-oil. My recollection at the time (even as a schoolboy) was that he was promising the earth (for the kits) on the basis of something that wasn't in yet production and no one had actually tried yet. There didn't seem to be much substance to back up reams of extravagant promises.
But I wonder how it would fare with a modern Rotax or similar?