Thanks, Bob. The Jabiru is an interesting engine, though I don't know
much about its use history. It appears to be very, very new. Of
course, it's definitely farther along than the Zoche or the Wilksch
engines. That it is a direct drive engine may be something in its favor,
and I look forward to your reports.
As I expected, the "whisper quiet"ness of the Europa is mostly an
external quantity - as with any single engine light plane, it will
always be difficult to reduce cockpit noise,
owing to the placement of a large, high horsepower fan 3 feet in front
of the pilot, and
the large window area.
A very common complaint I've gleaned from this BB is that the Rotax has
a particularly irritating engine note, owing to the 5000RPM typical
operating speed of the engine.
There are several engine manufacturers out there with "solutions" to the
problem;
I have difficulty believing that, once installed, there will be a great
difference in actual SPL inside the cockpit, though the noise Spectrum
may change. As I mentioned, there appears to be less overall noise in
the Europa cockpit than in a Cessna 150/172.
Can any BB members that have attempted alternative engines to the Rotax
confirm this suspicion?
I have also heard that the 914 installation is significantly quieter
than either the 912 or 912S, owing to the superior muffling qualities of
the turbo. Based on my admitted casual observations, this appears to be
true outside the aircraft. How about inside?
Thanks,
Shaun Simpkins
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