Nigel,
Very good engine summary. I was always glad I chose the obvious: a 912S, and
a trigear.
A quick comparison on prices for fwf kits: according to Andy the Jabiru kit
is $ 18,100; I assume that includes every nut and bolt, and assuming a
current exchange rate of 1.8 for the Rotax kits I see that the 912S kit is
an additional $ 2,500, not the end of the world. But then you look at the
914, and it is an extra 50%, a whopping $ 9000. It is ideal for high
alltitude cruising and obviously aimed at this specialized market. For a
long time the 914 was the only alternative to the 912, but when the 912S
version came out, it in my opinion made the 914 largely obsolete.
I get the impression that many builders are in a very high income bracket,
and spending an extra ten or even twenty grand means nothing to them (i.e.
airline pilots, whether current or retired).
p.s. the Rotax kit prices on the Europa website may not include the Warp
Drive propeller, as none are listed. I remember, when I bought my kit, the
prop was included, and every nut and bolt and rivet.
Karl
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