Hi All,
I have been watching this engine thread now for a while, and finally
feel the need to make a few comments.
1) It has been suggested that people each believe THEIR engine is the
best, not true. After 4 years and 400+ hours flying behind a Rotax
912S, I would almost certainly not buy that engine again, for a variety
of reasons.
2) It has been suggested that the Rotax is a good choice because it is
the standard package from Europa. We found the XS cowl design to be
VERY poor, with serious heating problems, in the air and on the ground,
that took many months of careful work to improve (I cannot to say
FIXED), and drag issues that have yet to be resolved.
3) It has been suggested that the 912S gets better gas mileage than X.
Without the ability to adjust the mixture, the 912S is unable to take
advantage of altitude for more efficient cruise. Here is the Western US
we are often forced to 9,000+ feet by the terrain, and I would prefer
getting my money worth from the engine at this altitude.
4) We have had serious reliability problems with our 912S, mostly due to
the horrible starting issues. This has only been solved recently with
upgraded starter and slipper clutch installation, both of which were not
available when we bought our kit. Others have reported problems with
sprag clutches, etc.
5) Our 912S leaks coolant most of the time. We tighten all the hose
clamps, maybe is stops for a little while, then you look down and there
is coolant on the floor again. I have heard newer engines have better
hose clamps, I hope so.
Items 4) and 5) may have been fixed in the years since we bought out
engine, items 2) and 3) are still issues today, in my opinion.
Regards,
Terry Seaver
A135 / N135TD
-----Original Message-----
From: owner-europa-list-server@matronics.com
[mailto:owner-europa-list-server@matronics.com] On Behalf Of KARL HEINDL
Subject: Europa-List: Fwf Prices
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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