This is what I call a great start to the flying season: Sun 'N Fun blew into Lakeland sporting great weather and a kind of subdued enthusiasm that bodes well for Experimental aviation. Why am I pleased with anything less than a full-chat hype fest? Because a mature industry is much more sustainable than one that gallops from one great, unfulfilled promise to the next.Just before the show, I began a conversation with Richard VanGrunsven -- designer of the RV series of homebuilts -- that was dominated by the issue of industry maturity. It's a good thing, he says, because it means the products are, as a whole, much better. The day of a newcomer showing up with a tantalizing new design, selling a handful of incomplete kits and then disappearing into bankruptcy or the wilds of South America is, for the most part, behind us. "What most people don't realize," he says, "is the size of the infrastructure required to support a large kit company. It's a big investment." And along with that, one presumes, is the built-in tendency to preserve the investment by creating product that has a chance in the marketplace. But this isn't the only reason Van's aircraft are conservative -- made of metal, careful in design and long in development. Indeed, they are like VanGrunsven himself: Cautious, thoughtful and unaffected by fashion.The big news was, of course, the sudden proliferation of Light Sport aircraft, and it seemed like every show day brought news of certification of another ready-to-fly aircraft. I've seen research that says customers want pre-built aircraft and are willing to pay between $25,000 and $50,000 for the privilege. They're going to be surprised; most of the "modern glass" LSAs are going to sell for around $80,000, while the tube-and-fabric types are expected to sell for around $65,000.But I digress ...Engine-related news was comparatively sparse at the show. Continental has resumed production of the venerable O-200 for Light Sport -- the dataplate on the engine I saw had an "LS" suffix. I expressed surprise to a well-known engine overhauler who said, "Well, sure. They've been making all the parts for the O-200, so it's just a matter of putting it back on the line." I'm sure there's more to it than that, but as I don't own and seldom fly a Cessna 150, the O-200 is hardly on my radar.The engine of choice for the high-end LSAs is the Rotax 912, a fine little mill (1352 cc, 83 cubic inches) with a growing reputation for durability. In fact, the only two complaints I hear consistently is that the engine is sufficiently different from traditional aircraft engines that a lot of technicians don't quite know how to deal with it in the fleet -- and the cost of a new engine. (Lately, the value of the dollar against the Euro has made life tough for airframers using the built-in-Austria 912.) For example, it uses a pair of motorcycle-style, constant-vacuum carbs that offer no pilot adjustments for mixture; the jetting can be changed to accommodate different local conditions but it's not the work of a moment and shouldn't be contemplated by anyone who doesn't understand the engine.Moreover, the 912 is meant to use auto-spec oil. It turns high revs: a maximum of 5800 for takeoff, which is turned down to a manageable 2387 at the prop thanks to a 2.43:1 reduction gearbox. It needs oil that works well in a fast-turning engine but that also has the additives necessary to deal with the highly loaded gear reduction drive that will also not contaminate the slipper clutch assembly fitted to the gearbox of some versions of the engine.I understand that a lot of mechanics dislike the engine because it's different, and that's their choice, of course. I actually owned one of these in the Pulsar XP I built a decade ago. Although I didn't put a ton of time on it before selling the airplane -- blame a growing family for the demise of a two-seat sportplane in my life -- it was utterly reliable and an excellent performer. I wouldn't hesitate to fly behind one of these engines, and many have done in the original Diamond Katana.I saw encouraging signs from the manufacturers of more conventional aircraft engines as well. Continental and Lycoming were at the show, of course. Continental is pushing hard to gain more original equipment installations for the FADEC-equipped IO-240 (think "two thirds of an IO-360 six-cylinder") and it all but owns the high end of the Experimental market with the IO- and TSIO-550. I asked around about the Honda engine project shown two years ago at Oshkosh and received shrugs in response. I continue to believe that the engine will reappear down the road in altered form.
This is a companion discussion topic for the original entry at https://www.avweb.com/ownership/motor-head-6-who-will-make-your-next-engine