At airshows or other gatherings, I’m always amazed at how many pilots attend talks on engines like the Rotax 912. For those who thirst for more, here’s the newest DVD from ASA‘s Freedom to Fly video series on the operation and maintenance of a Rotax 912. ASA’s program covers a wide range from checking the oil to reviews of the electrical system or carburetor synchronization to cold weather techniques. Learning the right methods can prolong engine life and reduce maintenance costs. The video production features a talented group composed of ASA’s Sport Pilot expert Paul Hamilton with Phil Lockwood of Lockwood Aviation and Dean Vogel from the Aero Technical Institute. “This DVD is particularly useful to maintenance professionals, pilots, and flight instructors operating Rotax-powered Light-Sport Aircraft,” said Hamilton. He reports the program is the only one of its kind. The DVD, $49.95, runs 68 minutes and includes 17 minutes of bonus features plus a booklet with quick reference checklists.
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Why Not Rotax?
So, Why Not Stick With Rotax?
Why take a chance with any new brand, even if it is a Japanese engine? Why not stick with a familiar brand name?
HPower’s Tom Peghiny relates airshow conversations with a wide range of sport aviators, not only ultralight pilots. He reports: “Not a single person wanted to compare price or weight with the Rotax 582, against which the HKS engine competes. In fact,” he adds, “they overwhelmingly said simply, ‘Thanks!’ for offering an alternative.”
A few good reasons explain why the 700E may represent a better value than the 582. On the face of it, a ready-to-fly 582 will run about $5,400 retail, while the 700E is $6,500 with stainless steel exhaust.
The extra cost comes from the parts count on a 4-stroke engine. More pieces cost more money. And to make these engines last longer, they must be built of components that can endure long operating periods.
Super Drifter XL with Rotax 912
Considered by many to be a workhorse, the Super Drifter XL shows refinement and features that make it seem like a “luxury ultralight.” Leza AirCam, the newly renamed producer of this venerable ultralight, has equipped the top-of-the-line model with nearly every option in their price list. Conclusion: While it will cost you a bundle, you should be satisfied with this ultralight for many years.
How is this Super Drifter XL different from the Super Drifter that I evaluated almost 3 years ago? According to Denny Franklin – yes, that same icon of the Maxair days when the Drifter was a youngster – the XL is a significant redesign of the original Super Drifter 912 flown in 1998.1 It has seen numerous changes to make the veteran design work better with the big 80-hp Rotax 912 situated at the rear of the wing.
What’s New With the Super Drifter XL?
The Super Drifter XL has an extended fuselage – meaning the boom tube and its fuselage “pan” – to position the front seat 5 inches further forward.
Breezer Aircraft and the New Breezer II
Close to Perfect
It usually takes more than one
try to get something right. To
get close to a perfect aircraft
usually takes many iterations, but
Breezer Aircraft has come very close
to producing a wonderful light sport
aircraft with their Breezer II.
We’ve seen the Breezer before when
the U.S. importer brought the thennew
model to AirVenture Oshkosh
’05. I flew it that year and recently
got the chance to fly the Breezer II.
While many of the good qualities
found in the earlier model were
retained, some nice improvements
have been made. But it isn’t the airplane
that is the real story. As experienced
airplane buyers know, it is
often the company behind the airplane
that is the main story.
Breezer’s Brief Design History
The design history is brief because the Breezer
is a new aircraft, not seen before ’05 except during
its early development. That older, original Breezer
was produced under agreement by Comco-Ikarus,
the same folks that make one of Germany’s bestselling
ultralights (a different class than American
ultralights), the C-42.
Breezing Along
Like American
ultralights, European
microlights have paved the way
to a new breed of aircraft for European
fliers. Residents of the European community
don’t have the sport pilot/light-sport aircraft
(SP/LSA) rule, but they know how to build the planes
that serve the market.
Comco-Ikarus is one of Germany’s most
established microlight builders. After a
long and successful run with its C22
and C42 airplanes, the company,
based in Hohentengen in
southwest Germany, is
ready to run in LSA
circles with its
new Breezer.
Compared to the C22 and C42,
which is still being sold in Germany and
the United States, the Breezer is clearly
an original design. The Breezer has a
metal wing and tail, whereas the C42
has a fiberglass fuselage and its wings
are constructed of aluminum tubes and
covered with an advanced sewn textile
called GT-Foil, a Kevlar-based material.
The Breezer is a low-wing airplane,
whereas the C42 is a high-wing; the
C42 is strut-braced, while the Breezer
is cantilevered.
Bristell LSA-Maker BRM Aero Reaches #1,000 Milestone
In the airplane-manufacturing enterprise, very few companies have exceeded four figures of aircraft deliveries. The newest producer to achieve this feat did so in only 15 years.
BRM Aero announced, “Last year (2024) was a remarkable year for Bristell Aircraft. Reaching our 1,000th aircraft milestone, securing vital certifications, and maintaining strong production numbers have demonstrated our commitment to excellence in aviation.”
I wrote about BRM hitting 300 deliveries in 2017 (eight years after starting up). Now, seven years later BRM has reached their 1,000th aircraft delivered. That’s a second half average of 100 units per year, a production rate any company would be proud to have — even for businesses operating many more years. In 2024 alone, 112 Bristell models were delivered showing the current pace the Czech company is achieving.
Part of the reason for this success is a surprising diversity of aircraft models based on the original.
Higher Flyer: The WT9 Dynamic Turbo
Lined up on the runway, I open the throttle to the stop. The Dynamic surges forward, my right thumb presses a small button at the base of the throttle quadrant and I push the lever further forward. In an instant there’s 15% more thrust and the speed tape really starts to roll. Ease back on the stick and we’re airborne after a very short ground roll and climbing away at well over 1200 fpm.
Flaps up, and 20 seconds later we’re passing through 400 feet, I pull the power back past the detent and the turbocharger control unit (TCU) reduces boost to 35 inches of manifold pressure. I then lower the nose, dial the prop rpm down to 5500 engine rpm and note the VSI is still showing around 1000 fpm before swinging the shapely spinner onto a south-easterly heading. Already I can see that the field of view is phenomenal and feel that the handling is crisp and taut.
Go Solo! Atec’s Solo 212 Let’s You Fly Yourself in Style, Yet It’s Affordable
Was this aircraft the star of MAX, the airshow? Maybe. “It drew a lot of attention,” said a company representative, “a sleek taildragger single seater with a 912 up front.” That it was accented with red inside and out helped, as proven by big auto companies that spend millions to advertise red cars when they want to catch your eye. (Updated 2/27/24: new images at bottom)
Atec Solo 212 is the name of the airplane. It will not be their top seller but for plenty of pilots (me included) this was a charmer. Plus, let me spill the beans on its affordability. I don’t know your budget but this beauty could be had, in America, for $100-110,000 reported RT Aviation partner Todd Livingston a couple weeks after MAX ’24 concluded. That price won’t work for everyone, I know, but it’s half the cost of many “reasonably” priced SLSA in fall 2024.
Flight Review: Riding the Shark!
“You never get a second chance to make a first impression” is a wise old saw, and my initial impressions of the Shark were all very positive. Some aircraft look like they’re moving even when they’re standing still, and the Shark definitely falls into this category. From the tip of the sharp-looking spinner to the top of the swept-back fin, it’s easily the sexiest-looking microlight I’ve ever seen. Indeed, my first thought is that it looks rather like a scaled-down PC-21.
Walking around the aircraft, I note that the 100-hp Rotax 912S is very tightly cowled, and that access to the engine bay is adequate, but not outstanding, as quite a lot of Camloc fasteners need to be undone to remove the entire cowling for a full engine inspection. There’s a large electrically actuated NACA scoop in the bottom half which supplies air to the oil cooler and radiator, and small intakes in the top half on both sides of the spinner for cooling the cylinders.
Scissortail Aerosport Unveils Two-Place “MOSAIC-Ready” Gogetair G-750 At AirVenture
Scissortail Aerosport company, out of Tulsa, Oklahoma, imports sleek composite aircraft from Slovenia. Last year, they brought a sleek four place low wing to AirVenture that was well-received. This year, they imported an even sleeker and, dare we say, sexier looking, two place speedster that promises to be “Mosaic ready.” Named the GOGETAIR G-750, this little sportster trues out at 138 knots at 10,000 feet and stalls at 54 knots.
The two place Gogetair G-750 that Scissortail brought to AirVenture flies behind a Rotax 914 Turbo and a Woodcomp electric variable-pitch prop. Scissortail’s President, Shannon Hankins, states that the customer can also order a Rotax 915 and a hydraulically powered MT constant speed prop. The panel wears a Dynon HDX EFIS, but can be ordered with the Garmin G3X. This design features a fuselage roll safety cage and a whole airframe parachute. The Gogetair G-750’s most attractive trait, however is it’s eye-catching design, sporting swept wing tips and gull wing doors.
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