Reynard

Those old enough to remember the tandem engine ‘Super70’ Chamberlain tractors may recall their oddity. Contemplating a tandem engine concept in a modern aircraft is certainly odd.

I’d prefer this one. https://aviationconsumer.com/aircraftreviews/fk12-comet-sporty-aerobatic/

It’s a pity Rotax dropped their 6 cylinder 936 engine prototype before commercialisation. From memory it was around the 300hp mark.

This might be a fantasy, but what other options are there for a drop in IO540/550 ‘modern’ replacement ? Copied from PabloSniper Mundo & Tecnologia Facebook page Twin Rotax 916 Power Package Concept A Modern Replacement for Legacy IO-540 / IO-550 Engines Summary We would like to develop a dual-engine Rotax 916 power package designed to replace traditional IO-540 and IO-550 installations. The goal is to deliver equivalent or superior power, built-in redundancy, and excellent high-altitude performance — all while keeping weight and required airframe changes to a minimum. A key requirement of the project is that the entire assembly must fit the same engine mount footprint used by IO-540 and IO-550 engines. Additionally, the overall length of the two Rotax engines installed in tandem is very close to that of an IO-540 or IO-550, making this concept physically compatible with existing cowlings and firewall spacing. Why This Concept Makes Sense Modern Performance With Redundancy Two Rotax 916 iS engines produce 320 hp, allowing this package to directly replace the 310 hp IO-550 found in aircraft such as the Cirrus SR22 — with the added benefit of turbo-normalized power maintained at altitude. Similarly, a pair of Rotax 915 iS engines deliver 282 hp, making them a modern replacement for the 260 hp IO-540 commonly used in aircraft such as the RV-10. Comparable Installed Weight Although each Rotax engine is lighter, the full assembly — engines plus the shared shaft system — should be considered practically equivalent in installed weight to an IO-540/550. This keeps CG and structural considerations close to existing standards. Efficiency, Fuel Flexibility & Lower Operating Costs Rotax engines offer exceptional fuel efficiency, smooth operation, fully electronic engine management, and — importantly — the ability to run on automotive gasoline (MOGAS). This means the kit could be applied to any aircraft currently using an IO-540 or IO-550, providing a modern, fuel-flexible alternative with significantly lower operating costs and easier global fuel availability. Few Additional Modifications Required The design goal is a clean installation requiring few additional changes, making it practical for OEMs and retrofit applications. Matching both the engine mount geometry and the overall length envelope of the IO-540/550 is central to this concept. What We Are Looking For We are seeking a strategic partnership to co-develop a complete, modern engine package capable of replacing the aging IO-540 and IO-550 families with efficient, redundant, altitude-capable powerplants that fit existing engine mounts and appeal to both new aircraft manufacturers and the retrofit market.

Professional drone operators can liaise with an ARO to have a notam issued for an airfield for the duration of their activity. Reasonably common around mining activity near regional airports where drones are used for mapping. Clearly though, a lot of drone operators may not be ‘professional’

I believe the aircraft was an RV-8

There is a Sonex canopy for sale on Aviation buy sell swap, Australia. I have no idea if this is compatible with your machine, but thought I should alert you to it, regardless. i don’t know the seller.

Maybe viewed as the very high end of recreational flying, but I’m sure a lot of people here admire and respect Beechcraft aircraft ….even the ‘doctor killer’. Textron are rationalising their product line and moving this segment to SETP. https://avweb.com/aviation-news/textron-to-sunset-baron-bonanza/

I flew from the Murray River to the Hunter Valley around a week ago. The ‘green’ didn’t start until north of Wagga. Lots of crop failures in Victoria this year and a dry spring knocked yields around in parts of central western NSW. For those that know the area, north of Dubbo the crops were pretty good. i think these pics were near Cootamundra, but I wasn’t the photographer.

I suspect they’ll want a squawk from a transponder as well. The previous airspace version referred to Class D+. Whatever the heck that meant….and of course unique to Australia.

https://www.australianflying.com.au/latest/home-affairs-abandons-single-issuing-body-for-asics

Anyone else received a text message that their IOR RA-AUS fuel discount is about to expire? I think I managed to access this discount just once when buying Avgas at some remote location, but wasn’t aware the discount was temporary.

I should have added that on long flyaways I can easily dry my socks and jocks in the cabin with the exhaust shroud heater. Yeah, I fly by myself a lot…….

Do you really hangar it in the ‘big blue shed’ ?

I have a stainless steel exhaust muffler with a shroud. The cabin heater ducted from this shroud is very very effective. I have an electronic CO detector. Happy days.

MD11s now grounded by FAA pending inspections.

I had a direct traffic conflict yesterday. If it wasn’t for the traffic alert from ADS-B I may have needed that commode.

With 50 cent train and bus fares across SE QLD, it opens up a few opportunities for other airfields, if time is not your enemy. Even if you need to Uber to/from an airfield to a train station it may start to make sense. I was just looking at something similar last week in Brisbane, but the need evaporated when the car I was interested in was sold.

Here is the quad lock and cooling case setup mounted directly on the yoke.

Jabiru has set a self-imposed deadline of July ‘26 for commercialising their fuel injected engines.

The wombat case has two small fans supplied from an internal rechargeable battery. The fans are controlled by a thermostat and last around three hours and rechargeable via a usb-c port. My gut feel is that the fans aren’t powerful enough to provide sufficient cooling on their own, but I haven’t really pushed the temp too far to date. I’ll try to get a photo on Thursday for those interested in the mount and case arrangement.

I use a quad lock ‘lever head’ mount only because it fitted directly onto the yoke and it didn’t take up too much space. The female add-on part of the mount I stuck onto the back of a wombat ware cooling case.https://getwombatware.com/?srsltid=AfmBOopYRwnNLiGL31LYCQmPkiax7dj87z1rY8D3I1SJRWxUFKQc8Ypa https://www.quadlockcase.com.au/collections/build-your-own?selected=eyJoZWFkIjoiUUxQLTM2MC1MSCJ9 This allows me to easily remove the iPad from the plane, but leave the mount with cooling case in place on the yoke.. The iPad can be tilted through 90 degrees from horizontal to vertical to avoid sun glare, but cant be tilted laterally though- so no good for sharing with pax. I’ve flown in the heat but haven’t had an iPad overheat event yet. I’m not convinced the cooling case is that great- I think simply directing one of the (high wing) eyeball vents toward the iPad is enough to keep it cool. I have both window vents plus eyeball vents so can get quite a wind blast through the cockpit if desired. Unfortunately I don’t have a pic of the setup, but I’ve now flown with it for about 90 hours and it does the job. There are probably better setups, but this suits me so far.

That’s closer to the mark - but you get cup holders in either.

In my book, a better match-up with the C172 would be a Tecnam P2010.

Try Hunter Valley Recreational Flying Club. I’ve seen one at Cessnock a while back. Don’t know the owner though.