Reynard

Just looking for fuel options (Avgas/Mogas) up the western side of the Cape. Public notes on Ozrunways suggest the smaller settlements have nothing and encourage you to stay away by charging mammoth landing fees.

“Something doesn't smell right.“ Yep !! Why on earth would they fly this thing all the way back to India if they knew of this safety critical defect ? Lots of chatter about this point and the speed of the leak of the pilots handwritten defect write up. It sure does seem odd.

German B&F aircraft produced their FK9 with a 3 cylinder engine adapted from a Mercedes Smartcar. I think there is one of these aircraft in WA somewhere. As far as I know, they are now powered exclusively by Rotax.

Extract from AviationCircle……. “A safety watchdog in India is raising a red flag after an Air India Boeing 787 crew reported a problem with a critical engine fuel control switch during startup on Flight AI132 from London Heathrow to Bengaluru. In a press release dated Feb. 2, the Safety Matters Foundation said the left engine fuel control switch on Boeing 787-9 VT-ANX twice failed to stay locked in the RUN position, instead drifting toward CUTOFF during engine start. The group warned that under certain conditions, that kind of malfunction could increase the risk of an inadvertent engine shutdown, and called for transparent, fleetwide scrutiny. The foundation also pointed back to a 2018 FAA safety bulletin that warned some fuel control switches could be moved without using the locking feature, creating the risk of unintended operation. It’s also landing in the middle of ongoing attention on Air India’s 787 fleet after the June 2025 AI171 crash, where investigators documented fuel control switches moving to cutoff shortly after takeoff. No connection has been established between the events, but the timing is why the watchdog is pushing regulators and the airline to take a hard, public look at any repeat fuel switch reports. Update: Air India says it has now grounded VT ANX after the report that pilots had an issue with the engine fuel control switches. The airline says it has formally notified India’s aviation regulator, the DGCA, and that further technical checks are underway in coordination with Boeing”

There is a string on this topic on Rotalk from 8 years ago. Here is one skeptical comment from this string : Re: Polishing intake manifolds by Bill Hertzel » 8 years ago I am confused. ??? A week ago you were asking about the possibility of Modifying your crossover pipe. Yesterday you post pictures of the manifolds before and after welding. This afternoon you report a test flight was successful. 6 hours later, the Parts are available for mass marketing on an Italian website. Either this is the fastest engineered project I have ever heard of, or I am missing something. :unsure:

Not sure if this one has been discussed before……but here is yet another weird engine design.

The gliding fraternity are big on sealing airframe gaps. There are specialist sealing tapes for the really serious - they are a tad more elastic than say, electrical tape, and don’t leave a residue. There are also leading edge tapes for those that choose to fly off gravel strips and through locust plagues.

Clearly VFR into IMC Very Fat Reindeer in Indeterminable Mystery Custom

May be speculation, but I heard there was grass in the fuel ??

Rotax 300hp engine https://youtu.be/S9nnTghlB-8?si=PMDluNP5DvqBG7zE

Those cables may be over 80 years old ? May have been originally gal, but the gal has long gone. 316 is certainly susceptible to sudden failure ( usually chloride induced stress corrosion cracking) but Narromine certainly doesn’t have any marine influence, so I would think 316 would be fine.

interesting what a tied down plane can do while you’re sleeping. https://www.facebook.com/reel/2413059642482637/?fs=e&fs=e

….and the RPL holder has a current CASA medical.

I have no knowledge of the matter, but I can theorise what training packages would need to be developed within RA-AUS to then roll out to instructors to effect a CTA endorsement. Then making sure instructors are actually current with Class C and D procedures themselves, and also have access to an aircraft with the right gear to enable instruction and entry into CTA. All of that takes time….and maybe a decade or however long it has been since first mooted, hasn’t been long enough.😎

CASA just released feedback on their Class 5 medical survey. The majority of respondents indicated Class 5 holders should be allowed into CTA. No big surprise there - other than a Class 5 being the minimum.

Curious - I just checked mine, and I only got an extra year !!

After all this dialogue I still don’t know what you call the person not in control of an autonomous drone.

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