skippydiesel

Not sure you are correct on this statement: ATEC aircraft (who I used to represent) had the Zephyr (mixed construction materials) and now the Fatera (carbon fibre) both powered by Rotax 912 (80-100 hp) engines. Examples of both aircraft are flying in Australia and have the potential to be well under 300 kg empty weight. With purchaser/builder additional accessories (not required for legal flight) they usually end up at about 300 kg +/- As far as performance goes: Zephyr; (now discontinue) Stall 30 Knots - High Speed Cruise 120+ Knots Faeta (T tail); Stall 127 Knots - High Speed Cruise 135 Knots Note: ATEC have always been conservative with their performance claims - unlike most aircraft manufactures. 😈

Hi danny_galaga, Yes we agree, on the RoTAX parts rip off. "Unrelated to Rotax, but I've posted this article before on the perils of assuming something is exactly the same just because it looks the same, or the makers CLAIM it's the same:" We agree on this point also. Reposted from above: "If/When, I find an automotive oil filter, being supplied by a reputable maker, that meets/exceeds all Rotax specifications, at a significantly lower price, I will very happily purchase that oil filter. In the mean time, I will stick with the Rotax 825-016 BUT look for the best price (seems to be $36.50 from https://pmaviation.com.au/rotax/) which is a lot better than $78 from Aircraft Spruce (Flood yet to respond to my enquiry)😈" I have never suggested using inferior or unknown quality parts. My stated position has always been - must meet or exceed Rotax specifications. Where Rotax or potential alternative product, specifications can not be found, stick to Rotax OM. 😈

Early stages of planning a "gaggle" from The Oaks to/from Cessnock , this Sunday 24/05/26 (weather permitting). Don't usually need a reason to fly but this time its twofold ; The long standing VFR routs IN/Out of the Sydney Basin are about to be change - reason enough to get in a last trip. Future access will require a Flight Plan & Clearance. Second reason is to commemorate the death of one The Oaks pilots. It must be about 18 month since three of us were going to do the short flight, The Oaks - Cessnock, via the above VFR Lanes. Long story short, there was a mid air collision with a training Cessna 182 - three pilots died - one was our friend. We never made it to Cessnock that morning - this time we will. 😈

Friend BrendAn, If/When, I find an automotive oil filter, being supplied by a reputable maker, that meets/exceeds all Rotax specifications, at a significantly lower price, I will very happily purchase that oil filter. In the mean time, I will stick with the Rotax 825-016 BUT look for the best price (seems to be $36.50 from https://pmaviation.com.au/rotax/) which is a lot better than $78 from Aircraft Spruce (Flood yet to respond to my enquiry)😈

Are you willfully missing the point? (All comments below are for non certified aircraft/engines) Aside from a claimed difference in bypass pressure rating (spring & diaphragm) the oil filetrs are essentially the same. May have been produced in the same factory AND have the same production costs. An aircraft engine failure, has the potentially for much more serious outcome, than a similar ground vehicle engine failure. This factor alone, warrants greater care & standards in construction, maintenance & servicing. The above suggests higher standards, that cost more - FAIR ENOUGH! (too a point) Not up X 8 BUT I have never seen an automotive oil filter (purchased from a respected supplier like RYCO) fail, when being used as per engine & filter manufactures recommendations. Rotax 9 engines use automotive technology throughout (ie nothing unusual /special) Have, in the past, specified automotive products be used in their engine servicing. I am unaware of any engine failures as a result. Rotax has decided to go down the road of "branding" its service products and at the same time increased the cost of these by many times the manufacturing cost. Vehicle manufactures also brand service items BUT are in competition for sales with a whole host of aftermarket suppliers. Branded (OM) vehicle service parts are often competitive with after market quality products. In common with other small market/slow turn over industries, Rotax prices are of necessity higher - fair enough but not x 8 Rotax has taken steps to not be in competition with after market suppliers, by promoting their aircraft parts/materials quality propaganda narrative - Owners like you have been sucked in. That your prerogative. RoTAX is real - its designed to increase profit. Nothing to do with engine service life/reliability - just profit. There is a great deal of myth about the superiority of aircraft servicing/materials. IF you own & maintain a homebuilt aircraft, you have the flexibility to maintain the aircraft in the most cost effective way (not suggesting scrimping on standards/safety). I get satisfaction from being cost conscious, you apparently do not. I take the time to compare standards & find the most cost competitive product. Apparently you are happy to pay Rotax & not bother with such time wasting efforts - your prorgative. Clearly we see the World through diffrent lenses and likly from diffrent cash reserves. 😈

What about AeroShell Sport Plus 4 The prices below are for 12 x 1 L cartons NOTE: Delivery charges will likly change the cost significantly (assuming you can not pick up from supplier) Australia Supplier $ Cost/L Aircraft Spruce 26.67 The Aviator 21.67 Sky Fuel 19.84 Viva 19.92 😈

BurnieM "Except I cannot find anybody in Australia selling them for $36." https://pmaviation.com.au/rotax/ Your welcome. 😈

Maaate! If a very similar product can be purchased for $10, paying $36 - $80, no matter how wealthy you appear to be, puts into question your mental soundness (no offence intend).😈

Really? A quick search has Rotax oil filters from $36.50 - $78.50 AU RYCO (a reputable Australian brand) has similar vehicle filters for $10 - $18 AU NOTE: I am not advocating fitting a non Rotax oil filter, just commenting on the price disparity (Rotax V similar automotive) which seems to be increasing. The reality is, if its supplied by an aviation specific retailer and/or has aviation in the parts description, it will be at least double the price of a similar automotive product. As others have pointed out an engine can run perfectly well without an oil filter or with a gauze screen washable one. The filter only becomes important when the engine is shedding wear particles, something that may ultimately require a lot more than a filter to put right. I can not afford to risk using a non Rotax oil filter but this over the barrel pricing does not make me happy. 😈

You are correct. However if I charge in the aircraft, I will probably not bring the SE2 home. Its about forming good/bad habits. 😈

Follow Up on my SE2 installation; Quick Recap - Fed-up with the SE2 dropping into the footwell at the worst possible moment, I ditched the suction pad, fabricated a dedicated stand/bracket, which sits a bit off centre on my glairshole. This worked very well and had the added bonus of no more "clicks" in my headset. In defiance of uAvionics advice, I connected my SE2, via a quick charge cable, to my Guardian Avionics USB A 2.7 amp charging port. It all seemed to work. It continued to work for weeks like this - don't know how many engine hrs. I must be a geniuses (NOT!) That is until my return trip from Benalla, Vic - No SE2! You guessed it - " it is NOT sufficient to use ANY in aircraft charger as the sole means of charging. To do so will see the batteries deteriorate in 1-2 years to the point where they will need replacing. This is because it is time on charge that is important, as by design the SkyEcho is slow to charge taking 12 hours for a full charge. You don’t fly long enough to charge it and you are using it at the same time, hence it is never fully charged. By all means charge in the aircraft but ensure that at least once a month you put it on a mains 3A 18W charger for at least 12 hours (overnight). " Put the poor thing on charge - took the best part of 36 hrs to get back to full charge. This still leaves problem - How to keep the SE2 charged, when on a multi day flight, without access to the mains? I am staggered that uVionics haven't got a solution for this. I may have to squeeze the rock & spring for a motel room, just to use the mains power to charge the SE2 (expensive solution) My old (15 years?) handheld GPS has both dry cell batteries and connection to 12V cigaret lighter capacity - never a problem. Someone, earlier in this thread, suggested using a battery pack. I actually used my freshly charged one, when overnighting in Benalla. Not for the SE2 but my iPad (flight plan) & phone - just charging these devises took the pack down to 65% - doesn't bode well for charging my SE2. Its been a hard lesson. I hope I have not done too much damage to the batteries - I will now not charge my SE2 in the aircraft. 😈

" Rotax filter is nothing special, but all our US oil filters have a by-pass pressure of 13-15 psi. Rotax used to be 14-16 psi. One psi wasn't a big deal and it isn't even that accurate and that's why you see the psi spread. This allowed too much unfiltered oil to by-pass. Rotax by-pass pressure is now 18-22 psi to stop that. " FYI - This caught my attention (again) Called RYCO - It appears that "most of their oil filters have a 14 psi some up to 29 psi" 😈

I have an AoA through my Dynon Classic - no other stall warning device. Its satisfying to hear it sound, as I flair for landing - tell myself my speed was about right. Have heard it, on rare occasion, in a tight turn, which is good, as it alerts me to keep my speed/power up. The visual display, is way too small and below the glare shield (out of line-of- sight), so its of little use when landing. I guess I could set it to go off at higher speeds but then I may find I am too fast on approach. Many "wax lyrical" about these devises as a landing aid - could be good for STOL, when there is a visual display up on glare shield/HUDS . I wonder if relying on an AoA makes you less able to land without it and possibly airspeed as well ? - something I have had to do on three occasions (tiny little ants in my system).😈

Seems to me that fuel availability would be one of the "limiting" factors ie only go where fuel is available. As with the weather, airfield serviceability - check & check again - who wants to be caught out? I would anticipate this being a VFR only activity, so flexibility on time/duration would be a must. 😈

Some off the cuff thoughts; Seems to me that "joining" could be agreed rendezvouses along the track or a single point. Along the track, may mean that some pilots would have a lonely trip home, from where they leave the group. Single point may be just as bad. Differing economy cruise speeds - could be accommodated by staggered departure times. Keep in radio communication (when/where safe to do so) on 123.45. Regular aircraft condition/location (reference to ground features & any changes to cruising altitude) The point of the exercise would be to end each day at the same landing point. If needs be, help each other out. We would need some sort of emergency plan for illness/injury. 😈

This would be a great challenge for a group of RAA class pilot/aircraft to do (not suggesting that GA pilot/aircarft, of similar performance should not participate). Safety in numbers. Collaborative planning. Possible cost reductions for bulk purchases eg accommodation. All round FUN?? Anyone interested? 😈

I went round Albury - not a huge detour. Benalla is slights SW of Albury, so almost on track after going round Canberra airspace. I don't usually plan to go under controlled airspace, as circumstance may forse me higher than the "step". If I do go under, its a corner, that I can easily go round, if too high. Depends on how big the detour is compared with descending & then climbing again.😈

Well he made a 1Nm call ( on the CTAF), that made no sense (no altitude or intention) and was likly about to pass under me at the time. I made the standard 10nm "Inbound" call with the usual details and intentions. I made an overhead the field call, with descent and X wind join for for runway 18, full stop, details. I heard no other aircraft (on CTAF)within that period . I have an ADSB - OUT and usually a SE2 (short range ADSB IN/OUT). The SE2 was working for the outbound trip but not for the return (investigating). As with all incidents, its an accumulation of errors - ie I may have "seen" him if the SE2 had been working AND he was transmitting an ADSB - OUT signale. 😈

The Oaks- Benalla Outbound -2 hr, 8500 ft 12C. A little cool in the cockpit Return - 2.4 hrs, 7500 ft 5C. Had the forethought to put little chemical heating pads in my boots. Slightly more comfortable than the outbound flight.😈

Just returned from two day jaunt,The Oaks- Benalla (Vic). 2 hrs there/ 2.4 hrs return Stayed overnight in the Gliding Club of Victoria accommodation https://www.glidingclub.org.au/ Basic but clean - friendly staff. On return to The Oaks, had a close encounter with a Diamond DA40 (an incident) - I on X wind for 18 right /full stop at circuit height, hear "The Oaks one Nm south" Looking! Looking! over 36 threshold, suddenly see aircraft banking sharply away below me !!!! I continue on circuit, see a Diamond DA 40 proceeding in a northerly direction - called but no response. I have no idea what the DA 40 pilots intentions were before or after the incident (heard no other calls). Given that I was at circuit height and the DA 40 was below (possibly doing a simulated straight in approach/low pass, which I have seen similar aircraft do quite often) separation was likly +/-500 ft. Thankfully, no blood was spilt ----- this time.😈

I will throw in a suggestion from Rotax Owners Forum; "While I can only speculate as to your low fuel pressure readings, I can perhaps suggest what may be afflicting your fuel flow readings. The EI FT-60 "red cube" fuel flow transducer operates using an optical sensor which senses when the light from an internal LED is interrupted by the rotor passing between the LED and the sensor. Bubbles in the fuel can interrupt (refract) the light from the LED, which the sensor cannot differentiate from interruptions caused by the rotor. Either event will cause the transducer to send a pulse to the EMS. Additionally, because vaporisation (what you've called cavitation) increases the volume of the fuel itself, the rotor would also spin faster for the same mass of fuel passing through. Therefore when fuel vaporisation is present the fuel flow transducer will erroneously present a higher fuel flow measurement to the EMS. This can apply to either or both transducers, but probably not in such a way that the error in one exactly cancels out the error in the other. Turning the boost pump on probably suppresses the formation of vapour in the fuel line, allowing your flow transducer(s) to operate as designed while the boost pump is on. As I touched on above, fuel vaporisation is exactly the same phenomenon as what you referred to as cavitation. From a physics point of view, it doesn't matter whether it is the fluid's temperature rising above its boiling point at a given pressure or if it is the fluid's absolute pressure dropping below its vapour pressure at a given temperature - vapour will form just the same. Excessively low pressure in the fuel line on the suction side of the pump (whether caused by flow restriction/s or a large 'lift' distance) will cause vaporisation just the same as heating the fuel by too much will." 😈

Must have been a UK/Australian pilot, landing against the traffic flow (right instead of left)😈

Thank Thruster, "The instructions re the sensor to keep raw fuel away from it is a concern, is it 100% compatible with ulp? " The problems with the fuel pressure sensor are well documented (check out Rotax Owners Forum). Various "fixes" to pressure reading anomalies have been recommended (all of which I have applied). I have no reason to think that the pressure reading is wrong, more likly effected by bubbles/vapour causing the mechanical pump to loose efficiency/pressure. "When you have the low fuel pressure indication in cruise flight have you tried, without the boost pump, going full throttle.....", No I haven't tried incensing power - will give that a go next opportunity "Perhaps you need a good old mechanical gauge to know what is really happen" Yep! It could only be temporary - no panel real estate left 😈

All true however, if cost a factor in the transponder question - go for an ADSB OUT and an SE2. The ADSB OUT will meet the entry to CTA requirements. SE2 is a low power ADSB in & OUT devise, which will make you conspicuous to aircraft with ADSB IN and/or an SE2, within about 10Nm +. Your EFB (OzRunways or similar) will link to your SE2 and display aircraft with ADSB OUT, SE2 & OzRunways Unfortunatly "legacy" transponders, which are certainly still around in my area, will not display. 😈

For many of us, cost of an ADSB system, is a significant factor, even with the Gov rebate. 😈