----[Please read http://ercoupers.com/disclaimer.htm before following any advice in this forum.]----
This input is somewhere between Flyin and Tech, so I'll post it here only. I attended the EXPO on Thursday, the first day. The weather was good, but the USAF had "closed' (declared HOT) all their Restricted Areas to the NE, E, SE. Normally, I can get over/under/around/through (some of) them, but not onThurs. This was, of course, in preparation for the President's visit to Palm Beach and the TFR to be imposed later that day. There were no crowds. They expect more attendees over the weekend, but weather is looking "iffy". I remain much unimpressed by most of the SLSA (factory built) candidates, and I don't have the skills to build one from a kit in my living room. They are lightly constructed, various stages of ugly, overpriced and damn near impossible for me, a reasonably healthy and agile 74 year old @ 6'3", 210 lbs, to enter and egress. The exception is the Flight Design CTSW (the one that is all composite, built in the Ukraine, and looks like an egg). It is very roomy and has great visibility. it is also the most expensive one. They are selling well, and the prices have gone up 5% - soonest availability is July. ROTEX Engines:Hartmut and others have asked about reliability and overhaul cost figures. I spoke at length to a senior, supervisory overhaul mechanic (not a salesman). He does overhauls, and has just completed two - both from flight schools in the NE USA. He says the overhaul cost is approx $8K to $9K(of which, $4K is associated with the crankshaft). Both of the engines had 2600 hrs on them TTSN. The MTBO is 1500, but (I am told) these flight schools are able to get extensions, providing they prove that all routine maintenance has been done. Neither of the engines had any significant prolems, or crank cracks, etc., and the cylinders were re-useable. He says the ROTEX 912, and 912S have proven to be very reliable to date. FYI: No, I'm not selling these engines, nor am I a mechanic; just reporting "what I have heard"
Don Bowen [EMAIL PROTECTED] ============================================================================== To leave this forum go to: http://ercoupers.com/lists.htm Search the archives on http://escribe.com/aviation/coupers-tech/
