Wed, Jul 26, 2017
Testing Continuing On The Latest Powerplant
The latest offering from Rotax ... the 915 iS ... should be available by the end of the year, the company announced at AirVenture.
Mark Becker, BRP Manager of Aircraft Business gave the update on the latest engine at EAA press headquarters Tuesday morning. He said that the new engine takes the best attributes of the 912 iS and the 914 and combines them for a more powerful injected engine.
Becker said that currently, the company is conducting ongoing testing for EASA certification of the engine, and anticipates that FAA certification will come shortly after approval by the European agency. ASTM certification for the LSA market is being done in parallel with the EASA process.
Becker said that there are already more than 30 manufacturers that are working with BRP on the certification process, and around 20 already have the engine installed, and some of those are flying. Some of those OEMs include Tecnam and Bristell. He said that many of the OEMs that are working on the certification process do not wish to be identified, but "you may believe, once the engine is available, there will also be a lot of aircraft available for you," he said.
The engine will develop 135 horsepower at max takeoff, and the max continuous power will be 127 horsepower, Becker said. It will develop full power up to 15,000 feet, with a service ceiling of roughly 23,000 feet.
The engine weighs 185 pounds dry, and about 220 pounds installed, and it will burn 6-8 gallons per hour. They still hope to be in serial production later this year, with the 915 iS available for purchase in North America late in 2017 or early in 2018.
(Staff image)
More News
Aero Linx: Model Aeronautical Association of Australia MAAA clubs are about fun flying, camaraderie and community. For over 75 years, the MAAA has been Australia’s largest fl>[...]
Touchdown Zone Lighting Two rows of transverse light bars located symmetrically about the runway centerline normally at 100 foot intervals. The basic system extends 3,000 feet alon>[...]
“Discovery and innovation are central to our mission at Virgin Galactic. We’re excited to build on our successful record of facilitating scientific experiments in subor>[...]
How To Get A Story On Aero-TV News/Feature Programming How do I submit a story idea or lead to Aero-TV? If you would like to submit a story idea or lead, please contact Jim Campbel>[...]
Student Pilot Reported That During Rotation, “All Of A Sudden The Back Of The Plane Kicked To The Right..." Analysis: The student pilot reported that during rotation, “>[...]