Jimbob wrote:
I agree. The thing I am hoping for is economies of scale kick in.
We've increased the number of potential buyers from Europe to USA +
Europe. I don't think relative demand per unit has increased because

snip

plane. # seats, stall and max speed are all fixed. Powerplant size
can only vary so much otherwise you're shooting youself in the foot.

I think the economy of scale kicked in a few years ago for
powerplants. The Rotax 912 nearly dominates this segment. Here is
an engine whose weight and power are ideal for a 2 seat LSA. It is
also modern, light weight, efficient, and about 3/4 the cost of an
O-200. The next closest competitors seem to be a mix of O-200,
O-235, Continental C-xx, Subaru (if you count non cert).

A lot of people think Rotax 2 strokes "saved" the ultralight
movement, and the 912 series is the next logical step in that line of
engines.

Hopefully something similar could evolve with airframes, but other
than a few parts like wheels, hardware, paint, instruments,
avionics... which are already mass produced, I doubt it. Airframes
and engines are like apples and oranges.