On Jul 10, 8:16 pm, Ron Wanttaja wrote:
On Tue, 10 Jul 2007 13:19:27 -0500, "Gig 601XL Builder"

wrDOTgiaconaATsuddenlink.net wrote:
IMHO, The best thing about Cessna getting into the LSA market is not the
aircraft they will produce. The more important aspect is that it lends a
certain amount of legitimacy to LSA.

...and will generate a nice healthy batch of used ~ 100 HP engines for the small
homebuilders to install. A-65s are getting pretty long in the tooth.


The last thing a modern experimental needs is an "AIRCRAFT ENGINE".

A modern "AIRCRAFT ENGINE" is a P&W PT-6. Half a mil last time I
checked.

Piston aircraft engines made for that purpose are museum pieces.

The Harley Davidson V-twin is also a museum piece, but it's a museum
piece made in some considerable quantity, and it will put out more
sustained power longer than any Continental before the 0-200, and the
engine with a belt redrive is, if overpriced, at least something you
can count on parts being available for for awhile, from NON-AVIATION
sources.

Aviation means turbine and corporate money. It basically did in 1980,
and it almost exclusively does today, and it absolutely will tomorrow
unless there is a massive change from globalism and outsourcing and
the extirpation of the middle class in America. LSA is a sop to keep a
few cranks quiet, and if you buy some thing designed just for that
market you can expect it to be both heinously expensive and all of a
sudden not available when you need it.

Motorcycles and little airplanes were niche items for nuts in 1950.
The bikers had Evel and Sonny and the aviators had a Polack in
Milwaukee. Funny how it worked, accordions went out of favor, and so
did little airplanes.