High Cost of Sportplanes

On Thu, 22 Sep 2005 08:16:50 -0600, bowman wrote:

Ron Wanttaja wrote:

The engines used in production LSAs must meet the consensus standard for
engines, ASTM F 2339-04. It is greatly simplified over 14CFR Part 33, but
there are definite design criteria the engine must meet, documentation
that must be generated, and endurance testing that must be performed.

Is that standard realistic?

Probably. Rotax, with their production certificate (do they call it
that for engines?) for the 912, self certified their ULS series, and
Jabiru has done the same for theirs. I've not looked at any of the VW
derivatives (Limbach) to see, but that exhausts my knowldge of engines
intneded by their manufacturers for aircraft use which are not
certified and which might be suitable for LSA. While not absolute,
with the weight limit of 1320 lbs, I'd say there is a realistic limit
at 250 lbs. The 200 or 240 cid Lycoming/Contientals might fit in, but
not the bigger ones. In any event, the new versions being offered by
these for experimental will surely meet ASTM.

I don't mean that as the start of another long
war, just as a general question. At one point we subcontracted to produce
airport lighting systems (the rabbit) and that standard encapsulated 1940's
technology. For instance, the wiring harnesses had to be laced since there
was a suspicion of the new fangled nylon ties, and the sequencing was done
with an electro-mechanical stepper relay.

I've not ehard nor read complaints here. You can buy the standard
from ASTM, I believe. I don't kow the $, but those things tend to be
in the $50-$500 range.