WingedFrog
Well Known Member
When the Rotax 912is was introduced around 2013 there were discussions on this forum about it's introduction on the RV-12. Beside the fact that many arguments were made and doubts raised about fuel economy that have since been proven wrong (i.e. see the results of the VANs flight to Oshkosh) there is one thing that is still not clear in my mind. One issue mentioned against a quick adaptation to the RV-12 was the higher weight of the engine that could hardly be dealt with quickly given the tight situation created by the position of the seats in front of the wing spars. It looks like this issue has been solved (if over several years) by Vans, however when I look at the changes, many tend to put more weight forward: relocation of coolant radiator, new fuel tank, stronger front landing gear. Some gains have been made by using a lighter battery but overall I would like to understand better how Vans managed these weight changes to get it right. May be Scott could chime on this?