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Which Rotax engine for your RV-12iS fuselage?

rv12iS-builder

Well Known Member
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I received a notice from Van?s saying they need to know what engine I?ll be using before they ship my RV-12iS fuselage kit. I?m still on the fence on this. I like that the 912iS has fuel injection (no carb floats), better climb rate, and better fuel economy. But lighter weight and a $5,000 savings make the 912 ULS attractive, too. Which one would you choose?

Thanks!
 
If you were building a house, would you go with tile or granite counter tops?

Look at it this way..... California is going to charge you $1000.00 more than that in taxes when it gets registered.
 
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If you were purchasing a new vehicle, would you consider archaic pre '70s engine management? You are getting more than fuel injection with the 912is.
One day, Rotax will not even offer the ULS new, as a complete assembly.
Get in on cutting edge technology!
 
Been flying a 912ULS equipped RV-12 for a couple of years. If I were building one now... I dunno. The extra cost and that expensive battery with a short history don't give me warm fuzzy feelings. But the extended range... that night do it for me. I do love efficiency. Even if it might actually never pay off in terms of fuel consumption, I've needed to stop for fuel 30-45 minutes short of my destination a few times. I'd love to not have to do that any more. And yes, you'll probably get that $5K back when you sell.
 
I'm happy with the ULS, but if I was building again I'd choose the iS. The extra cost will translate to a higher resale value, if that's a concern. My only hesitation would be the scarcity of trained and knowledgeable Rotax mechanics over here and the number of SB's I've seen for the relatively new iS to date, although both situations will improve over time. The ULS still gets its fair share of SB's too.
 
Personally, my impression is that there are enough overall improvements, airframe and engine, to make it a worthwhile choice.

Dave
 
Having flown both, I'd say that the airframe improvements are significant enough that I'd definitely go with all of the changes there.

Did I notice a lot of difference in the engine? As a pilot - not really. But it is considerably more efficient, which translates into reduced fuel costs, and I suspect that it will be easier to maintain, since you aren't balancing carbs, etc. Yes, the new engine will undoubtedly have some teething problems, but this is the direction Rotax is going, so I suspect they will be actively working on solutions - whereas the ULS will eventually not be getting the same attention.

I'm not going to spend anyone else's money for them, but if it were me, I'd probably default to the new engine until I found out more, or that I simply couldn't afford that option.

Paul
 
The only drawback to new tech is the lack of operating history to find all the bugs. The iS seems to have got through it?s teething problems. I?d go with the iS today.

I faced a similar problem with avionics. I bought the last generation of D180/D100 with a Garmin 496 when the anticipation was that Skyview was coming soon. I did it then because the Skyview in an RV-12 was a new combo, and I did not want to be a guinea pig. I drool over every Skyview I see, but I still think it was the right decision at the time.
 
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