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David Alford

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  1. There are many philosophies on simple vs. less simple. Personally, I dislike carburetors and think fuel injection is the future for better reliability, eliminating carb ice, better fuel economy, etc. HKS is now offering their engine with it. I think the Rotax 912 is a fine engine, but an installation on the Bantam is unlikely. Wouldn't look as good nor as aerodynamic since there is no cowling. I'll let others debate the UL, but it made a very positive impression. Max Clear has about 250 hrs. on his and no problems at all. Jabiru has been building theirs for quite a long time and it still has problems, but overall people seem fairly satisfied.
  2. Incidentally, the UL260i comes with an oil cooler and that is figured into the engine weight. But it's not used on the Bantam at least in NZ because the engine runs very cool. I think the UL260i may have even increased their oil capacity/sump size but I'm not sure. I do recall Max telling me that had done a few minor modification on the engine to improve cooling even more since he got his. He went to the factory before committing and was duly impressed. It's a beautiful tidy engine and started up instantly and ran so smooth...
  3. You might want to do that for a Jabiru engine. As I said, the UL runs much cooler and it also has a larger oil sump.
  4. I'm not sure about simplest is best...for example carburetors are simpler than fuel injection, but who wants a car engine these days with the simpler carburetor? Fuel injection properly done is more reliable and it certainly saves fuel. The history of the UL is that they looked hard at the Jabiru and simply improved upon it in a number of areas including the quality of construction from what Max has told me. I have little doubt it is a better and more reliable engine than the Jabiru, but there are some negatives such as what happens if the company folds. On the other side of the equation, perhaps it's just as probable that Jabiru could fold. Gosh, they have quite a few people ticked off because of reputedly poor service and workmanship (in the opinion of some). Who knows? If the Jabiru running much hotter is a concern for you I would seriously consider this engine. If you are still undecided, get on a plane and go to NZ and see for yourself. Actual experience easily trumps theoretical arguments/brochures.
  5. I just returned from two days at the Bantam factory in NZ. Max and Maxine are convinced the UL260i is the Bantam's future over the Jabiru. I have to agree. It uses less fuel than the Jabiru, is slightly quieter, and runs MUCH cooler I flew both. The Jabiru runs hotter than I would have suspected on a relatively cool day partly because even though it's up front in the open on the Bantam, it was designed for an engine compartment enclosure so the air is funneled correctly. In a cross country flight with a Jabiru Bantam, several times we had to cut back on the throttle during extended climb (full fuel and 2 up) because the temps were getting a bit hot. The UL260i also carries a bit more oil, and that helps no doubt. In the summer this is the engine you would appreciate. It was hard to get fuel consumption figures but I recall being told 9 or 10 litres/hr. but at what RPM setting I know not. Once you have seen how well the engine perform a lot of your criticisms begin to go away. No doubt Jabiru has the home field advantage, but the UL260i is simply better from what I saw and what the people who have experience with both believe. It is possible Bantam will become a dealer for the UL engines in the S.Pacific, but this is not a given. Max Clear is a perfectionist as well as being very practical, and he really likes this engine. It does appear to beautifully built, more so even than the Jabiru although I readily admit I'm not an engine guru. All I can say is that I would choose the UL260i over the Jabiru from what I have experienced.
  6. Sorry, I had two thread open at the same time - one on the UL260i and one on the Bantam; hence the info. on Bantam. A bit more on the UL engine - Max at Bantam has done numerous Jabiru installations and is very familiar with both engines and prefers the UL260i. I believe he now has several years flying it. I check into the fuel consumption issue in December.
  7. As I understand it, over 200 engines have been sold, which is quite a lot. Max apparently loves the UL260i, which is getting a foothold in Europe with numerous planes flying. In the Bantam, it appears too make for a nice installation as does the Jabiru. My research has shown that there is considerable doubt amongst people who haven't seen the engine or flown it, which is natural. The adherents are those who have as well as those who have visited the factory. Apparently, the engine is extremely well made. I admit to having no direct knowledge of it, however. I hope to visit the NZ factory in December and possibly will bring a Bantam over to Tasmania next year. While Micro Aviation's NZ website doesn't give much information, there is more on the Micro Aviation SA site. There are several other Bantam videos on YouTube, just search micro aviation SA, and Bantam. IMO, there should be a nice market for Bantams in Australia and it's a bit surprising it never took off here (if you'll forgive the pun) . Or perhaps I should say "yet"...
  8. Apparently it is proving to be excellent according to the Bantam headquarters. As in "faultless". I'm not sure what the real fuel consumption will prove to be...there is data and then there is data...
  9. Lightwing with VGs I don't want to mention names, but I know of one person with a Lightwing who was quite happy with the improved slow speed performance after the VGs were installed. This was the plastic type distributed in Australia and recommendations of where to place them came with the kit.
  10. Hi, I'm curious what your opinion of the UL260i is now if you have had an opportunity to test it further. I don't visit this forum too much, but here is my email: [email protected] Thanks for your input, David
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