www.PSFmagazine.com | September-October 2019 | 19 18 | September-October 2019 | Powered Sport Flying AirVenture 2019 Oshkosh 2019 The weeklong celebration of flight known around the planet as ‘Oshkosh’ is now history. Although eaa was challenged by inclement weather before the show and as it opened, the weather gods smiled on the event and provided a wonderful week with all the action you can imagine. eaa announced attendance numbers identifying solid growth over last year, to 642,000 attendees*. That’s a ways from the 800,000 back a couple decades but is solid growth from recent years. Especially as eaa had to work hard to overcome weather issues before the event, the organization is to be commended for handling a huge number of details with professionalism. The week of Oshkosh brought outstanding weather and only brief periods of rain. Those of us from hot states enjoyed the mild temperatures and beautiful cloud-dappled blue skies. So, after getting back in the saddle after an intense week, here are a few stories of interest. One point about the logo for the story. The logo was seen in many locations and was widely misinterpreted by those who thought eaa was celebrating 50 years of the event. Wrong. The signage was celebrating that the event has been in Oshkosh, Wisconsin for 50 years but the event itself is now 67 years old. The number 642,000 introduces different counting methods. I understand this number to mean the number of people passing through the gates; however, one person entering for several days is counted each day. Taken to task a few years ago, Sun ‘n Fun now reportedly counts discreet individuals so the Florida show seems to have smaller numbers. Oshkosh is clearly a good deal larger but not as much as their reported numbers make it appear. Either counting method can be defended but this is comparing apples to oranges. And whatever the numbers, our glimpses of Oshkosh while zipping around doing videos and gathering story material strongly suggested great attendance in 2019. Rotax Meets a Need with 915iS True to form as you might expect, Rotax followed through on a question I asked 15 months back. As reported in my review of the 915iS and 912iS, the company’s top man strongly hinted at a fixed pitch version of this engine. Thomas Uhr has since moved up higher in the organization but at a journalist event last year, he answered a question about fixed pitch on the 915 engine. He did not then answer directly but said, “Every engine that Rotax has produced has been able to use a fixed pitch prop. Take from that statement what you will.” by Dan Johnson Sure enough, the new powerful engine from the Austrian company will be available for use with fixed or ground adjustable propellers by fall of this year. Good on Rotax and the well-spoken Mr. Uhr. Some countries allow constant speed or in-flight adjustable props but not the usa. faa specified no in-flight adjustment in the current regulation. We believe this will change with the new regulations being crafted, but that could be some years in the future. Until then, only fixed pitch can be used on American Light Sport Aircraft. Rotax is enjoying good success with the 915iS fuel injected, turbocharged, intercooler power plant. More than 400 engines are now flying on aircraft and the number of airframe producers using the new engine continues to grow. The 915iS is also an important engine for the larger, up to four seat, aircraft to come in the lsa world as well as on kit-built aircraft and some models preparing for approval under the new version of Part 23 certification (that will use industry consensus standards modeled significantly after the lsa set of standards). High from Low (wings, that is) Two leading companies exclusively using low wings will be introducing high wing models in the near future. One is a trade secret for now, but another was announced at Oshkosh. What’s interesting here is that both companies have exclusively made low wing models in various configurations. Neither has made a high wing. One of these is also planning to use the new, powerful Rotax 915iS engine for their new design (although both producers are using that power plant in one of their low wing models). The one I can talk about is South Africa’s The Airplane Factory Sling TSi HighWing. What’s interesting is that this entry offers more seats and more capabilities. For the immediate future, Sling TSi HighWing will have to be built as a kit, but as I have reported, faa will allow four-seaters as basic Light Sport Aircraft. Again, someday perhaps in the future… Once again, taf founder Mike Blythe is ahead of the game. He was the first producer I personally observed getting excited about what he could do with the 141-horsepower Rotax 915iS. Barely a couple years after I saw his mind working, he not only built the low wing Sling TSi but the new model promptly flew around the world, literally. I expect to see a plan for the high wing TSi to also make the globe-girdling flight. Magni Gyro has fit the 915 to models designated with “Plus.”
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