FlyingMonkey

Sure don't get me wrong, I like the Jabiru, I was planning to put one on the Sonex I was building. They just have had a fussy history with some teething pains.

My friend determined it was run out at 1000hrs, not just in need of a top. This was an early 3300, I'm sure the newer ones are better.

That's a fact. I'm guessing China's quality is coming up while the West's quality is declining. At some point it will all meet in the middle. I have a buddy who just bought a new latest-rev Jabiru 3300, his previous one was very reliable and he was a sticker on maintenance, but it still only lasted 1000hrs. That's not much time on a $20k engine.

Really? Wow! Turbos add a lot of heat and stress to an engine. I guess the good news is they have a 500hr warranty.

If it's just an engineering copy of dimensions and specs, I don't think there is any legal liability. I think the problem arises where there are patents. The Rotax engine is pretty conventional, I don't know how many patents are involved. Even if the engine is not as good as a Rotax, I think it will find a home among E-AB builders and some value-priced factory aircraft. Since it's ASTM compliant it can be used in S-LSA. If enough of them get used it will provide competition and downward price pressure on Rotax, which can only benefit us. I hope they succeed. I wouldn't use one for an engine swap right now, but in 5 years if they have a good track record and a lot of flight hours on them... Who knows? Remember Rotax was once looked down on by all the Ly/Con owners as "snowmobile engines" ( I still hear that!)...and now 80% of new aircraft engines sold are Rotax.

Why is that?

Drop in 912 ULS clone from China with a lower price and better warranty than Rotax. According to the Website it's about ~$15k.

Do you have some pictures or other information on where you placed the VGs to get the most benefit? EDIT: Never mind! I see the pics in the opening post. Thanks!

Yeah, it's to put tension on the seat back to hold it away from the rear bulkhead. You can get cracks in the seat or the bulkhead if the seatback rests against the bulkhead with the pilot's weight on it.

Beautiful, thanks!

Good idea. You could also use a rubber washer under a metal one to help seal the hole.

I second this idea, especially if there are already holes drilled in the composite for the antenna, since your plate can use those same holes. Trying to get a super flush appearance will probably require some expensive composite work. You could put the plate on the inside and then fill with some kind of resin or body filler, sand flush, and paint, but I'm guessing over time that might crack, discolor, or otherwise not look great. Also using Darrell's suggestion, you still have the antenna mounting location under the plate in case you need to mount something later. Depending on the exact location it might also make a nice hard point for a GoPro. Finally, if the hole is small enough you can just use Bowlus tape. I had my OAT sensor relocated from the underside of the fuselage to the correct position under the wing, which left about a 1/2" hole on the underside of my airplane. The mechanic slapped some Bowlus tape over it and called it good. I check it and replace the tape every couple of years, but otherwise it's been fine. But this isn't in a conspicuous location.

The switches should have come with your airplane. If they got lost along the way, maybe reach out to the Gutmans at Airtime? If that fails maybe there's a CT owner in your region you could meet up with and borrow the switches. I don't know though, having -12 instead of -6 on the flap panel has to be good for a few knots of speed!

Agreed. Couple this with lack of ongoing parts and support as airplanes age out, and I think if they want to stay legal *all* S-LSA eventually will become E-LSA. At some point new or even serviceable CT (or any S-LSA type) parts will be impossible to find, and if the manufacturer changes or goes away there might be nobody to issue LOAs for any changes, alternate parts, or methods. At that point it's E-LSA or the junkyard.

It's got Beringer wheels and brakes...that's probably half of that.