Rotax parts price increases

[Warmi]

 Thats assuming solar panel installations are similar to power plants with nearly 100% availability which they aren’t  - not even close.

I am all for clean energy - I say go nuclear. Clean, reliable and waste storage requirements are much less intrusive to the environment than solar installations.

[Skunkworks85]

17 minutes ago, Warmi said:

 Thats assuming solar panel installations are similar to power plants with nearly 100% availability which they aren’t  - not even close.

I am all for clean energy - I say go nuclear. Clean, reliable and waste storage requirements are much less intrusive to the environment than solar installations.

That report is based off real world installs. Not assuming anything. Appendix B shows the sites they used to determine their data.

[Warmi]

20 minutes ago, Skunkworks85 said:

That report is based off real world installs. Not assuming anything. Appendix B shows the sites they used to determine their data.

But that is still averages right ? How much capacity they will need to make sure that solar is as reliable as power plants without random  peaks and valleys - if they can do that then sure -  ultimately , as a consumer I don’t really care as long quality of service remains the same.

[Skunkworks85]

2 minutes ago, Warmi said:

But that is still averages right ? How much capacity they will need to make sure that solar is as reliable as power plants without random  peaks and valleys - if they can do that then sure -  ultimately , as I consumer I don’t really care as long quality of service remains the same.

Agreed, here is an example of how to achieve this,

https://electrek.co/2018/09/24/tesla-powerpack-battery-australia-cost-revenue/

Additionally, Ideally, This could be achieved by everyone having solar panels on their roofs and a battery pack hanging on their walls. 

[ODowneyEng]

5 hours ago, FlyingMonkey said:

Wouldn't you want some more reliability data first?

At $17,500 for 100hp Air-K-Motor in France, I don’t consider it much of a bargain.

[FlyingMonkey]

1 hour ago, Skunkworks85 said:

Agreed, here is an example of how to achieve this,

https://electrek.co/2018/09/24/tesla-powerpack-battery-australia-cost-revenue/

Additionally, Ideally, This could be achieved by everyone having solar panels on their roofs and a battery pack hanging on their walls. 

You have current data and I don't have my source handy, so I'll defer to your numbers.

Most people don't want to (or can't) financially front the cost of energy generation.  Paying a few hundred a month for power bills is doable, spending tens of thousands to get the solar setup and then ongoing maintenance costs is not doable for most.  And sure you can get it done with tax credits and subsidies, but that's just spending money that doesn't exist by printing it and foisting the cost onto your children (who still have to pay for their own solar homes when they get old enough...), which is a whole different issue...

Where are there just a "spare" 10,000-20,000 square miles (100x100 or 141x141 miles) laying around?  What about the property owners?  If you pick the remotest spot in the desert to maximize sun and minimize impact to land owners, now there are logistical issues of maintaining panels, sun tracking motors, power inverters, etc...plus the cost of running the grid to area where it likely didn't exist before.

I'm with Warmi...much cheaper to build nuclear power plants that take up a few dozen acres instead of 20k square miles, and produce more reliable power.  Modern nuke plants with features to prevent human errors and built in suitable areas are incredibly safe.

 

 

 

[GlennM]

I like the nuclear option,  as well.

What do you do in the middle of winter when it is cold, cloudy, and no wind blows ?

[Jim Meade]

9 hours ago, ODowneyEng said:

At $17,500 for 100hp Air-K-Motor in France, I don’t consider it much of a bargain.

Anything that breaks Rotax' monopoly is worth supporting.

[FlyingMonkey]

9 hours ago, Jim Meade said:

Anything that breaks Rotax' monopoly is worth supporting.

Even if it's not as good?

I like competition and having options, but I'm out to get the best engine (preferably at the best price), not to "stick it to Rotax".  Doing that would seem like potentially cutting off your nose to spite your face.

[Skunkworks85]

10 hours ago, GlennM said:

I like the nuclear option,  as well.

What do you do in the middle of winter when it is cold, cloudy, and no wind blows ?

You freeze to death.  Just ask texas. If only there was a way to store electricity.

[Skunkworks85]

10 minutes ago, FlyingMonkey said:

Even if it's not as good?

I like competition and having options, but I'm out to get the best engine (preferably at the best price), not to "stick it to Rotax".  Doing that would seem like potentially cutting off your nose to spite your face.

I'd think a twin would be an ideal test bed for the Chinese variants. 

[Tom Baker]

35 minutes ago, Skunkworks85 said:

I'd think a twin would be an ideal test bed for the Chinese variants. 

Like they did with the 912iS on the Aircam.

[Jim Meade]

1 hour ago, FlyingMonkey said:

Even if it's not as good?

I like competition and having options, but I'm out to get the best engine (preferably at the best price), not to "stick it to Rotax".  Doing that would seem like potentially cutting off your nose to spite your face.

Who says it's not as good?  I'm after value as I define it, which is very likely not as some others define it.  Anyway, I'm not defending or arguing a position, I'm simply making a flat statement, I'd buy an alternate engine to Rotax.  An engine with a Rotax form factor has obvious advantages.  I'm not trying to persuade you or anyone else.

 

[Roger Lee]

Rotax makes 75% - 80% of the worlds light aircraft engines. Plus the 915 is starting to take a foothold in heavier aircraft  and there may be another surprise in a few years.  

[sandpiper]

Continuing with the thread creep. I've got 12.2 KW worth of solar panels on my roof, 48 panels facing due south. I have never seen them put out more than about 10.4KW when the sun is dead on. Since they are fixed, no tracking motors, their average output is far less. This is at 5 years old. Probably be less every year.

They generally provide all of our yearly power needs such that our monthly  power bills are for the meter only, $10.41. Have considered a battery bank but Tesla would probably insist we use theirs. They say we need three of their units at $21K installed. I think not. A generator would be far cheaper for the few times we have had outages

Unfortunately, or maybe fortunately, we don't own them. They belong to Tesla who gave us a fixed rate for 20 years. Right now that's about 4 cents a Kw less than the power company charges.

[AGLyme]

3 hours ago, Roger Lee said:

Plus the 915 is starting to take a foothold

Would love to see this engine in the F2.  The F4 will probably have it... but would LOVE it in a certified F2 with a gross weight of say 1,550.  Hellova an engine.  

What what this thread about anyway ???  world record thread drift...; )

[GrassStripFlyBoy]

8 minutes ago, AGLyme said:

Would love to see this engine in the F2. 

Are you moving on an F2?  I noticed a certain JW on the market, been waiting for an update - so have to ask what's up?

[AGLyme]

Yup...; )

[GrassStripFlyBoy]

Excellent!  And congrats! 

[Roger Lee]

They aren't done with the 915.  It will get even better.

[Warmi]

916 at 180 hp ?

 

[FlyingMonkey]

22 hours ago, Jim Meade said:

Who says it's not as good?  I'm after value as I define it, which is very likely not as some others define it.  Anyway, I'm not defending or arguing a position, I'm simply making a flat statement, I'd buy an alternate engine to Rotax.  An engine with a Rotax form factor has obvious advantages.  I'm not trying to persuade you or anyone else.

 

Nobody says it's not as good.  But I don't want to be a beta tester where aircraft engines are concerned.

They may be the greatest thing ever, or junk.  My point is we don't know, and I personally would not try to save a grand or two to find out.  If the engines were half the price of a Rotax that would be more interesting (and also maybe concerning), but the cost delta is not large enough to justify considering it, IMO.  YMMV.

[Jim Meade]

I said I'd buy one, you said you wouldn't.  I think both of us have said that several times.  It's your turn.

[FlyingMonkey]

I thought we were having a discussion about when/why we might buy those new Chinese engines.  Apologies for bothering you.

[Madhatter]

I would never buy a rotax 912 from China. I have some knowledge of equipment made cheap in China such as farm equipment. Inferior metals parts poorly fitting,  etc. In a communist country all companies work for the benefit of the state and do not make decisions on a lot of things like who to by raw materials from. They are very good at copying machinery to the point of being indistinguishable from the better quality machinery. Try suing a company in Beijing. I suppose a Chinese 912 would be good for an airboat. I have a lot of respect for the people of China, I have lived with a lot of them, its the government that's the problem.