Wanted to relate something I heard from the factory regarding the Sling 4. They recently changed the propeller blades from Warp Drive to Whirlwind (same Airmaster hub) and are seeing a very good performance increase:
140kts TAS (True Airspeed) (~125kts IAS (Indicated Airspeed)) @ 7000 ft. at 75% power, burning 22 liters/hr (5.8 gallons/hr). I expect to get closer to 5 gal/hr with the fuel injection system, so, converting 140kts gives us 161mph and then dividing by 5gph gives us 32mpg! Nice!
Since the Rotax can use premium auto fuel, if we assume $3/gal that works out to ~$15/hr in fuel. Even better!!
Hi Craig. I've been interested in the Sling 4 also, and now with the
ReplyDeleteRotax 915iS with 135 HP being available it's even more attractive. But I came across this... and thought you may find it an interesting and relevant read. Especially since the Sling 4 has a VNE of 135 knots. Hopefully I've cut & pasted the link properly.
http://vansaircraft.com/pdf/hp_limts.pdf
Good article. I'm sticking with the 914, so I should be fine with keeping well clear of Vne.
DeleteThe factory is making structural changes to the airframe to allow for a higher Vne on the 915-powered version of the Sling 4.