Is Your Engine Missing?
I read every issue with extreme interest, but this year’s edition of the engine buyer’s guide did not contain any info on the UL Power UL260i out of Belgium. I first saw an article about it in KITPLANES® several years ago, and if I remember last year’s engine guide, there was a small blurb saying that the company did not respond to your requests for info.
Since the engine is a turn-key, fuel- injected, 95-horsepower air-cooled engine with no PSRU, it seems to be a natural for LSA aircraft. A check of the company’s web site (www.ulpower.com) does not show any updates since I last checked it eight months ago. Is the company still in business and is the engine in production, or was it an inadvertent omission on your part?
Fred Bierman
Fred: As happened the year before, we attempted to contact UL Power for an update on the engine’s specifications, price and availability. Despite our best efforts, we received no response. In that case, it’s our policy to omit the design.—Ed.
Waving the Rag
I have covered and recovered many airplanes. I have used Grade A, Ceconite and PolyFiber. All of these projects I then painted. When you spray the sharp edges, you leave overspray on the flat, easy-to-paint parts. These are the parts people will see. If you paint the edges first, and then the flat parts, the paint dissolves the overspray and you don’t see it. Also there will be no overspray on the sharp edges. However, if you do it the opposite way, you will end up with overspray on the flat parts that you and everybody else will see. I really enjoy your rag. It always contains good stuff.
Geoffrey Geisz
The Belt and Suspenders Approach
Regarding Marc Cook’s article, “Loran and GPS Take Over,” in the March 2009 issue: Marc mentioned that Garmin had, in the past, produced a Loran/GPS combo unit. With the government developing the new e-Loran (extended Loran) to replace VORs and as a backup for GPS, can Garmin and others be far behind in planning combo units in the near future? It just proves the adage, “What’s old is new again.”
Bill Shaw
You have something there, Bill. Few pilots relying primarily on GPS—happily, of course, and with great accuracy—are completely comfortable with this single-point navigation system. That’s why the VOR/ILS receiver is still so common. As for Garmin’s future product including e-Loran—well, the company reps just aren’t talking.—Ed.
Everlasting Cessna
To heck with these new shiny planes. I want to see a picture of that Cessna the Labodas had painted 210 years ago. (February issue, Page 69, top of the third column.)
Marion Evans
The passage was he “…painted our Cessna 210 years ago.” Every set of eyes that crossed the pixels and pages before that issue went out linked Cessna and 210 as intended.—Ed.
Avionics Feedback
It was good to see Stein’s continuing series on avionics in the March issue of KITPLANES®. However, his two references to the upcoming graphical display for the Grand Rapids EIS appear to be in error. After reading that graphical display was in current production, I called Sandy Bacon at GRT to check it out. She told me that the graphical display would not be available “until the end of the year.” When I asked about price, she said, “Even Todd [Stehouwer, partner in GRT] doesn’t know the answer to that question.”
Dee Whittington
I really appreciate Mr. Bruch’s articles, especially considering today’s rapidly evolving avionics offerings. However, I believe that this time he has misrepresented the functionality of one of the devices he discussed, namely the MGL Avionics E3 device. The manual clearly states that the device can measure and display up to four thermocouple sensors, plus rpm, plus oil temperature, plus oil pressure simultaneously. That is seven values at once and not “four inputs plus rpm.” Furthermore, the chart lists various functions for the E3 (and E1) line that are not right. The chart would have been more correct if the model was listed as Infinity Singles instead of E3. MGL offers a uniquely inexpensive and capable engine monitor with the E3 and the E1, and I think your readers, if they are as frugal as I am, would like to know this.
Jose Alvary
Stein Bruch responds: “When I read the installation manual I thought the rpm was interchangeable with the other two sensors mentioned, not in addition to it, which indeed makes it seven. There are so many different items out of MGL that it’s almost impossible to keep them sorted!” That’s his excuse, and he’s sticking to it.—Ed.
Engine Monitoring Oops
In our March-issue engine monitoring feature, we mistakenly listed the JP Instruments EDM-900 as not having a lean-find function in our equipment table. That is incorrect; the unit does have a lean find mode. We regret the error.—Ed.
