Van’s RV-9: New Rotax Power

Lockwood Aero’s Rotax 916iS firewall-forward package pushes the RV-9 to 190 knots.

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How do you inject a healthy level of speed, simplicity, and efficiency into an already efficient airframe? Lockwood Aero’s Rotax 916iS firewall-forward package. With a redesigned cowling, a new cooling system, an MT three-blade constant-speed composite propeller, and an optimized center of gravity that allows full utilization of the RV-9’s 100-pound baggage area while remaining within loading limits, the 916iS-powered RV-9 delivers impressive performance. At 19,000′, it cruises at 190 knots true on 8.5 gph, while at 8500 feet, it achieves 170 knots true.

For this video, KITPLANES contributor Larry Anglisano visited Lockwood’s Sebring, Florida, facility to take a closer look at the project, which is expected to be available this spring.

3 COMMENTS

  1. Do we assume that this significant power/performance boost has been evaluated by the Vans for flutter and vibrations??? Flutter and vibrations are typically related to TRUE airspeed… NOT indicated airspeed..

    • Kitplanes wrote in another article about the Lockwood FWF kit that Van’s was about to approve a 200KTAS vNE for the 9A, not sure what happened to that.

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