Melbourne, Florida-based Liberty Aerospace has selected the 100-horsepower Rotax 912S air- and liquid-cooled engine as an alternative to the Teledyne Continental IOF-240-B. Liberty president and CEO Keith Markley says the new engine option is a response to international demands from customers in Southeast Asia, where aviation fuel can reach prices as high as $20 per gallon. The 912S prefers automotive fuel, though it will also burn avgas.
“One of the biggest problems we had with the Rotax was the TBO,” Markley says, referring to previous considerations of selecting the engine during the initial certification of the XL2. The TBO for the certified 912S was recently increased from 1,500 to 2,000 hours.
