Major weaknesses addressed

[fly_tornado]

Cessna still have about 100 unsold 162s when the CEO announced that the 162 was dead, they aren't selling because they can't carry 2 yanks and a tank of juice due to the use of a american engine instead of a Rotax like every other LSA. That killed the flight training market for them.

 

The 162 was never going to succeed, it was late to market, blew its budget and to top it off was made in China.

 

Made in China is an issue when most of your customers are casual racists, as Jabiru are finding out now. Cessna just can't compete anymore.

 

 

[Dafydd Llewellyn]

The principle of equalising forces (in this case sideloads ) on the cylinders has been around for ages. It used to be done by offsetting the cylinder axis ( called De Saxxe principle). This is not practical in a horizontally disposed cylinders where some (if not all) of the cylinder hold down studs are common with the main bearing alignment.It's come and gone and then returned again, but regardless it is a small issue in the big scheme of things.

The offset piston gudgeon pin centre is there to TILT the piston as there is more Area on one side of the piston than the other. ( Consider it wanting to rotate around the gudgeon axis).

 

Short connecting rods are a bigger factor than what we are talking about here. They are more likely to be employed to make the engine width less. than for torque increase reasons. Side load is inevitable when power is delivered and as the piston travels about TDC it transfers from one side to the other. Piston rock is a cause of barrel facing of rings which makes them seal less effectively. Nev

You're right about short connecting rods. It's a common factor in all horizontally-opposed engines of my experience; the designers ALL push the ratio of crankpin radius to conrod length as far as they dare, because it has a substantial effect on engine mass. People have come to assume that aero engines MUST be horizontally opposed, blind to this aspect. This is certainly not peculiar to the Jabiru engines. It's a case of compromise, again - all design is compromise. The flat layout minimises the secondary inertial unbalance, but at the cost of higher piston side loads.

 

 

[Wilberfoce]

Interesting, Oscar. Before finally fitting a Jab 2.2 I was hung up on the fear of glazing the bores. The little Jodel D-9 was first flown with 27 hp and most have a VW putting out 40-60 hp, so I was expecting to be cruising at about 2300 rpm.We're told that's a bad rev band for a Jab, so mine gets 2800. I have forgotten about glazing. So far so good.

I am interested in a Jodel D9.My dear departed dad used to take me flying in his Jodel D120 in the UK.To buy one is a first preference .I am also considering building one although all my skills are in metalworking I think a wood project would be good thereapy after a lifetime with metal.

 

Any info at all would be appreciated.

 

Kind regards

 

John

 

 

[bexrbetter]

The 162 was never going to succeed, it was late to market, blew its budget and to top it off was made in China.

Made in China is an issue when most of your customers are casual racists, as Jabiru are finding out now. Cessna just can't compete anymore.

Interesting observation but plenty of people buy stuff knowingly of Chinese origin - but when it's half the price, not when it's more expensive than a lot of the competition!

 

 

[Old Koreelah]

I am interested in a Jodel D9.My dear departed dad used to take me flying in his Jodel D120 in the UK.To buy one is a first preference .I am also considering building one although all my skills are in metalworking I think a wood project would be good thereapy after a lifetime with metal.Any info at all would be appreciated.

Kind regards

 

John

Good to hear from such a discerning person, John!

The Jodels are particularly impressive aircraft, and after seven decades their performance compares well to more recent designs. Most people on the Jodel forum (https://m.mg.mail.yahoo.com/hg/?.rand=322599045&cleolblock=1) suggest that people build the newer D18 design rather than a D9. Two seats and not a lot heavier.

 

There are often semi-finished projects or even whole aircraft for sale. For many years a nice Druine Turbulent was for sale at Cessnock. The fuselage is very similar to a D9, but it lacks the wonderful Jodel wing. It may still be there.

 

 

[fly_tornado]

Interesting observation but plenty of people buy stuff knowingly of Chinese origin - but when it's half the price, not when it's more expensive than a lot of the competition!

You weren't aware that the US takes racism to whole new level compared to Australia?

 

 

[bexrbetter]

You weren't aware that the US takes racism to whole new level compared to Australia?

The total imports of Chinese goods to the USA in 2013 was $440,447,700,000 USD.

 

Had the 162 stayed under $100K as was proffered initially, I think we would be seeing a whole different scenerio today.

 

 

[rankamateur]

The total imports of Chinese goods to the USA in 2013 was $440,447,700,000 USD.

I wonder how much of that it took to stock Walmart.

 

 

[fly_tornado]

Price was part of the problem, putting an American engine on the front of the 162 because they knew the market wouldn't pay a premium for an inferior chinese/rotax plane was a mistake.

 

 

[bexrbetter]

for an inferior chinese plane was a mistake.

Do you have evidence to support the claim that the plane was "inferior" because it was made in China or do you generally hold a bigotry towards Chinese made products? - oh and that's "Chinese" with a high case 'C' just like you used a high case 'A' for "American".

 

 

[fly_tornado]

The 162 it was an inferior design compared to what was on the market, being made in china only gave the good old boys another reason not to want to buy it. Most Chinese stuff is OK but you can't go past the European manufacturers of LSAs for build quality. If Cessna had done enough market testing they never would have done the 162.