Originally Posted by
The Ancient Geek
Nonsense - just take a look at how fast a Shadow with a bluetop 582 sells.
There is nowt wrong with 2 strokes, they are more reliable and cheaper to maintain than 4 stroke provided that the owner follows the book on care and feeding them. Ignorant users will find plenty of ways of breaking any engine.
Once upon a time, a talented individual named Richard Noble developed a rather seductive looking aircraft called the ARV Super 2. All metal, high wing, very pleasant to fly. This a/c was excellent for honing your pilot skills - it kept you on the edge of your seat waiting for the engine to stop. All due to an eagerness on the part of the more than wayward Hewland two stroke engine to suddenly become tired and require a rest - at very often the most inconvenient moments.
The ARV was interestingly idiosyncratic. The cockpit was snug and permitted no stowage - not even a clutch of maps/charts. Oil/fuel mix was critical. Plug changes were made at 25 hours. I cut that in half and did mine every 12. In flight terms, I won the lottery. I never experienced an engine stoppage. Others did - quite a number. The inability of the Hewland to do a continuous days work led to much experimentation with alternative engines. The Rotax 912 was the most successful variant.