Originally Posted by
Cows getting bigger
Looking a little further ahead, I believe the 162 should
not automatically take over from the 152. Undoubtedly it will be well built and have a good support network but the figures appear to describe a decidedly average aircraft, doing no more than the 152 and far less than other LSA/VLA. I fervently believe that Cessna have made a mistake shoving a Continental in the front ahead of the Rotax. Maybe they know something about future fuels that the rest of the world doesn't? Either that or there is a Rotax driven 162 hidden in a hangar somewhere.
The prototype 162 did fly with a Rotax originally, then switched at the production prototype stage.
Personally I thought that this was a hugely retrograde step - until I had a frank conversation with somebody senior at Cessna about it. No, I'm not going to reveal details of a private conversation - other than to say that it suddenly made very great sense and in their position I'd have gone with the Continental as well. And I am a very well known Rotax fan.
The LSA and VLA classes also have a very substantial disadvantage to these old FAR-23 ships like the PA28 and C172: in most countries they are limited to day-VFR. That will limit their market very substantially because schools want to be able to do night / IFR / commercial training, which they can't in these. So they are restricted to PPL use and PPL training only. That said, it's well within the ability of companies like Piper and Cessna, as competent manufacturers, to change that. Whether they will, remains to be seen.
G