UL
The SMA story has been done to death in the RV community, and it does not stack up, and the weight is much more etc. The forward CofG issue is definately an issue, trust me, I have two batteries down the back, and one up the forward CofG is easily found.
As for fuel savings, well they are not much, and the overhaul or repair issue is not good, and the concept of a TC coupling or something effectively giving you a flame out is sub optimal as well. Beats me how they get them in a certified plane.
If you are thinking an RV10, IFR and done properly, please ignore the Vans costs, they are bare bones and under priced (out of date) and not landed in Oz. Your budget needs to be around $220K +/- $30K depending on a lot of variables.
Give me a call.
And yes Jack Ranga can tell you all about his RV10-MRTT aircraft. I think it has drogues and a boom........
