Deliveries have begun of the single-engine Tecnam P2008 using the new 100-horsepower fuel-injected Rotax 912 iS engine. The computer-controlled engine operates lean of peak to burn four gallons per hour at higher altitudes (5,000 feet msl and higher), a claimed 20-percent reduction in fuel burn.
The port-injected engine weighs 140 pounds, or about 10 to 15 pounds more than the carbureted 912S and ULS models. Still, it is claimed to be the lightest fuel-injected engine in the industry. The engine costs between $4,000 and $5,000 more than the carbureted 100-hp 912S.
The first two deliveries went to Colombia, South America, and the United States. The engine was first announced this year in Austria, and re-announced at Sun ‘n Fun in Lakeland, Fla.
A computer adjusts the fuel-air mixture with changes in altitude. The injection control technology was developed by Rockwell Collins.