Pilot – June 2018

36 | Pilot June 2018 | pilotweb.aero

of a snowmobile or wetbike, it

doesn’t hurt if the salesman can

point out that “we also make

aircraft engines”.

Wandering around the

factory was very interesting−

the production line is modern,

slick and efficient, and on

the occasions when there is

some sort of issue on the line

it is immediately apparent to

everyone, as the theme from

Mission Impossible is played over

the PA! A humorous moment

occurred when, having been told

that the technicians working

on the production line all use

dedicated ‘smart’ tools (i.e. the

torque settings etc are all pre-

programmed) one of the workers

laid down one of these devices−a

thing that wouldn’t have looked

out of place in an operating

theatre−and administered the

assembly he was working on a

couple of hearty whacks with a

medium-sized hammer. “Was it a

smart hammer,” I asked. Answer

came there none.

One facet of the factory that

I found particularly fascinating

was the nitriding process which

hardens some components. The

Tech Log: Rotax 915iS

THIS PAGE, TOP TO BOTTOM: on display in

the factory: crankshaft forging;

cleaned up and partly machined

crankshafts; and stock of finished

crankshafts, ready for engine build