Supplies for P2008--What to Order for the Plane and Hangar?

[WinP]

Good morning, though the details haven't fully been worked out I hope to take delivery of a new P2008 late Winter/early Spring.  Presumably in my hangar I'll need to have a supply of Decalin and oil.  Where do folks recommend ordering Decalin?  I see Aircraft Spruce carries it ("Decalin Runup Fuel Additive.") Also I read the POH and see that different types of oil are approved depending on operating temps.  What do folks use and where do you order it?

Anything else I would need unique to Tecnam?  I'm a former Cirrus owner and have plenty of cleaning products in my hangar.

What about cowl plugs and a pitot tube cover?  I saw Dave W's new Tecnam in New Jersey and he bought his own cowl plugs leading me to believe the plane doesn't come with them.  Do folks have recommendations for the cowl/pitot?  

I'll want a ground power unit, Grant Opperman has already told me what to get.  

My hangar has a slight uphill grade to get the plane back in.  I have an electric tug I used for my Cirrus.  Do folks use any sort of power assist to move their planes in/out of the hangar or is it light enough to push?  I realize that there may not be a "one size fits all" answer to this question.  I'm assuming I can adapt my tug to the P2008 though that may not be correct.  I can also sell it fairly readily. 

Finally how about engine pre-heating.  I own an Aerotherm Deuce, which basically is a warm air blower that hangs off the prop and blows air into both cowl inlets through duct hoses.  I think the hoses are too big to fit into the Tecnam cowl openings.  Is there a need for pre-heating the Rotax engine and if so how do folks do it?  Is blowing warm air into the cowl just before a flight sufficient? I could use the Aerotherm for that or sell it.   I'm in the Washington DC area FYI.  

What else? 

Nothing I need to do right away but with supply chain issues I do want to plan ahead and order early.


Thanks.  

[Cluemeister]

I used the plugs from Bruce's covers. They worked great.

For engine heating, I've been VERY happy with the Twin Hornet.

Remember to get the Cessna power connector for your ground power unit.

I used the Bogarts tow bar, and had no issues. Pull the plane out by the prop hub (no tow bar), and then push the plane back into the hangar with one hand on the prop hub and the other steering with the tow bar.

I only use Aeroshell.

Lockwood is my first point of looking, and then the others, such as Aircraft Spruce.

YMMV

[FormerCirrus]

More freshly laundered microfiber cloths than you think you'll need. You can never have enough perfectly clean ones on hand.

Plexus or your favorite window cleaner.

Several empty quart bottles (Gatorade bottles work well) filled with tap water. Here's why. When you clean the P2008's extremely soft windows with Plexus and microfiber, you'll first want to rinse off the windows with water and your bare hand. I even take my wedding ring off, so as not to scratch the window.

The reason for the water rinse is to remove any fine grit, bird droppings, etc., before you apply Plexus and microfiber. Going straight to Plexus and microfiber, you might inadvertently grind the dust, bird droppings, etc., into the window.

The water rinse is a bit of a bother. So is carrying 3-4 clean microfiber rags to do the job instead of a single one tucked into your pocket. But all better than scratching your windows.

[WinP]

As to oil I pulled the following off the Lockwood site. I can't imagine I'd use mogas 100% of the time, likely a mix. So I guess I'd have to use the petroleum based oil or maybe the Aeroshell semi-synthetic.

What Oil should I run in my Rotax 4-stroke engine?
The oil that you want to use depends, to some extent, on what fuel you are using. If you are running exclusively automotive fuel, you can use a synthetic oil and go 100 hours between oil and filter changes. If you are running 100LL some or all of the time, you will want to change the oil you run based upon the 100LL use. Synthetic oil does not do a good job of suspending the lead and getting it from the engine to the oil tank.
If you are running automotive fuel most of the time, and go on a cross country, 3 or 4 times a year, that is long enough that you need to top off with 100LL to get home, you needn’t worry about changing the oil you use just for that. If you are running 100LL 30% of the time or more, Service Instruction SI 912-016 stipulates that you drop your oil and filter change interval to 50 hours. It would also be wise to change to an oil that is at least partially petroleum based.
If you are running Avgas 50% of the time or more, the same service instruction recommends that you drop your oil change interval to 25 hours. At that point you may want to go to an entirely petroleum based oil just because of the cost factor.
The oils that we recommend the most for those three categories are Mobil 1 Racing 4T (fully synthetic), AeroShell Sport Plus 4 (semi-synthetic), and Pennzoil Motorcycle Oil (a petroleum based oil).
SI 912-016 lists the requirements for oil quality, and also has some specific recommendations for oil brands and products. In all cases, and in all conditions we recommend that you stick with a motorcycle oil. Motorcycle oils are formulated for use in engines that have an integral gearbox and wet clutch – and that’s exactly what you’ve got in your Rotax. The only exception to that is AeroShell Sport Plus 4.
Sport Plus 4 was developed in an effort by both Rotax and Shell to produce an oil whose formulation was stable and well suited for the Rotax 4-stroke aircraft engines. It is, by the way, the only AeroShell product that is suitable for these engines. Do not use any other AeroShell product in your Rotax. The others are all intended for traditional aircraft engine types and will not treat your Rotax well.

[cole505]

Hi WinP,

On the oil, and this comes from Mark Gregor’s team at Wells Aviation for the Rotax 914 Turbo Mobil 4T Racing oil ONLY if your using Mogas 70% of the time. Cost is $11.00 a quart and you can buy it at Walmart or any Auto parts store.The main reason is for the Turbo, the natural based oils may coke up due to the high operating temperature of the Turbo Charger. Other wise like the other posts aeroshell sport 4 and of course Rotax oil filters. A good step ladder, I like the one they sell at Costco $20.00. I also recommend Bruce covers………. I have one I take on all X-country’s and the cowl cover. A small tool kit containing tie downs, screw ( Allen & flat combo ) driver, spare quart of oil rags, X-hat, duct tap, flashlight, Metric Crescent wrench Lolololol, panel screws, electrical tape, cleaner, pocket knife. All this will fit in a small plastic container with lid behind the passenger seat.

BOGART jack adapter for lifting the mains & 1.5 ton bottle jack.  Small eyelet in the hanger floor one tie down for pulling the tail down to service the nose wheel……

Ray & Lucy 😊✅👍🏻🇺🇸✈️

[unclefish]

Lockwoods puts on a Rotax engine course. Best money spent you will come out of there with a ton of knowledge. And also know how to take care of your engine. Hotel right down the street. I ended up driving there cause weather was bad to fly in . Rental car place will leave a car at fbo also if you choose to fly in.

[Flocker]

Aeroshell Sport Plus 4 as recommended by Rotax. Ask anyone that took the course.

[WinP]

Sounds like the engine course is a good thing, though I'm a political science major..... I see there's one at the end of February. If Omicron has abated by then it could be a good opportunity to attend that and combine with Spring Training! If not then later in the year.

[Jack C.]

I highly recommend taking the Lockwood course (http://training.lockwood.aero/). My wife (a budding pilot, but not a mechanic) and I took the 5-day course in 2020, and we both learned a lot about the Rotax and how to treat it. Much discussion on oil and filter selections for the Rotax. The training also came in handy when when we experienced a failure of the Rotax Regulator/Rectifier (P/N 965-349) while on a cross-country trip to Sebring last year. Note that this was a bit of a harrowing experience as the battery quickly drains from the combined electronics/engine loading as the engine does not use magnetos. Without the regulator, you will be stuck at whatever little airport you land at while the part is ordered and installed.

Based on this experience, and after I talking with the Rotax folks at Lockwood (e.g., Dean Vogel), I now carry a spare regulator (just in case). It's under $150 and includes the connector body/pins (https://lockwood.aero/rectifier-regulator.html).

I also carry a quart of oil (AeroShell Sport Plus 4 per Rotax recommedations), a Rotax Oil filter (not the Tempest Oil Filter AA825706 for reasons explained in the Lockwood course), and necessary copper crush washers.

[WinP]

Well...."late Winter/early Spring" looks more like "late Summer/early Fall."  Hoping for the plane in September.  Such is the way of the world these days.  Stay tuned.