Van's Aircraft has apparently coordinated with Rotax to achieve approval for use of the Silent Hektik F4122 voltage regulator as an upgrade item. Van's now sells a kit which requires a NACA cowl vent to be installed along with the new voltage regulator for $495.00.
The Silent Hektik (German) website is a little difficult to interpret but what I find is an absolute requirement to make sure that aircraft mounted voltage regulators not be located in the cockpit. If they go bad during flight there is a possibility of toxic fumes (very bad smoky stuff) being released. Overheating of the vr is a possibility, but not totally predictable. After all, they must get hot just to perform the role.
Silent also makes clear that the vr must be placed in the wind stream for normal cooling and they only recommend one brand of electrical connectors as being adequate for their unit.
The Silent website also has some comments concerning grounding of the vr with a reference to a "mistake" (not sure I believe that) in the Rotax installation manual.
I am asking for experienced RV-12 owners/operators to comment on any new information or experiences with this semi-conundrum and also I'm hoping for a professional Rotax person to chime in here.
As noted in another prior post here, these RV-12's with voltage regulator failures are adding up. My airplane built in 2017 is doing well but my buddies are having vr failures as well as carrying spare parts everywhere they go.
My vr is in the cockpit close to the passenger air vent but summertime heat in Texas is brutal.
So far, I only know of one way to obtain the F4122 and that is by getting a kit from Van's. Any suggestions?
