| Sometimes
it's the little details that make a product superior. Unfortunately so
many people shopping for a trike don't really even know what questions
to ask ... The Revo looks the part of the ultimate trike
to the average person, but what makes the Revo truly better? Below is an extensive list of many important points to be considered.
Here
is a list of features and explanation of how and why the Revo is better.
Safety:
- The Revo has been
engineered, tested to ASTM design standard compliance and all components
are of the highest quality.
- Because
of the moto-cross front fork design, in the event of a hard landing
the front end is likely not to fold up which is the leading cause of
"balling up a trike"
- With
the optional carbon fiber construction, the body of the Revo actually
becomes a protective shield around the pilot's legs.
- Due
to the higher wing loading (smaller wing) the Revo is actually easier
to fly and more importantly less effected by the wind both in the air,
and on the ground. This makes it safer in the event a pilot encounters
adverse weather while flying.
- Because the Reflex
wings have short wing struts, they are stronger under negative loads.
- The Revo uses Real
Certified Aircraft seat belts with recoil shoulder harness. Since the
Revo is a real aircraft, we felt automotive seat belts were not appropriate.
- The engine kill
is part of the keyed ignition on the Revo, and just like a certified
aircraft when the key is turned clockwise the Revo starts, and when
turned counter-clockwise the engine shuts down. Multiple serious accidents
have derived from a "run-away" trike that was started with
one of the throttle controls open. These trikes remained running long
enough to, in some cases, allow the trike to take off unintentionally.
The reason these trikes were not shut down more rapidly is that the
mags (engine kill) were in a different location than the key or push-button
to start the trike. In some cases the mags are located to the side of
the pilot and start button located on the instrument panel making the
reaction time too long in a real emergency. It is a natural reaction
to turn the key the other way if the aircraft starts up with wide open
throttle. With the Revo that intuitive reaction will stop the engine
instantly.
- Largely criticized
by some that the Revo is "Over built" and should be more minimal.
Our take on that is because the Revo's efficiency, ultra light handling,
and 1040 pound gross weight the wing is designed for, the extra 25 pounds
that we could have shaved off to save weight have been left on for added
longevity and strength. We find that many trikes are wearing out after
less than a decade of heavy use. We wanted to make a trike for life,
just like Cessna. We expect our Revos will still be flying in 30 years
with proper maintenance. As a result many of the ASTM strength requirements
have been far exceeded.
Warranty:
- 5 year unlimited
warranty on the main frame
- 1 year full warranty
on everything manufactured by Evolution trikes (wing, body, exhaust,
wiring, radiators, brakes etc.)
- Full Rotax Warranty
from Rotax on the motor
- Full 3-year warranty
from MGL on the EFIS
- Technical support
via e-mail or phone, 7 days a week with fastest response times in the
industry.
- We offer same day
shipping on most common replacement parts and stock an inventory of
parts
- In house powder
coating usually allows next day shipping on special color parts.
Construction:
- Fully welded 4130
chromoly frame with safety cables inside (not bolt together aluminum)
- All welded components
are heat treated for stress relief in computerized ovens
- Special heavy duty
leading edges in the wing, 30% stronger than others
- First
in the industry to use a 1/2" Jesus bolt (not a little 3/8"
or 10 mm) which connects the wing to the carriage
- All AN certified
aircraft hardware on both the wing and the carriage itself. No metric
un-certified bolts so getting aircraft grade hardware is simpler
- 3/4" hardened
4130 aircraft grade steel axles (not 5/8" steel)
- Heavy
duty 3 piece spun aluminum wheels (not light duty 1 piece)
- Optional
carbon fiber body. 50% lighter and several times stronger than fiberglass
- Over
20 CNC machine cut, billet aluminum parts to construct the remainder
of the components on the frame.
- Both the frame and
the front steering forks have large ball bearings in them which means
no wear on anything other than a replaceable bearing and extremely free
moving steering with no slop.
- Triple tree design
used widely from dirt bikes to Harley Davidson motorcycles make up the
front forks of the Revo. There is a reason nearly all motorcycles use
this simple, strong, refined, design.
- The
junction that attaches the mast or pylon to the solid Revo frame is
a large robust CNC structure. This structure starts out it's life as
a 22 pound chunk of T6 aluminum and gets machined down to just over
5 pounds. It uses a large 1/2" bolt to secure the bottom where
it pivots for lowering the wing and then uses a fully adjustable cam
lock at the top to securely anchor the mast to the frame as if it were
one piece. This is a very strong, slop free connection giving the benefit
of making the mast feel as if it were part of the one piece Revo frame.
- Electrical. The
Revo leads the trike industry in electrical wiring, using real Tefzel
wire (aircraft wire) and things usually only found on certified aircraft
like the keyed ignition containing the mags, a ground seeking master
solenoid, and circuit breakers for all components.
- Stainless
321 heavy wall dual exhaust with quad chambers. This system is quiet
with a deep throaty sound. Being stainless (instead of steel which can
rust) it will look great for a long time.
- Optional
Sensenich 2-blade propeller is a "real prop" it is rated for
up to 160 HP and uses a CNC hub that allows the pitch to adjusted by
simply turning one of the blades and watching the dial on the hub display
the pitch. This uses drive lugs instead of relying on the bolts to take
the sheer and uses the large bolt pattern for maximum strength. No safety
wire needed with special Nord-loc washers
and hardware. Carbon fiber composite blade construction with inlayed
nickel lading edges make this prop extremely durable. 2 blades allow
the wing to be folded free and clear of the propeller when in the sideways
position, and also allow the prop blades to "hide" in the
slip stream of the trike while gliding with the engine off and the prop
in the up-down position.
Performance:
- Our trike uses a
unique 1.95 degree offset thrust line which makes our trike climb out
and track straight at even wide open throttle. Other 912 series trikes
fly with their right wing dropped to compensate for the nose yawing
to the left. The carriage leans to the right also as power is added.
Besides the obvious inefficiency, many passengers report feeling like
they are going to fall out the right side of the trike.
- Our 912S Revo with
the Reflex 11 wing typically climbs at 1400 FPM 1 up and 1000 FPM 2
up.
- Our carriage was
designed to become more stable in yaw the faster it travels. Some carriages
do the opposite and need to be limited to slower wings. Due to our angled
wheel spats, they are effective 100% of the time in flight. Where as
straight wheel spats only become effective when the trike is no longer
tracking straight, our wheel pants are working while the trike is tracking
straight.
- All
wheel hydraulic disc brakes. while others use only a nose wheel brake
or optional rear wheel brakes, the Revo is Equipped with the high quality
aircraft braking system on every wheel.
- Suspension.
The Revo has the most suspension of any trike on the market today. While
other trikes taxi around with their suspension sprung out at the top
of it's travel, the Revo floats within it's huge suspension range like
a moto-cross bike. Having 3 stage dampening in it's telescopic front
forks that have over 3" of travel, making it glide over fairly
rough terrain. The rear suspension has over 8" of travel and uses
the same technology as most fixed gear airplanes like Cessna which is
a tried and proven spring leaf gear.
- Optional
in flight electric trim allows the Revo over a 45 MPH hands off speed
range with an additional 20 MPH with light force on the bar beyond the
max trim settings. While other brands have adopted using cables on top
of the wing which is about as state of the art as the steam engine,
other new modern topless designs have gone to bungee cords and cranks
which spring the control bar forward to achieve slow flight. The bungee
cord is stretching and pulling whenever the pilot pulls the bar in.
The Revo uses a sliding hang block assembly actuated by an electric
linear actuator, which trims the wing exactly the same as all of the
above systems do supplementary from the ground. By moving the hang point
the wing is flying in its different trim speeds using the pitch stability
of the wing and the pilot feels nothing other than the wing's natural
static pitch force while in flight. The other big advantage is the trim
system is fully adjustable and customizable. With sliding lock collars
the fore and aft limits can be set and the trim system will "throw"
from .1" all the way up to 4" of travel. Also the system removes
with one quick pin and a small electrical connector.
Comfort:
- Quick adjust pedals.
They have infinite adjustment fore and aft and 3 positions for angle.
Because so many short pilots cannot reach full throttle and so many
tall pilots cannot stay off the brakes, the fully adjustable pedals
will accommodate just about everyone. No need to unscrew things and
reassemble to reconfigure the pedals. In just seconds the pedals can
be moved without the use of tools.
- Highest
quality foam seat cushions
- Extra
tall seat backrest
- Control bar height
is very low. This keeps the pilot's hands below their heart and keeps
good circulation to the hands on long X-country flights. You don't want
your heart having to pump the blood up to your hands
- Extra
deep back seat for extra room
- No
seat frame cutting into passenger's thighs
- Curved
mast allowing the passenger to sit back in their seat without hitting
their head
- Optional arm rests
for additional sense of security and place for passenger's hands.
- Easy to reach cruise
throttle on instrument panel will not slip! with it's long travel the
precise RPM setting can be dialed in and will not move during the duration
of the flight.
- When equipped with
rear steering pedals for training tall passengers have a tendency to
have to bend their knees due to the pedals being too close. This in
turn causes the passengers legs to interfere with the flight controls.
The Revo's rear steering pedals remove in seconds without the use of
any tools and stowed easily in the glove box under the rear seat.
- Tall wind screen
provide complete wind protection for the pilot and frontal wind protection
for the passenger even at over 100 MPH. The wider body with spoilers molded
in do an excellent job of creating a still air pocket around the pilot.
Because the distance from the windshield to the pilot is very close
the effectiveness is maximized. There simply isn't better wind protection
available in the industry
Special features:
- The optional paint
allows the customer to make their Revo unique. Right at the factory
the Revo can receive one of over 10,000 colors making it a one of a
kind trike. With hundreds of frame colors to accent the body, the color
possibilities are endless
- Stand
on floor board. Makes getting in and out a snap. Works great for inspecting
the inside of the wing and hang block area without needing to stand
on the seat or use a ladder during pre-flight
- Special folding
compression strut. This is the front strut that normally needs to be
removed to lower the wing to the ground for transport. Our strut stays
connected which keeps it from scratching the paint and works as a self
locking mechanism when the wing is raised making it a one person operation
to set up and break down the wing.
- Strut
braced wing allows the wing to simply be folded while on the trike without
lowering the wing. this works great for overnight stays outside where
wind will no longer be an issue even without needing to tie down the
Revo.
- Parking brake is
easy enough to use that it gets used every time the pilot gets out of
the trike. By simply applying the brake and turning an easy to reach
lever the park brake is set. (others need the brake pedal jammed with
a physical stop which is not easy to reach your feet when you are in
the trike.)
- Optional built in
BRS. The deployment Rocket is clear to fire of the wheel pant and prop
(unlike brand X) and the handle is easily accessible from both seats.
The handle is also nearly impossible to accidentally trip over when
getting in and out of the trike
- Optional
Enigma color display has an aviation GPS that will not only navigate
you with ease, but will find the nearest airport in the event of needing
to get down right away and will even switch the frequency on your radio
to the airport with the touch of a button.
- Standard
electric fuel pump will aid in the engine firing up right away after
it has sat for a week. Also this can be a real safety feature since
fuel blockage is a leading cause of engine outs and an electric fuel
pump can force fuel to the engine that otherwise may not make it when
depending on just the mechanical Rotax fuel pump.
- Optional
oil thermostat will allow the Revo to warm up in a fraction of the time
and keep it running at optimal temperatures during flight, especially
in cold climates.
Handling:
- Due to the high
efficiency of the clean aerodynamics and the low twist wing (see wings
page) the Revo feels the part of a very small light weight trike once
in the air.
- Roll rate is the
speed in which the trike has the ability to roll in and out of the bank.
The Reflex Competition has one of the fastest roll rates on the market. High
roll rate means the pilot makes small inputs to achieve the bank angle
desired. When flying in turbulence it means lowering a wing that has
been bumped up happens easily and effectively.
- Light roll pressure.
This is the one thing that cannot be over-looked. If a trike is heavy
in roll there is no benefit other than something that is generally not
fun to fly and wears out the pilot's arms. Many trike pilots, even experienced
ones, confuse heavy handling with perceived stability. While this can
be true in certain limited flying conditions, modern wing design can
now provide true stability in the flexwing without the need for heavy
control pressures that unnecessarily fatigue the pilot.. No one wants
to do recreational flying in a Mac truck.
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