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The 912 engine is a well known 4-cylinder horizontally opposed 4-stroke liquid-/air-cooled aircraft engine. The 912 family has a strong track record: 40 000 engines sold / 25 000 still in operation / 5 million flight hours annually. 88% of all light aircraft OEMs use Rotax engines. The 912iS is an evolution of the Rotax 912ULS carbureted engine. The “i” stands for electronic fuel injection which has been developed according to flight standards, providing a better fuel efficiency over the current 912ULS of more than 20% and in a range of 38% to 70% compared to other competitive engines in the light sport, ultra-light aircraft and the general aviation industry. BRP engineers have incorporated several technology enhancements. The fully redundant digital Engine Control Unit (ECU) offers a computer based electronic diagnostic system which makes it easier to diagnose and service the engine.

The continuously increasing product complexity on the one side, and the demand to constantly decrease development times and costs on the other, require new development processes in the automotive industry. This paper describes a product development process which, by intensively and systematically applying computer-aided modeling techniques, makes a significant contribution to the management of this tremendous complexity in a cost- and time- efficient manner. The presented process strives for a widespread usage of modeling techniques (such as physical system modeling and simulation, model-based control system design, rapid prototyping, etc.) over all technical domains involved in the product (mechanics, hydraulics, electrics, electronics, software, etc.) as well as over several stages of the product development process.