AOPA Pilot Magazine - April 2020 - 68

Now comes the Bristell 915. As the name indicates, there's more
under the cowl: 35 more horsepower than the Bristell Classic,
which hit the U.S. market in 2013. The newcomer has a 135-horsepower fuel-injected Rotax 915iS turbo. Want an LSA with some
muscle? The Bristell 915 is for you.
But maybe we should start by talking about who the 915 is
not for.
"First of all, it's too heavy," said John Rathmell, national sales
manager for Bristell Aircraft in Lititz, Pennsylvania, a U.S. dealer
for the Bristell. The airplane is manufactured by BRM Aero in the
Czech Republic.
To be flown as a light sport aircraft in the United States, an
LSA's maximum takeoff weight is limited to 1,320 pounds if operated only on land. Other Bristell models with lighter Rotax engines
have an empty weight of 705 pounds. But the Bristell 915's empty
weight is 820 pounds, owing in part to the heavier Rotax 915iS,
which is 70 pounds heavier than other Rotax engines.
That cuts into the useful load, which comes out to be about
500 pounds, compared to 615 pounds for the Bristell Classic. So,
if you're looking for an airplane that can carry your big-boned
brother-in-law, yourself, full fuel, and some luggage-and remain
legal for LSA purposes-the Bristell 915 is not for you.
But if you're looking for something a little faster, a little more
powerful-an airplane you can fly all day between 8,000 and 15,000
feet that will get you in and out of high density altitude airports
with panache-then the Bristell 915 might be for you.

68 | AOPA PILOT April 2020

FAST ON THE GROUND

"That looks fast standing still," a New Zealand airplane enthusiast wrote when I posted a photo of the Bristell 915 on Facebook.
He wasn't wrong. The Bristell's low wing and canopy evoke speed.
The airplane sported a black and yellow checkered-flag wrap, and
it did not look at all ironic.
Aside from the engine, the 915 is basically the Bristell Classic. It
retains the comfortable, 51-inch-wide cockpit and the mostly aluminum construction (the cowling and rudder are carbon fiber). It
still has adjustable rudder pedals. There's been no change to the
huge canopy, which folds forward like that of a Diamond and can
be opened and closed easily with a single latch. The airplane holds
31.87 gallons of fuel, 30 usable, and can be flown with either 100LL
avgas or 90 octane auto fuel.
It's soon apparent what has changed when you fly the 915, which
I got to do when Rathmell brought the 915 to Frederick Municipal
Airport from his home airport in Lancaster, Pennsylvania.
Climbing in is not difficult; one foot on the wing step, other foot
on the wing, which has been structurally reinforced. Step onto the
seat, using one of the handholds in the panel or in the center of the
seats. Lower yourself onto the seat. For this flight, with rudder pedals adjusted full aft, I needed a seat cushion to get the best view, but
at 5-foot-3 I am accustomed to using a seat cushion. The seats are
not adjustable, so a shorter person also may need a back cushion
to ensure she can comfortably reach the Garmin G3X display. The
airplane is said to fit a 6-foot-5-inch pilot comfortably.

AOPA Pilot Magazine - April 2020

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