Recognize that tail? You’ve seen it twice before on designs that earned Special Light-Sport Aircraft approval: Interplane’s Skyboy and FlyItalia’s Sport Rider. Designer Jaro Dostal’s signature is the shark fin vertical stabilizer. Skyboy is sold in the U.S. by LSA America. SportRider (MD-3 Rider in Europe) is not presently available in the USA. *** Now from the fertile mind of Dostal comes the Shark. It will be produced by Comp-Let, a producer of composite parts for many companies including Diamond, Aeropro, and FK Lightplanes. Jaro’s design bureau is leading the development effort. “SportShark will fit LSA rules with a larger wing, simpler flaps, fixed landing gear and prop,” declared Comp-Let. “We are finishing the aerodynamic design calculations (forces, structure, stability). Designers prepared a cockpit mockup. We have started to work on a fuselage model. The plan is to fly a prototype by spring 2008.
Archives for August 2007
Flight Design Delivers 200th CT in USA
Market leader Flight Design seems hot as a pistol and appears to be validating their plan to substantially increase production. South Central U.S. distributor Airtime Aviation delivered N200BL to Brian Longwill, their new dealer operating under the name Longwill AirCraft. And talk about beautiful timing, this also happened to be CT delivery number 50 for Airtime. Putting even a finer point on their accomplishments, Airtime got the first CT approved in the U.S., missing by mere hours being the first SLSA* in the country. *** Longwill AirCraft will base their new CT at a new airport opening in Estancia, New Mexico…east of Albuquerque and south of Moriarty. Longwill aims to attract sport aircraft of all kinds to the facility. *** Finally — call me lucky or call it a truly fine bit of advance planning, but this is also SPLOG #200. From the mail and calls I get, you love SPLOG and I’m pleased you do.
First LSA Flown Around World; Claims New Record
Many other airplane categories have tried round the world flights, but it’s now been done by a Light-Sport Aircraft. Flying a Flight Design CT, Indian Air Force Wing Commanders Rahul Monga and Anil Kumar will claim a new record by successfully flying around the world in 79 days. Part of a celebration of the Indian Air Force 75th Anniversary, the two pilots covered a total distance of 40,497 kilometers (25,310 miles) in 79 days flying over 19 countries (Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam, China, Russia, USA, Canada, Greenland, Iceland, UK, Germany, Italy, Greece, Turkey, Iran, Pakistan, and India).*** During the expedition, Commander Monga became part of very small group of pilots by soloing across the Atlantic in a single engine aircraft. Kumar had to go via airline so the CT could fly longer. Despite missing this exciting segment Kumar expressed appreciation for the CT: “It’s a fantastic machine, very reliable…it got us home and there were no problems.
Long-Wing Cross Country Cruiser & Soaring Machine
One actually got approved last year, I’m told, but a new 2008 model Urban Air Lambada UFM 13 more recently received its airworthiness as our newest, and 57th, Special Light-Sport Aircraft (SLSA). This is the second aircraft to use the ASTM standards for Glider (see 8/6/07 SPLOG) but is the first motorglider. TST-14 is more properly a “powered sailplane,” a rather fine but clear distinction. Imported by Bostik Industries LLC, Lambada is part airplane and part sailplane. It glides an impressive 26:1 or 30:1 from a 42.65- or 49-foot wing setup (both are standard; you exchange wing tips). Yet using the 80-hp Rotax 912 it will also cruise at better than 100 mph for 800 nautical miles on 26.4 gallons of fuel in two wing tanks. Lambada is a carbon and glass fiber shoulder-wing design available in taildragger or tricycle gear. It also comes standard with a Magnum Ballistic Parachute system, folding prop, stainless steel exhaust, and tinted canopy for $93,500.
LSA Market Shares Stabilize But Change On Horizon
In the month of July 2007 the LSA industry registered 71 more aircraft bringing the total to 904 fixed wing airplanes. That represents a spurt of 11% in one month and an even 60% growth in registered LSA since January 1st 2007. *** In all categories, Americans are flying 1,134 SLSA. Weight Shift aircraft registered an additional 27 aircraft, powered parachutes added 6 and LSA gliders achieved their first registration. *** The leading companies (see chart) were barely changed with the top five holding nearly identical market share from last month. CubCrafters inched up a notch and Czech Aircraft Works narrowly passed Remos. Further down the market share list, positions still saw little fluctuation. This equilibrium will surely be disturbed with the entry of Cirrus (by August 2008, they say) and Cessna* (in the second half of 2009) but for 27 months, customers have generally kept their brand loyalties. *Cessna reported more than 550 sales in the week of AirVenture Oshkosh.
Another Beauty from RANS; S-19 Debuted
Premise: In light sport aviation you never ignore RANS owner and designer Randy Schlitter. With his newly minted S-19, he’s again proven the rule. A flying prototype from the Kansas builder was beautifully finished…a RANS airshow tradition. Compared to the G-700S SPLOGged earlier, S-19 is 70 pounds lighter thanks to “great care in keeping things light,” said RANS (though it’s heavier than predicted due to more durable materials). *** S-19 will be sold intially as a kit with components including Rotax 912S priced at about $43,000. Build time is estimated at 700-1,000 hours. “We plan to offer a certified SLSA,” said Randy though he wouldn’t speculate on when. S-19 first flew June 28th and “production flight testing should be complete sometime in August” though the company is ready to ship tail kits. Reporters will have to wait to fly S-19 but based on flying nearly every other RANS model, I expect superb handling.
SLSA #55…the Polish G-700S from Gobosh
Whew! After ten days in the hot sun, I’m glad Oshkosh is over…but what an event for Light-Sport Aviation. The whole story includes a last few days of whirlwind development climaxing in many new introductions. Folks from Gobosh* brought the all-metal low wing G-700S, an Americanized revision of the AT-3 from Poland. Aero Ltd’s AT-3 was created by Tomasz Antoniewski and a team of engineers known for the Wilga among other designs; it earned JAR-VLA certification in Europe (1999). *** Tim Baldwin and Dave Graham, once associated with the Symphony, won SLSA airworthiness for the G-700S just days before AirVenture 2007 opened. Both men also have business backgrounds in other fields, experience allowing the new company to make an grand entry with a refined product. G-700S comes well equipped for $107,000 to $124,000 and includes a 2-year/400-hour warranty. Financing is available. * “Gobosh” is a acronym borrowed from the go-go technology industry meaning Go Big Or Stay Home.