What did you have to be thankful for last week when the nation paused for a day? Paul Klomhaus and his group at Eagle Aviation were nearly done with their Special Light-Sport Aircraft approval. No doubt they were thankful all the hard effort was drawing to a close. Yet Thanksgiving Day dessert came when the Wisconsin company earned their Airworthiness Certificate on Monday November 26th. The EA-100 is now #62 among aircraft that passed their Designated Airworthiness Representative (DAR) inspection. Eagle Aviation is located well with EAA’s sphere of influence on Wittman Field, which now has its second producer of new aircraft Sport Pilots may fly (the other is homebuilt producer, Sonex). *** Klomhaus sources airframe components based on the work of Ibis Aircraft in Columbia. The south American company has built their very similar Magic series for 17 years. Oshkosh-based Eagle Aviation does final assembly, engine and avionics installation, and all the finish work.
Archives for November 2007
Quik Approval for UK Trikes; SLSA Numbers 60 & 61
Two weight shift aircraft from England carried the list of Special Light-Sport Aircraft past the 60 mark. Welcome to the P&M Aviation Quik and Quik GT450, our two newest SLSA models and the 7th and 8th weight shift aircraft (adding to 5 powered parachute models and 48 fixed wing airplanes, 2 of which fall into the Glider category). P&M Aviation was formed from a merger of Pegasus Aviation and Mainair Sports, the two leading UK trike builders. *** The P&M Quik models are modestly priced compared to other trikes from Europe. You can buy a Rotax 912-powered Quik for just over $50,000, which is substantially lower than other 912 trikes. The price tag also qualifies as one of the least costly SLSA. *** P&M Aviation USA is the American importer of the British brand. They’ll be at Sebring 2008 where you can see the Quik models with a larger control panel to allow for more instruments.
Sport Aircraft Works Revs Up; Hits 3 Benchmarks
October 2007 was the One for Sport Aircraft Works, U.S. importer of Czech Aircraft Works (CZAW) airplanes. They registered #41 SLSA with FAA, they took order #101 for their SportCruiser, and they sold a pair of SportCruisers to the #21 school to adopt the brand and become a Sport Aircraft Pilot Center. Customer deliveries reached 40 for CZAW’s best-selling SportCruiser. Sport Aircraft Works Director of Sales Bob Anderson said, “SportCruiser is one of the few aircraft sold as a Light Sport Aircraft that was designed for the 1,320-pound weight limit,” that is, it wasn’t scaled up from a European 992-pound (450 kg) microlight. The company partners with Gleim Publishing for training documents in their Sport Aircraft Pilot Centers. *** Sport Aircraft Works also represents the Aerospool WT-9 Dynamic which can be homebuilt as a retractable speedster or flown by a Sport Pilot with fixed gear and a prop that translates speed into more climb.
Flying the Rans S-19; SLSA Version in Process
Most light aircraft enthusiasts know Rans. One of America’s leading builders the Hays, Kansas company has delivered more than 4,000 aircraft. Rans achieved Primary Category certification for their high wing tandem S-7 Courier in the 1990s. That program fizzled through no fault of Rans’ but after meeting industry consensus (ASTM) standards their S-7LS again won approval as a Special Light-Sport Aircraft. *** Sales of the model ranks the company at #17…5th among U.S. builders. That position seems bound to rise when Rans adds the low wing side-by-side S-19 as a SLSA (so far it’s been offered as a 51% kit). Look for their announcement at the Sebring Expo. *** Recently I attended EAA’s Hall of Fame ceremony as designer Randy Schlitter was inducted into the Homebuilders category. Since he flew to Oshkosh I got the chance to fly his ’19 for an article to appear in EAA’s Sport Pilot.
More than 1,000 SLSA Airplanes Registered with FAA
October 2007 brought another top finish for Jabiru USA. FAA registrations of J-250 and J-170 led the industry for the second consecutive month contributing to their rise in the ranks. Czech Aircraft Works logged a good increase and moved up in the chart. And, CubCrafters continued their steady climb. *** In a fresh look, this month’s chart has more information. Included are the top 20 brands, counting all models by those companies (four manufacturers have multiple certifications). In addition to percentages, this month we also show the number of airplanes registered with FAA. But remember, FAA registrations do not precisely equal deliveries. Finally, due to questions about how their numbers are counted, we omitted weight shift and powered parachute LSA. *** A few observations may add to your own study of this chart. Cub replicas or redesigns from three companies added together would convincingly occupy the #2 slot with 181 registered.
See Nothing New in Part 103 Airplanes? Look Again!
Even though FAA has said Part 103 will not be changed, many pilots see few fixed wing airplane choices truly meeting the definition.
Some trikes and powered parachutes can manage it but many lament, “Yeah, but no three-axis designs.” If you agree, be prepared to eat your words. Here comes Interplane’s ZJ Viera.
The brand-new composite design is no dream. It’s gone through a proof-of-concept stage and is now flying as a preproduction prototype. Those attending Sebring Expo 2008 can visit importer LSA America‘s display.
Does it genuinely make weight, the toughest part of F.A.R. Part 103? Based on factory info…YES, and by a generous margin!…thanks to modern materials and simple design.
Will ZJ be affordable? “Yes,” says former Interplane owner Ralph Mandarino. The company priced a basic ready-to-fly monowheel ZJ at $19,800. They’re flying it with the Hirth F33 but as it appears well under the max empty weight of 254 pounds, ZJ engineer and Interplane CEO Marek Ivanov could investigate other engines including four-stroke or electric.
Certifying LSA
A Review of the Industry Consensus Standards Method
In the aviation world, the new light sport aircraft category is all the rage, with interest at aviation trade shows climbing off the charts. New aircraft certified using ASTM International industry consensus standards recently reached model number 50, with all approvals coming in less than two years, a record in aviation history worldwide.
Doing things correctly and quickly is not uncommon in the world of light sport aircraft. This is a highly entrepreneurial activity populated by get-it-done businessmen and women who are highly motivated to get their nascent industry off the ground – literally.
Welcome to Committee F37
ASTM International’s Committee F37 on Light Sport Aircraft is just five years old, yet it has produced, from scratch, specifications for design, performance, quality acceptance tests and safety monitoring for LSA. ASTM standards guide the preparation of pilot operating handbooks, maintenance manuals, and a system of service bulletins to advise consumers of maintenance needed to keep their aircraft in good operating condition.