REPORTING FROM SUN ‘N FUN — Early estimates from Sun ‘n Fun show total attendance down just slightly (between 5 and 10%) compared to April 2008. A year ago, sub-prime loans were the concern and few knew how difficult the following year would be. Measured by exhibitors, Sun ‘n Fun was also off last year’s all-time record of 522 but only by 4%. The best news included no serious accidents though a SportCruiser ran off the end of the Light Plane Area’s 1,400-foot runway. *** From my view in the LSA Mall positioned right at the main gate, crowds were especially thick on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday while serious buyers arrived early on Tuesday and Wednesday (following a common airshow routine evident the last few years). Airplane shoppers were plentiful though sales reports were uneven. Some, like Flight Design, FPNA, and Evektor, reported sales transacted in the first days of the show.
Archives for April 2009
Sun ‘n Fun LSA Mall 2009 Ready for Visitors
REPORTING FROM SUN ‘N FUN — For the last three years, Sun ‘n Fun management has generously provided an excellent location at this season-launching airshow. Coordinated by LAMA, the Light Aircraft Manufacturers Association, the industry has responded warmly, each year populating the LSA Mall with some of the best selling aircraft in the sector. The LSA Mall has become a place where manufacturers want to show their newest products. (By example, the 2009 Mall has the very first Lightning SLSA and the soon-to-be SLSA & ELSA SeaRey amphibian.) *** So, once again, just inside the main entrance gate, visitors will immediately be greeted by a rainbow of Special Light-Sport Aircraft. LSA Malls have proven extremely popular with visitors because this industry showcase of models saves a lot of walking the grounds to compare one aircraft with another. Those still unfamiliar with the newest aviation segment can see a whole fleet of airplanes in close proximity; company reps are on hand to offer details and prices.
A Familiar Brand Becomes Newest SLSA Approval
REPORTING FROM SUN ‘N FUN — The season-launching Sun ‘n Fun airshow starts in one day and the countdown to SLSA Number 100 rushes onward. Welcome to Kitfox Aircraft — a U.S. brand you already know (now LSA producer Number 70) — and their new Super Sport LSA, Number 97 on the SLSA List. *** Kitfox Aircraft is the current owner of a legacy brand in light aviation. A major success story with more than 4,500 aircraft accumulating more than a million flight hours, Kitfox is celebrating its 25th year in business. Kitfox boss John McBean called from Texas as he was enroute to Sun ‘n Fun to confirm the airworthiness certificate he forecast a few days earlier. *** Base priced at $83,495, this all-American brand comes with many of the same features seen on costlier LSA. Its moderate price provides basic flight instruments but interesting safety qualities such as an Angle of Attack indicator (a system which compares differential pressure of the upper and lower wing surfaces) and 25 years of history with never a structural failure.
Lightning Fast; Arion Earns SLSA Before Sun ‘n Fun
After selling 40 aircraft under the Experimental Amateur Built (EAB) rule, Arion has now completed their SLSA approval just in the nick of time before the season-launching Sun ‘n Fun starts. Welcome to Lightning — SLSA #96 — from Arion Aircraft, which is our 69th company to enter production of Light-Sport Aircraft. *** Lightning got its start back when Jabiru-man Pete Krotje, his son Ben, plus Nick Otterback were dealers for the Spanish Esquale. That lead to the lovely low-wing Lightning though the design borrows from several light aircraft. It may sound like an organic development but the results are definitely worthy. I was highly impressed with a flight in an earlier EAB model, which did not have the speed limitations of LSA. “Extra wing area was added to bring wing loading and stall speeds into compliance with the applicable standards,” said Nick. *** Arion won approval on April 15, 2009.
Storm Continues; Century Low Wing SLSA
The Light-Sport Aircraft industry is moving closer to Special Light-Sport Aircraft approval Number 100. On March 29th, 2009, the Century became SLSA model number 95. We still sit at 68 companies since Italian-based Storm Aircraft previously earned SLSA approval for their Rally. Both models are represented in the USA by Air Elite Aviation.
The Italian manufacturer — like many of their counterparts in Europe, but like few in the USA — offers a high wing (Rally), a low wing (Century), and a seaplane (Sea Storm) though the latter has not yet attempted SLSA airworthiness approval.
Formerly, the Rally was manufactured in Michigan by Prestige Aircraft, but health issues forced the business owner to close his doors. (Read earlier SPLOG.) Presently, Rodger Whaley of Air Elite Aviation (AEA) is bringing in the two aircraft models already built in Italy, but he is working on plans to restart U.S.-based manufacturing in the future.
SeaRey LSX; Popular U.S. Seaplane Launching SLSA
Seaplane enthusiasts comprise a niche of American aviation but are some of the most passionate of all powered aircraft pilots. Among these, owners of almost 500 SeaRey aircraft belong to one of the tightest knit communities I’ve seen. Kerry and Wayne Richter, the son and father team that gave birth to the SeaRey (and several other models) have quietly built one of the strongest brands in light seaplanes… and now they are moving into the Special Light-Sport Aircraft space with their new LSX. Kerry says the new model, while visually similar to earlier SeaReys, possesses no fewer than 78 new or revised features including a custom interior and complete rework of the panel. *** I flew with Kerry in the new machine from my Florida home base at Spruce Creek Fly-in. We hopped LSX over to a nearby lake and Kerry executed a couple perfect water landings.
Lighter-Than-Air… But Not An Airship
Research and practical applications are developing rapidly for electric-powered aircraft. Given my personal fascination, I’ll follow this regularly. So far, most electric power has been supplied by batteries — even in such as Flight Design’s hybrid aircraft engine unveiled at Aero 2009 However, that’s only one way to generate electric “fuel.” Hydrogen is another.
Forget fears of a Hindenburg airship exploding; even that fireball was likely precipitated by something other than hydrogen in the envelope (its paint is suspect). Today, the source is a relatively small tank of hydrogen (photo), supplied by companies like Messer which is sponsoring the work of Gerard Thevenot in creating his hydrogen fuel cell-powered trike.
Ultra-lightweight aircraft like trikes are a perfect platform for experimentation and Thevenot knows all about them. Gerard founded La Mouette, once the world’s largest producer of hang gliders. He’s highly inventive and well suited to such a project.
Roko NG 4 LSA Preparing to Cross the Atlantic
The troubles of Czech Aircraft Works (CZAW) in their titanic battle with financier Slavia Capital are known to some readers. Despite this challenge the American-run, Czech-based company increased the fleet of their SportCruisers by 69% in 2008 (a notable achievement given the terrible economic conditions). *** One of CZAW’s key people didn’t stay through the war that ensued between company management and money people. His name is Milan Bristela and he is a talented designer who preferred to focus on airplane development rather than corporate politics. His disappearance from the payroll of CZAW became clear after he launched his own aircraft in December 2007. The NG 4 UL is presently selling in Europe and the NG 4 LSA will come to America, probably by Oshkosh 2009. *** NG 4 bears a clear resemblance to the SportCruiser, which design counted Milan as a key developer. Roko’s design brings changes to differentiate the product and first flew in mid-2008.
FK Lightplanes New Model; Offsetting Cirrus Stall
Most American pilots don’t recognize the brand FK Lightplanes, though many do know of one of their models. Cirrus Design based their celebrated entry into Light-Sport Aircraft upon the Fk14 Polaris. This lovely low wing looks enough like a Cirrus that the Duluth, Minnesota manufacturer selected it as their platform to offer what they called the SRS. *** The producer of the best-selling SR22 felt they needed to “Cirrus-ize” the Fk14, but now with the GA industry in sharp decline the company put the SRS project on hold to focus on their Vision jet (which sells for 10X more). *** Yet FK Lightplanes also builds a handsome high-wing model, which has gone through significant refinements in more than a decade on the market. “We’ll still make our Fk9 Mark 4 [the earlier model],” said company director Peter Funk, but his company is now launching the Fk9 ELA (as in European Light Aircraft), a version that more closely matches LSA specifications.
Tecnam Unveils New P2008; a Genuine Composite
Tecnam has long been known for building handsome, well-flying, all-metal Light-Sport Aircraft. The company has certified four models of SLSA (Echo Super, Sierra, Bravo, and Eaglet) tying them for the most. That will soon change and the 61-year-old Italian company formed in 1948 — once the producer of the Partenavia twin-engine aircraft — will soon climb to the top with five approved LSA models. *** The newest, unveiled at the German Aero show, is the P2008. The sleek and beautiful aircraft was conceived after the company bought Composite Aircraft Group, the designer and builder of the Toxo. When Tecnam took possession of this Spanish company, they acquired CAG’s composite technology and the P2008 is the first full airframe to show the results of this purchase. *** P2008 has metal wings like all Tecnam LSA, but it now features a smoothly contoured fuselage.