Festivals of Speed is not your “everyman” show tour. Aimed at wealthy folks, Joe Sabatini’s FoS extravaganza is quite different than the usual airshow fare. Some very distinctive aircraft drew plenty of attention … if you could tear your eyes away from a large gathering of magnificent supercars or scores of beautiful people. The event was based at the Orlando International Airport, which meant flying a few Light-Sport Aircraft into the Class B jetport and assembling in and around the giant hangar at Galaxy Aviation FBO. Opening night was hob-nobbing with the well-to-do types that can supposedly afford the goods on display. Via silent auction, Festival of Speed also benefits charities such as Arnold Palmer Hospital For Children.
For the first time, Light-Sport Aircraft were invited (and not asked to pay what surely is a steep price of entry). Representing the fleet were Progressive Aerodyne‘s SeaRey and Flight Design‘s CTLSi.
Archives for November 2013
China’s Carcopter Variation of the Flying Car
The flying car powerfully captures the imagination of many, pilots and general public alike, despite the fact that none (yet) have ever achieved market success. For some years this field lie fallow with no introductions for several decades. Then, thanks to the creation of the Light-Sport Aircraft sector came Terrafugia and their intriguing Transition. The Massachusetts enterprise has received enormous media attention. Similarly, the I-Tec Maverick also proved popular with journalists. Lately the SkyRunner from England gained plenty of coverage from a splashy introduction at the Fort Lauderdale, Florida boat show. Now, China has its hat in the ring. Consider Carcopter from ML Aviation Technology Co., Ltd.
Terrafugia uses folding wings and a pusher Rotax engine. I-Tec uses a powered parachute held in position by a telescoping carbon fiber pole. Carcopter is, as the name implies, a rotary winged flying machine. Think of it as a gyroplane but with a folding mast and rotor blades that fold aft.
How Do Light-Sport Aircraft Handle Winter?
As winter arrives in much of the USA, it is worth asking: “Are Light-Sport Aircraft solely fair weather flyers or can they serve greater purposes?” When trying to answer let’s avoid the error of generalizing. The range of LSA is very broad and ranges from below $40,000 to $150,000 or more and from conventional fixed wings to weight shift, powered parachutes, motorgliders, gyros, hot-air and more. One answer to the winter question won’t suffice. Secondly, not all LSA are factory built so the rules differ. Nonetheless, one thing is certain: Winter or summer, LSA can certainly be useful even if they are not used for compensation flying or flown for hire. Take the following example.
Richard Lauzon operates his Zenith CH-801 in conjunction with his Ten Mile Lodge in northern Quebec. He reported, “STOL CH 801 is by far the most practical means of getting in and out of [my] hunting/fishing resort.” The nearest airport is 45 flying minutes to the south.
Quick, say “Octodecacopter”…and Welcome the Future
It’s premature if not off the point to say this exotic, beautiful prototype will be the death of the helicopter. I will flat out make a prediction: a whole new type of flight is here … and it will change everything … and I mean everything about how we fly.
I was musing the other day, while catching up on the latest multi-rotor RC model technology with which to populate my Christmas wish list, about how long it would take before we saw a serious effort to build a human-carrying version. Clearly I was way behind the buzz curve: talk about instant gratification! E-volo of Karlsruhe, Germany has just made a lightspeed leapfrog over pretty much every other vertical takeoff/landing design or project I’ve heard about. The gamechanger: the just-maidened VC200 Volocopter. Watch the video, then read on. This project and others like it is going to change flight as we know it, make no mistake.
Just Aircraft Is a Decade-long Success Story
How do you take a laid-back approach to create a super exciting airplane? Schucks … it appears easy as falling off a log. The oversimplification denies how much energy and effort went into SuperSTOL. Because the folks at JustAircraft seem to be the most relaxed designers in America, don’t be fooled. Plenty of customers have seen the light that emanates from Walhalla, South Carolina. From the company’s unusual factory airstrip to the jaw-dropping performance of their super-duper STOL aircraft, Just Aircraft is a company you can’t — or at least shouldn’t — ignore. To gain more flavor of the extreme-looking but easy-flying aircraft, Just’s website has several videos that might fascinate you.
“Since the company was formed in 2002, Just Aircraft was focused on developing an aircraft that would excel in back country performance,” the company announced recently. “Starting with the Escapade, the company began shipping out kits.
Beetle Power in a Jaunty Jodel D9
“It is a truth universally acknowledged that a pilot not in possession of a good fortune will be in want of a VW-powered aircraft.” Well, I’m not entirely sure Jane Austen would’ve put it quite like that but one thing is irrefutable: If you want to fly an affordable aeroplane then it may well have a Beetle engine! And, here’s a very interesting factoid: the most produced aero-engine ever is probably Lycoming’s O-360, with around 250,000 made. However, Volkswagen made more than 21 million Beetle engines!
An interesting facet about lightweight taildraggers such as the D9 is that they have to be ‘flown’ all the time, even on the ground. Consequently even while taxiing I’m very aware of the wind, because even with differential braking turning out of wind can be a bit tricky. Of course, such simple machines have very simple checks, and while running through my generic SEP checks (which take the form of an unwritten ‘flow check’ around the cockpit), I often get the feeling (and particularly if I’ve flown something a bit more complex the day before) that I’ve forgotten something.
Super Legend Gets SLSA Certificate #133
Available previously as a kit (more on that below), American Legend recently provided photos proving that the Sulfur Springs, Texas company has now won a Special LSA certificate for the Super Legend, topping our SLSA List at number 133. The model has other differences but a key reason for the name is the Lycoming O-233 engine supplying 115 horsepower that gives a nice boost to its performance on wheels or floats. Super Legend will go up against the CubCrafters Carbon Cub SS (with 180 horsepower) and the Zlin Cub-S (also 180-hp). While it may not provide the same excess of power it is more affordably priced than Carbon Cub SS, although the latter is a highly developed offering that is generous in its use of carbon fiber, as its name implies, and in an overall sense of stylized design.
American Legend noted, “The closed cowl Super Legend has the same power-to-weight ratio as a 150-hp Piper Super Cub.
New SeaRey Exhibits Plenty of Get Up & Go
One of the several reasons I like living in Florida (besides no snow this time of year) is the close proximity of all kinds of aviation businesses. The central Florida town of Tavares, about 45 minutes northwest of Orlando, is home to not one but two light seaplane factories. The city named itself “America’s Seaplane City.” Last Friday, we visited both manufacturers ending our tour at the SeaRey Open House (photo). Owner Adam Yang said they had 13 SeaRey aircraft fly in despite windy conditions. Their handsome facility was full of people including many owner/builders, potential customers, friends, and the media (me). The day turned out to be pleasant and we got to watch several SeaRey aircraft taxi down the launch ramp into the lake and take off not 50 yards away. One of these was the new 914 SeaRey SLSA; more on that below.
A couple years ago Progressive Aerodyne took the plunge and elected to pursue Special Light-Sport Aircraft acceptance so they could address a part of the market they never could seek: fully built SeaRey aircraft.
Emirates Airline Employees Build an RV-12
Earlier this year, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) announced in Abu Dhabi a regulation for Light-Sport Aircraft by the director-general of the General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA), Saif Mohammed Al Suwaidi. GCAA reported, “Sport aviation enthusiasts will be given access to light aircraft of certain specifications only at licensed sport aviation clubs in the UAE, according to a statement by the civil aviation regulator.” This action represents another country to join the parade of those accepting ASTM industry consensus standards as a means of approving an aircraft. As we reported in March this year, UAE adds to USA, Australia, Columbia, Brazil, the EU, and China as countries that embrace either a nearly identical regulation to the U.S., or at least they accept the ASTM standards with some differences in their country. For example, some countries allow in-flight adjustable props where the U.S. does not, however, the ASTM standards accommodate that difference and can do so for other differences far more easily than a hodgepodge of regulations in each country.
LSA Air; Jabiru Service; MGL XTreme; 90th Birthday
Cool It! — Scott Severen of US Aviation — the central Texas general aviation dynamo — is a man on a mission. He showed an AMT FlyCool installation (video) on a Flight Design CTLS at Sun ‘n Fun that was a surprisingly clean installation considering he brought all the air conditioning parts in his airline luggage. By AOPA’s fall Summit, he had refined it considerably (photo). Now the installation features a handsome louvered right side baggage door that brings fresh air in and exhausts warmer air. The panel switches are permanent and in the warm Texas sunshine, the system had great appeal. It adds surprisingly little weight (22 pounds); cost varies by installation but is much less expensive than old style air conditioning systems for airplanes. One downside is a loss of some luggage capacity but for example, a flight school wouldn’t care. Their students could chill instead of sweating through their flying lesson.