I have long recognized that one of the toughest things a group can do is decide to launch and operate a new event. I think this is probably true outside of aviation as well but it’s certainly tough to do with airshows where weather is one of many factors you need to consider. With that in mind I would say that Day One of Aero Showcase 2022 — the rebadged and revised version of the five-year-old DeLand Sport Aviation Showcase — should be judged a success. Coming Together As I arrived on Friday morning, a weekday and therefore a workday for many, I was pleasantly surprised to see nearly every airplane present had a small cluster of people around it. Organizers benefited from a beautiful day in the mid-70s and the outlook for Saturday is equally good. Weather is forecast in the upper-70s with mostly sunny skies and almost no chance of rain.
Hopefully the title did get your attention but it asks a legitimate question for buyers of new potentially-Mosaic-compliant Light-Sport Aircraft.
The reason I feel this way is not merely the 141-horsepower engine Montaer designer Bruno Oliveira installed on the nose of his three-door LSA (see 
So, buyers of this airplane (and I repeat, MC01 will not be the only such choice) may be able to acquire a present-day 1,320-pound LSA and later get it bumped to perhaps 1,600-1,700 pounds, maybe more.
This is me, not the designer, making such a prediction but from reviewing their specifications, I know many of these airplanes created for delivery to multiple countries are frequently designed for somewhat higher weight limits — one of the most anticipated changes coming with Mosaic.
"Our new model will debut and be on display at the 
Earlier this year, Montaer announced a 
Remember, seasons are reversed in the Southern Hemisphere. New Zealand is now emerging from winter (during our summer) and is beginning its warmer climate. The summer months in New Zealand are December, January, and February so the weather is getting nice down under.
One of the explanations for the longer development cycle was that 
Water launch to flight is still pending but the down-under LSA seaplane was satisfied with the initial float evaluation.
"We spent the best part of two weeks water testing in the beautiful Waikato, here in New Zealand," noted main developer and company namesake, Paul Vickers.
"I have been waiting longer than a decade to see the Wave in her natural environment, and she did not disappoint. Not only does she look amazing, but the water handling was also impressive," Paul added.
"This series of water testing was to check slow-speed maneuverability and buoyancy," Paul clarified, "in preparation for high-speed taxiing and the first flight off the water." No date was forecast for these next steps but from prior practice, the company will take the time needed to get ready for those events.
"As interest and excitement continually build for the Wave in anticipation of its 2023 release, we wanted to mark this incredible milestone and are offering two early delivery positions,” the company said. “This offer comes with some incredible benefits.” If interested, please 
The following features a short clip from Vickers Aircraft showing initial water testing:
https://youtu.be/mdM9XUkukRw
For years this company has led the segment I've dubbed "Sport Pilot kits" — those kits that a builder can fly using Sport Pilot privileges. Lead by Sebastien Heintz, Zenith continues a long stride ahead of other worthy competitors.
Our 
While Van's RV-12 leads for a single model (47 registered so far in 2022), Zenith is the clear leader in this space. For 2022, the Mexico, Missouri-based manufacturer has already almost matched 2020 and 2021, and those were good years. Through nine months of 2022, Zenith has registered 73 aircraft putting the company on pace for 100 new aircraft for the calendar year. Zenith is followed by Rans at 48 and Van's at 47. Zenith is running 50% ahead of either and has maintained such a strong market position for years.
Mexico, Missouri's Hagan Brothers Field is a pastoral setting that is about perfect for airplanes such as Zenith produces.
"Great planes, fantastic people, and good weather," summarized Zenith! "What a wonderful two days at the 2022 Zenith Aircraft Homecoming / Open Hangar Days and Fly-In! Thank you to all who participated and helped to make this such a memorable event celebrating Zenith Aircraft's 
This weekend perhaps thousands of light, sport, recreational aircraft owners will take their ultralights (or other light aircraft) into the sky for a kind of "virtual" airshow, except it isn't computer simulators. It is only virtual in the sense that nearly all aviators will help create an "airshow" without seeing another aircraft. "Analog" might be a better term than virtual.
The innovative concept makes 
"The genesis of WUFI dates to 2014 after an impromptu three-way conversation between Koen Van de Kerchhove of Belgium, and Bill Esker and Paul Lindamood of the United States. The initial discussion took place on the 
The trio of organizers suggested that a "virtual" fly-in could be very feasible, and even though such an event would not allow aircraft to convene at one place, it would allow pilots all around the globe to take part by sharing the same sky, on the same day. "So in an abstract but very tangible way, a world fly-in was possible," explained Mike, Administrator of WUFI 2022. "Thus, the World Ultralight Fly-In was born. And the slogan, 'One Day, One Sky' was coined."
"After meeting with Van de Kerchhove in Brussels," Mike continued, "Esker and his Belgium counterpart hammered out details of the fledgling fly-in. With some research into weather patterns in major countries in both hemispheres, it was decided that an October timeframe was ideal. By late summer of 2015 all technical aspects were mapped out including logistics, promotions, and flight application requirements. Individuals from 13 different countries were designated as 'group captains,' and logos, certificates and items such as patches and t-shirts were designed. Then in October, the first WUFI worldwide fly-in was launched. That inaugural year aeronauts from over 44 countries participated with more than 1,200 earning their 2015 WUFI certificate."
Since 2015 the fly-in has been held every year, with thousands of participants representing all areas of light aviation. In those seven years, numerous articles have been published around the globe highlighting the unique flying event.
"Stories consistently note that WUFI was created for and is still open to light aircraft only because so few ever have the opportunity to participate in a large, conventional fly-in," Mike observed. "The event has been administered, promoted and orchestrated 100% through Facebook Groups from Day One. Participation and receipt of an official certificate has always been free of charge. The World Ultralight Fly-In is the first and only one of its kind."
"One sky, where boundaries of country and language disappear, and all pilots are truly equal in their collective love of the majesty and exhilaration of flight," organizers state.
"Since weather can often make it impossible for some countries to fly on WUFI day," Mike elaborated, "several years ago we opted to add a second day so that now WUFI is technically 'Two Days, One Sky.'”
Most vendors appeared to conduct numerous demo flights for interested pilots. I often saw multiple airplanes at any one time preparing to get a new aviator in the seat for a flight. The surrounding area is wide-open and the weather simply invited more flying, every day of the event. (Rain finally did come but not until the end of the final day.)
One extra treat was a good gathering of KR kit builders as they celebrate the 50th anniversary of this well-established design (nearby image).
After our exchange, Chris ended with… "This is so fun!" If you know Chris, you can probably visualize the smile on his face as he said that. It makes me smile, too.
For the majority that could not attend in person, the entire talk is featured below. In particular, I think you may enjoy the Question & Answer portion starting at 32 minutes into the video. See the list of questions below for specific times — in case you know most of this but simply wanted to ask a certain question.
I've been predicting for months that if FAA was to stay on schedule — a schedule they set — the agency had to announce Mosaic at Oshkosh 2022. If they did not announce then, FAA would not meet their original Congressionally-imposed deadline of December 31, 2023.
They didn't announce at AirVenture. So they will not meet the original deadline.
With their goal of getting a good pilot job, flight students that visit schools today want to pursue their training in something more contemporary. They definitely need experience with digital avionics as that's what they'll encounter in a professional cockpit.
"LSA are the future of flight instruction [airplanes]," stated Chip Griewahn. Before he sold the business, he operated a very successful flight school in the Savannah, Georgia area called 
M-8 Eagle is actually a second-generation aircraft. Engineering talent left 
First, 
Yet M-8 Eagle's interior may be even higher quality and it's definitely more spacious; Eagle's cockpit is almost four inches wider than 182 although a Skylane boasts two aft seats that Eagle lacks (at least under present LSA regulations).
Flight Controls
Trim
Interior
Exterior
Performance
Stability and Safety
It would be amazing to see three new ones of any sort, but all three of these are modern. They all use contemporary materials yet they have all been shown to qualify for FAA's simplest regulation.
The three are Chip Erwin's 
"DAR Solo is a single seat, single engine, high wing ultralight sport aircraft," Tony said. "The aircraft is based on mixed construction: aluminum wings and composite airframe. New advanced technologies have been introduced and the result is a remarkable aircraft of extra low weight and good flight performance."
AeroplanesDAR calls their system "Sheet Management software" which describes a CNC machine method to fabricate aluminum sheet parts for manufacturing. Versions of this approach are widely used by many big corporations but in recent years the technology has become accessible to small aircraft producers to efficiently design and produce aluminum sheet parts and components. "As a result, assembling elements, like wings and tail surfaces, is easy," said Tony.
"All composite parts in DAR Solo are made using carbon, aramid, and fiberglass in vacuum molds with controlled temperature," noted AeroplanesDAR.
Such composite technology allows integrating different parts into one. For example, the central beam on Solo and its vertical stabilizer have been combined into one element. The main landing gear is built from fiberglass using a new 2-stage vacuum system.
Originally, Tony said DAR Solo was designed to be sold as an airplane kit. "That's why the airfoil shape and manufacturing assembly have been carefully chosen and modified to be easily handled by customers. Thanks to modern engineering, Solo can be assembled on a regular workshop table. Kit customers receive all important parts ready for final assembly. Such features are required for a product that will be sold as kit set intended for private manual assembly."
In addition to the new representative in the USA, AeroplaneDAR has established dealers in various countries. "We are placed in different parts of the world through our friends and representatives: United States, UK, Austria, Germany, Russia, Australia and Brazil," wrote AeroplanesDAR.
The company has earned government approval in countries beside their home base in Bulgaria. In addition to meeting FAA's regulation, DAR Solo has won German approval for that country's 120 Kilogram Class (also honored in other EU countries), the Russian market, which has a 115 kilogram rule, and countries such as Korea. China has a similar rule and all these national programs are roughly similar to FAR Part 103.
This is the 14th running of the popular show in Mt. Vernon, Illinois. It's what I call an intimate, sector-specific show. By that I mean it is all the sort of aircraft I cover on this website… Light-Sport Aircraft, Sport Pilot-eligible kit aircraft, and ultralight aircraft.
Thursday is regarded as one of the slower days of the three-day event — some vendors only attend on Friday and Saturday. Yet at least two airplanes and maybe three or four were sold on opening day. It was a nearly perfect day to go for a demonstration flight and many did.
People often ask me why they should go to a show that is smaller than the giants of Oshkosh or Sun 'n Fun. One of my answers is that I see most of the same vendors year after year. They would not do that if the show did not produce results for them and that means new owners leave Mt. Vernon with a big smile on their faces.
I have written about Swan in various articles and the Romanian 
"Swan 103 is specifically designed to meet all requirements for the FAR Part 103 category," stated AVI Aircraft. Swan 103 was to be displayed in an exhibit hosted by "AVI Aircraft's USA representative, Mr. Tom Bartlett, who will also facilitate all sales of AVI Aircraft airplanes to the USA."
Radu is AVI Group's owner and president. He started developing AVI Group's aviation division in 2015.
Tom finally got the airplane through U.S. Customs and transported Swan 103 in its tiny factory trailer directly from the East Coast shipping broker to Mt. Vernon for the Midwest LSA Expo.
The six-minute video below will provide a good overall look at Swan 103 as built specifically for the U.S. Part 103 market.
The last two-stroke offered by the big Austrian engine manufacturer — builder of the ubiquitous 9-series four-stroke engines — was the Rotax 582. Producing 65 horsepower and earning a good reliability rating over many years, the 582 has been a dependable powerplant for the lightest powered aircraft that are larger and heavier than genuine Part 103 ultralights.
At Midwest 2020, Chip also introduced an engine he called Hybird. No, not hybrid (I had to correct my spellchecker three times on that one; it did not like Chip's alteration of the letters).
"The Aeromaine Vtwin is a 60 horsepower, liquid cooled, four-stroke, fuel-injected, electronic-ignition engine with electric starting," Chip summarized. "This engine incorporates state-of-the-art technology with decades of reliable history and many in service," he reinforced.
An engine built in the thousands per month makes a solid foundation yet it isn't factory ready to be mounted on an airplane. That requires some added components.
"Our matching reduction drive with custom CAD-designed and matched propeller results in the perfect power system for the Merlin aircraft at an excellent price," Chip maintains. "The Vtwin engine is supplied with a reduction drive and complete Merlin firewall forward package including including: engine mount, Merlin cowl, Aeromarine-LSA carbon propeller and spinner, radiator, and all fittings.
Why did Chip venture down this path? Wasn't developing an airframe and its many aspects enough challenge? The departure of HKS from the aviation market was one driver.
"The void in the availability of a 50-60 horsepower, four-stroke aircraft engine may be one reason that there are few single-seat aircraft," Chip speculated. "Rotax has reduced their offers of two-stroke engines and most pilots prefer four-cycle."
To install on the Merlin, Aeromarine LSA offers a complete package of firewall-forward components for $10,750, including engine mount, Merlin cowl, Aeromarine carbon propeller and spinner, radiator, and all fittings.
If you want features that exceed a Part 103 Merlin Lite, you will need to assemble a kit so you might like to see an example of the instruction quality. 
This is the 14th year for the 
While I cannot speak for every attendee, I can tell you that vendors return year after year for a very good reason: they sell airplanes. Pilots can thoroughly examine an airplane and perhaps make their decision. The result: both aircraft sellers and aircraft buyers go away with bigger smiles than when they arrived. That spells success.
Another key reason is that when you arrive at Mount Vernon airport (KMVN), by car or airplane, you will be greeted by people in bright orange shirts who will treat you exceedingly well. Lead by the very affable and determined to-satisfy manager Chris, I have never seen an airshow group go to more effort to make sure every single person present, both attendees and vendors, feel extremely welcome. To maintain such great customer service for 14 years is nothing short of remarkable.
They'll return better than ever for 2022. When the KR group first attended, these aircraft may not have seemed very similar to Light-Sport Aircraft or Sport Pilot kit aircraft. As we await FAA's Mosaic regulation, KRs may qualify to be flown by someone using Sport Pilot privileges, like most other aircraft that regularly attend Midwest.
When Ken Rand designed his KR-1 in 1972, he also pioneered a state-of-the-art foam-and-fiberglass composite construction method which has now become standard in homebuilt, commercial, and military aircraft. Its strength-to-weight ratio is superior to conventional construction methods, and the ease of shaping compound curves produces fast, clean surfaces that even a novice kit builder can master. The resulting KR aircraft are lightweight and trailerable.
I am hard at work on a fresh presentation that will update everything we learned about Mosaic at Oshkosh. Regular ByDanJohnson,com readers have 
Who can you expect to see at Midwest LSA 2022? The following companies have indicated they will show but last-minute changes may alter the exact list (aircraft and engines are shown first; other exhibitors follow).
“In Brazil, the creation of the LSA category took place in 2010 with the publication of rules for design and manufacture, and the implementation of the rules for operation, maintenance, and instruction occurred in a staggered manner,” clarified Kleber.
Brazil has five domestic LSA models recognized by ANAC and another three in process, he reported.
“FAA said the regulation text is being actively worked on and should be finished by September,” reported 
When Van's broke the news that their latest RV-15 model was a high wing, plenty of pilots snapped to attention. This company has produced one winner after another; here is their latest. Its bare aluminum glistened in bright sunlight and drew crowds through every day of Oshkosh 2022.
Will the model join the long line of distinguished RV models as a kit-built aircraft or could the company's first-ever high wing signify something else. After all, Van's did bring 
Does Van's know something you don't know? Oh, very probably they know far more than you know but the question digs at who knows what FAA is doing. Here's one company that may have a better handle on that than most others.
Van's president Rian Johnson is the head of the ASTM F37 committee that is working closely with the FAA to formulate standards that will be used when the new breed of LSA come on the market, which I now predict will happen in 2025.
Is Rian well informed in that position? Yes he is. Along with the rest of the committee's mostly-volunteer members, he gets access to information as FAA is willing to provide more. The agency is currently in an ex parte quiet period when it generally does not disclose details about a regulation in development. Yet if the consensus standards are to be ready when the regulation becomes active, ASTM standards writers must have some idea where the rule is headed. Rian is also a smart, thoughtful guy with years on F37 and he is motivated at the helm of Van's.
In short, if I was airplane shopping or if I was another manufacturer evaluating what Mosaic will bring… well, I'd pay a lot of attention to any new aircraft coming out of Van's.
Whatever the future may hold, RV-15 is one big, beautiful airplane…
As Van's reported, "We decided RV-15 needed "room to load two full-size mountain bikes in the baggage area without having to completely disassemble them." That should give you a better sense of the interior volume available.
The mission was clearly stated: "The RV-15 prototype is flying. It’s a high-wing airplane. Back-country mission capable. And (of course) 'Total Performance'," the latter summarizing the company's mission statement in two words.
Coming up with a new model that meets an RV expectation must be a daunting exercise for company personnel. RVs are revered for both their performance and their exquisite handling. I've had the pleasure to fly four different Van's models and each exhibited handling that was amazingly similar and simply wonderful in its control responsiveness and crispness. Any new Van's model has some mighty big shoes to fill.
Despite the long and deep experience of this 50-year-old manufacturer, founder Dick VanGrunsven said about the company's first high wing design, "It was really more of a challenge than I think most of us had anticipated going into it." Think about that. This is a company that has created models 1-14 and their 15th was a challenge? That honest statement should tell you that bringing a all-new aircraft to market is a very significant task.
The Oregon company took special pride in this 15th model. "We built almost every single part of this airplane in-house … every piece of metal that's on this airplane we processed ourselves," reported the company on a promotional video.
Drawing on all their considerable talents, the team brought their prototype to Oshkosh to the delight not only of longtime Van's fans but to thousands of others that examined the display model in great detail. The prototype RV-15 will definitely see changes, various of their personnel told Oshkosh attendees checking out the new model. For example, to allow for changes after initial flying, the right seat location was filled with a fuel tank that will end up in the wings. Placing it where a person might sit will permit them to make any desired wing changes faster.
As RV-15 is a prototype, many factors could change but to start, Van's engineers put a 220-horsepower, 4-cylinder Lycoming up front swinging an 80-inch prop. Takeoff roll is back-country short and the big engine should haul at least 900 pounds of useful load, or 600 pounds of payload with 50 gallons of fuel one board. Cruise is targeted at 140 knots. Many of RV-15's final specifications appear to match what experts expect in a Mosaic LSA.
The company is well aware that most pilots licensed in the last few decades have been trained in tricycle-gear aircraft. No question this makes for an easier trainer but nosewheel aircraft are no good in back country …or are they?
Viking Aircraft Engineer leader Jan Eggenfellner has developed the idea further than most in the goal of winning STOL contests. His 
Brazil's Answer to Mosaic
It doesn't hurt to have the head of your FAA-like organization making such statements when a manufacturer and a flight school can announce a major acquisition.
The announcement of "60 Montaer aircraft ordered by SAFE flight school" was cause for a big celebration. The purchase was "a culmination of a process that started almost a year ago when the SAFE technical committee established the requirements for a new aircraft to gradually substitute its current fleet." According to SAFE, they were looking to acquire a good performer and safe aircraft to instruct their pilots. They sought an aircraft that was “docile" as a Cessna 150, and had a ballistic parachute like the Cirrus SR-20 currently in SAFE’s fleet.
SAFE also wanted a manufacturer willing to create an electric version to let SAFE reach the goal of zero carbon emissions by 2025. The 60 aircraft delivery will occur over a 10-year timeframe.
SAFE and Montaer are in discussions with prominent electric motor suppliers such as Rolls Royce, Honeywell, and Brazilian WEG (which developed the electric propulsion engine system used in Embraer’s EMB-203 Ipanema). On this topic, the entrepreneur, founder, and CEO of Montaer, Bruno de Oliveira said, “SAFE's project is a beautiful and ambitious one, and for us at Montaer, it’s a great opportunity. It represents a big milestone to be able to bring the best of electric aviation technology to Brazil. By the next year, our first electric aircraft will already be a reality."
Montaer MC-01 with the Rotax 915iS will be unveiled and debuted at the Aero Showcase at DeLand on October 21 and 22 this year (link below)
The second video below goes into some detail about the aircraft, its construction, and special features.
https://youtu.be/vI64Q9a07p8
Here's my interview of Bryan Tittle from Sun 'n Fun 2021 which goes into some detail about MC-01 from Montaer.
https://youtu.be/oPTji4lWNF8
The good news, as I reported in the article, is that what emerges in one year will be a regulation that might actually go forward. Let me explain a little more fully.
During Oshkosh 2022, I attended three meetings where FAA spoke. I also had one-on-one discussions with several knowledgeable people. What follows is a fusion of all those conversations. While I believe this information to be accurate, the situation is changing and more questions will arise. Please consider this a snapshot in time.
Remember, this started during the Trump administration when the directive to federal agencies was essentially, "If you want a new regulation, get rid of two first."
When Congress granted FAA their budget request almost five years ago, it came with strings attached. FAA was to incorporate into the airspace vehicles I'll call multicopters and drones (yes, I know other names are used). By multicopters I mainly mean manned or crewed aircraft where by drones I mainly mean autonomously flown, no human pilot on board. This distinction is important relative to FAA's delay announcement at Oshkosh 2022.
As recent controversy about 
Then we have the Special airworthiness category… us.
Special — as opposed to Standard category, type certificated aircraft — are the other half of the Mosaic puzzle. Those eVTOLs or multicopters, or tilt-wings that have a human pilot on board are less difficult to incorporate. As industry expert Roy Beisswenger recently wrote to FAA (about BVLOS), "when pilots are on board, they have skin in the game," literally. A drone, even if live-remotely-piloted, has no skin in the game. That's an enormous difference.
FAA faced the facts and made a decision. They needed to split uncrewed aircraft from crewed aircraft. If they did not separate them, the difficulty in devising good rules for drones would hold back their ability to move forward with Mosaic as applied to crewed Special airworthiness aircraft… us.
Pilots do need to keep in mind that while we wait on FAA's effort to split the drones from the Specials, industry must also respond. ASTM is charged with preparing standards that match the regulation's requirements. Manufacturers must create aircraft for the revised regulation.
More privileges will be given to pilots and manufacturers, but that means those groups must stand up and take responsibility for more tasks.
This is a valid question. While prices on a used Cessna 172 or Piper Cherokee have soared higher in the last couple years, they still represent an economical way to own an airplane. Others may be interested in a kit-built plane somewhat larger or faster than today's LSA. More used LSA are coming to the market with lower prices but they are being snapped up by buyers almost as fast as they come on the market.
In addition, FAA has become comfortable with the endorsement process as used for Sport Pilots flying LSA. This means that a Sport Pilot can get further training — to fly into Class B airspace as one example — and his or her instructor need only correctly endorse their logbook; no test is required. This implies that a Sport Pilot who demonstrates the necessary skills may be permitted to upgrade to more seats or retractable gear. This is a very positive development and we hope it finds its way into the NPRM.
So, we will get our larger, faster, more capable LSA, which will cost more. Yet existing LSA meeting today's parameters can continue without interruption. Some of these are quite affordable and don't need to become bigger or faster to accomplish their mission. Thus, we keep what we have and we get new, more functional aircraft …a kind of eat your cake and keep it, too proposition.
Pilots will get more privileges and mechanics will be allowed to work on more aircraft after they obtain proper training. Neither is ELSA going away with its advantages.
It's all good — except for the wait that just got longer. At this time, I don't see any new-style LSA on the market before about spring 2025.
Of course, no such industry agreement happened. Each company examined their lines and chose individually to go forward with their designs. Honestly, they've all come out so recently they could not have coordinated such a broad launch in a single year even if they tried.
Nonetheless, here they are, one after another. I like it. I'm a high wing guy. To each his own but my single greatest joy aloft is looking down, watching the landscape unfold ahead of me. High wings offer the best downward visibility.
Then consider entry. No question — while low wings models have a sexy look, a shape that people equate with modern aircraft, they are much more challenging to enter. Given that LSA buyers are often in their 60s or older, ease of entry is a selling point.
I remember when Rotax first held a press conference in Oshkosh 2017 showing a display version their previously-announced 915iS. As soon as the company speakers concluded their remarks and their staff assembled behind a display-only 915iS on a stand, one man bolted out of his chair and began examining the then-new powerplant very carefully. That man was Mike Blythe the founder and chief designer at The Airplane Factory (TAF). It was immediately clear he had a design in mind and this engine fit the bill.
As you can see, Sling HW is cantilevered, further enhancing that downward visibility while also making outback flying more predictable by not have wing struts to catch bushes or other obstacles. Yet the wing structure does not intrude into the cabin as the wing is mounted above the cockpit.
The Airplane Factory is enjoying a nice run with their 
"Sling handling characteristics combined with the inherent stability of the classic high wing design," said Mike Blyth. "Added to this, all the latest modern-day design safety features, including ballistic parachute recovery system, low workload Garmin glass cockpit, efficient and 141 horsepower Rotax 915 iS turbocharged powerplant and Airmaster constant speed propeller."
"The extra-large cabin features wide, easy-access doors, superb four-place ergonomics and best in class comfort and quality," he contnued. "The removable rear seats increase the already generous baggage area providing for a great utility platform."
"For the first time we have a substantial portion of the aircraft, being the center fuselage, produced in composite fiber," wrote Mike. "This has allowed us to design an aerodynamic aircraft which is beautifully shaped, light and extremely strong."
The company explained, "For the first time we have a highly versatile aircraft that has a large useable cargo area. Remove the unused seats and controls quickly and easily, then fill it up with any kind of cargo. Sling High Wing can also be flown with the doors removed for photographic work or for use as a parachute jump ship."
Under U.S. regulation Sling HW has to enter the U.S. as a kit-built aircraft although a few fully-manufactured examples can enter the country to help with marketing and educating the pilot population. But when Mosaic becomes reality, perhaps by early 2025, TAF will be able to sell you a Sling HW fully ready-to-fly.
Archon developers and sellers Dave Hertner and Bill Canino reported that younger pilots aren't necessarily enamored of the WWII fighters. Those aircraft flew more than half a century before they were born.
What young military aircraft enthusiasts recognize are machines like Lockheed's F-35. Common on late-generation fighters, F-35 is all sharp edges and angled facets. It's quite — to use a word of another generation — gnarly and vicious looking.
You can't even afford the fuel bill to fly one of Lockheed's big bad boys. Virtually none of you will ever fly an F-35. Yet you could fly an Archon, a LSA-like warbird that looks significantly like a scaled-down (and unarmed) F-35.
Designed by a Greek policeman working largely by himself on a modest budget, Archon is a clever bit of engineering. It is built surprisingly light and, as shown in the accompanying photos, weighs significantly less than most LSA types. The design has flown around 700 hours Dave and Bill told me, The aircraft in the nearby photos has 400 hours on it and — get this! — all of it wth about 40 horsepower.
When he was ready to power his creation, Greek designer George Iliopoulos found a used Rotax 503 two-stroke engine. When new, these output 50 horsepower but George's 503 was a bit tired and produced only about 40 horsepower. Nonetheless, the aircraft flying the video below appears to perform reasonably well even with such low power.
Archon can be fitted with Rotax 912 or 915; the airframe is robust enough for 80 to 141 horsepower. "With our SF-1 Archon kit you can build your own modern fighter aircraft," said Dave and Bill. They added that the original Lockheed model was designed "to project air dominance,” according to the U.S. Air Force. Fittingly, Archon is the ancient Greek word for “ruler.”
Besides boosting the power substantially, Fisher Flying Products working in coordination with SportairUISA to change the design to increase its durability and finish quality. In Greece, George strove to keep weight to an absolute minimum because a 40 horsepower engine is what he had. With a more potent 9-series Rotax, the design can benefit from thicker skins throughout and small fairings to smooth wing/fuselage junctions. curve wingtips (and incorporate lighting), and other enhancements.
"The rapid build kits manufactured for SportairUSA may be reserved today, for delivery mid-2023," said SportairUSA.
The Canadian builder and U.S. sales representative are introducing the kit at "$34,900 with a $1,000 fully refundable deposit." The majority of components are preformed aluminum. The kit includes all necessary hardware and material to build an SF-1 Archon
With a new engine, new avionics, interior finishing, and paint, getting airborne for $80-$100,000 seems achievable. With a low-time used Rotax 912, modest paint, a simple interior, and basic instruments, perhaps you could have your own warbird airborne for less than $60-70,000. Some might call that "affordable."
"All kits are produced for SportairUSA by Fisher Flying Products, a Canadian company with decades of experience in kit aircraft manufacturing," announced the partnership. "The majority of components are preformed aluminum. The kit includes all necessary hardware and material to build an SF-1 Archon, except the engine, avionics and paint."
More Good FAA News
Composite FX and their $60,000 ready-to-fly XEL model (kit for $47,000) completely changes that thought experiment. Not only does this handsome aircraft perform impressively in experienced hands but many can afford it.
Yet this article is not about the product line the manufacturer is presently delivering. It's about a new project a Composite FX electrical engineer put together as a proof-of-concept, using the XE line as his platform. What you see nearby is the first iteration of his work and it has already flown successfully. Curious about run time? So is everyone; I heard the question asked repeatedly. But first…
The mainstream media seems mesmerized with electric vertical takeoff and landing vehicles (eVTOLs) and the promise of "air taxis." Development projects have attracted hundreds of millions of investment dollars …more than the entire LSA industry has spent to develop 157 models over 18 years.
I have no doubt this new direction in airborne technology could lead in fascinating directions, some of which will surely benefit all pilots. However, in any definition of "near-term," I simply cannot see corporate executives flying from one building in San Francisco to another.
This is not to doubt the technology these engineers are creating — from multicopters, to tilt wings, to ducted fans, to hybrid versions of all these. The truly intractable problems may be general public acceptance and regulatory accommodation.
Even if we assume that batteries will make some great leap forward in energy density, convincing a doubtful public that strange contraptions flying over their heads are not a danger will be hard. They will resist the noise a vertical takeoff aircraft makes. Electric motors may be much quieter than an internal combustion engine but the air movement to lift a 4-6 passenger vehicle vertically is going to generate a mighty racket. On a building rooftop in a downtown location, perhaps this is no problem. In your quiet home neighborhood, big problem, at least after the novelty of seeing your first Uber air taxi wears off. Not In My Back Yard (NIMBY) is a ready-made movement to resist this. Let's get more practical …and near-term.
The project is too new to even have a name yet so I'll label it "eXE" for now. The electric XE model has batteries contained in two side compartments (seen hinged up for viewing in nearby photos). Another battery is positioned below the electric power components.
Electric propulsion turns many conventional concepts on their heads. In an ePower system, the motor itself is surprisingly small and compact (nearby image). Obviously more powerful motors will be larger but for a single-place helicopter like the XE series, the motor is flywheel-sized, a stack of old record albums a few inches thick. I marvel at how such a small component can put out such energy.
Electric motors are also good in torque. This suits helicopter operation quite well. Although the energy draw-down on batteries when performing vertical takeoff is rapid, the torque delivers the power that such a takeoff requires.
