At Sun ‘n Fun 2024, Aeromarine’s Chip Erwin demonstrated just how quickly the TrueLite’s wing can be folded. Of course, he’s pretty practiced at it and there’s still one more to do, but it’s impressive nonetheless.
Top Rudder — Have It Your Way
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https://youtu.be/NN-Q-dYOOEcTop Rudder Aircraft, maker of the new Solo (Part 103) and Ruckus (LSA) aircraft, has one of the hottest booths at this year’s Sun ‘n Fun. The company sold six of 10 available slots it had for planes in 2024 before the show opened on Friday. Both planes are based on a Troy Woodard design that had been around for a while, but it was only three months ago that Bryce Angel started Top Rudder to make these ultralight and light sport variants. “It’s designed like a 1300-pound aircraft that’s we’ve modified for two entirely different kinds of flying,” explains Top Rudder’s Chief Engineer George Boney. “It can handle up to 200 hp, but our standard Polini 303 allows for stall speeds under 20 mph and a cruise of 50 for ultralight flying. Or, you can add another fuel tank, a slightly larger engine and tires and have an inexpensive backcountry sport plane that has real STOL capabilities.” In its sport configuration with the Polini, the plane weighs about 350 pounds and is capable of limited acrobatics.
Silverlight Aviation’s Recon
Silverlight Aviation’s new Recon EAB high wing is promising pilots versatility and economy. The plane was just unveiled this week at Sun ‘n Fun, and ordering now can reportedly have you traveling to Zephyrhills Municipal Airport in Florida in four months to build it. The starting price of $110,000 includes a Rotax 912uls and a build assist which reportedly gets you a plane in 17 days. The folding-wing Recon can be built as a tri-wheel or tail dragger, and the starting payload of 600+ lb allows you to trade payload for tundra tires if you want to go backcountry flying. “This plane was modeled on the Apollo LSA,” said Silverlight owner Abid Farooqui. “We stretched it out a little, made a wider cabin, added to the wingspan, and changed the airfoil to improve its efficiency.” The result, Farooqui says, is a plane that has a real world payload, can cruise at 90-100 knots, and stall at 37 kt clean or 33 kt with flaperons engaged.
Aero 1000 Engine
Air-Tech, supplier of the Aero 1000 HO 4-stroke ultralight engine, is here at Sun ‘n Fun to remind builders that they have engines ready for immediate delivery. Air-Tech, which is a full-service, authorized dealer for the popular Quicksilver aircraft, introduced this 39-hp electronically fuel injected thumper a few years back. The company was responding to light aircraft pilot requests for four-stroke reliability. “The two-stroke engine will be a thing of the past for aviation sooner or later,” contends Air-Tech production manager Ken Borne. The problem, Borne says, has been the availability of 4-strokes to replace these engines.” But now we have several of these Helvenco Swiss-made engines ready to go at all times,” he said. The engine has been in use for more than a decade in Europe’s highly competitive carting world,” details Borne. “The cart racers run them for 24 hours at up to 15,000 RPM.
Goose—The Digital Co-Pilot
You can have a co-pilot… even when you can’t get anyone to fly with you! ‘Goose’ is an iOS and Android app which its creators describe as “Alexa for pilots.” “It’s like having a flight instructor or knowledgeable pilot sitting next to you,” explains Goose’s creator Jeff Bonasso. Introduced a few years ago and formally known as MiraCheck, the app has just been redesigned by AeroSys Technologies. The app works through a series of voice and GPS location activated checklists. For example, tell Goose (through your Bluetooth headset or your phone/tablet mic) that you’re ready for engine start and the app will read the specified list to you, pausing at each step for you to say “Check” before moving on. You can download previously created checklists or make your own. Once you’re in the air Goose can be set to follow your flight and provide an emergency or pre-landing checklist when asked, or notify you if you deviate from your course or planned altitude.
Vittorazi Cosmos 300 EFI
One of light aviation’s most popular engines will soon be available with electronic fuel injection. Vittorazi displayed its Cosmos 300 EFI for the first time this week at Sun ‘n Fun. The carbureted version of the 36 horsepower two-stroke is a favorite for PPG applications. Vittorazi’s team leader and developer for the EFI version, Santino Genovese, says the company focused on adding to what made the carb version so great. “Simplicity was our goal,” Genovese said. “Not only for the EFI unit of the engine, but for the user too.” To this end, Genovese points to the engine’s ability to recognize when it’s being started ‘cold,’ and that it’s probably not a good idea for the throttle to be forward very far at that point. “With this engine there won’t be a runaway trike or a paraglider knocked down because the throttle was mistakenly set at full during startup,” explains Genovese.
Flybreezy—A Wind-Powered Generator
Having an action camera on your wing can add to the fun of flying. Keeping that camera charged during longer flights so you have something to look at later… not so much. But Flybreezy, a company based in California, has a new product aimed at making battery charging less of an issue for pilot videographers. “We took the idea of a Ram Air Turbine and miniaturized it to create a detachable, wind-powered USB charger,” details Flybreezy inventor Steve O’Connor. “It generates 15 watts and can power two GoPro cameras if you’re flying above 64 mph, or a single camera at 55 mph.” The 3x4x6” device weighs about a pound and can be mounted to an aircraft with just about any commercially available GoPro compatible mount. You can affix it and the camera together or mount it away from the camera(s) and run cables. Type ‘A’ and ‘C’ USB ports are standard.
A First Look at Sun ‘n Fun — LSA, We Got ‘em!
Editor’s Note: Here again let’s take a quick look at some of the LSAs we’ve seen so far at Sun ‘n Fun and welcome Mark Timney to our contributors for this show. The first-day crowd at Sun ‘n Fun 2024’s Paradise City was a little smaller than usual according to long-time attendees, but what the event’s light sport area might have lacked in numbers it made up for in aircraft evolution. Of particular note: A sleek, new low wing from Italy’s CFM Aviation that could set the bar for tomorrow’s MLSAs; Magni Gyro’s long awaited M26 Victor; and, a speedy new ultralight flexwing from FlyLight called the ‘Nine. ‘ The hustle and bustle of opening day prevents a detailed report on these aircraft at this time… only an entry-level tease of what Sun ‘n Fun is offering up this year. The Nine trike, which Great Britain’s Flylight sells through Blue Collar Aviation (BCA) in the US, is distinguished by its 56 mph hands-off cruise speed.