If you are an ultralight enthusiast (as I certainly am!), then you are probably celebrating with me as FX1 joins the Special LSA fleet — which it does as Number 150 on our popular 
The older JetFox models were more clearly ultralights. These were European ultralights, which are somewhere between a Part 103 ultralight vehicle and LSA of today.
The design always caught my eye and I very much enjoyed flying the late '90s model. However, I did not enjoy worming my way into the cockpit around tubing structure and throwing a leg over the stick. You needed to be something of a contortionist to enter and I did not do so very gracefully.
Times change. Along came modern LSA in all manner of aircraft and along came carbon fiber, digital instrumentation, crashworthy designs, and modern engines like Rotax's 912iS. Longtime JetFox/FX1 designer Alfredo di Cesare made incremental changes to the JetFox series but he kept aware of the changing design of light aircraft and moved forward with an entirely fresh creation. Virtually every part of 
Chris created the 
"At the controls were southern California-based reps for the aircraft, Pete Schutte and Deon Lombard. In the post-flight photograph are (from left to right) Deon Lombard, 
I've already bought my ticket and will be on hand all three days of the Midwest LSA Expo. I hope you can make it, as well.
MWLSA is located about an hour's drive east of St. Louis. The airport is all LSA, Sport Pilot kits, and ultralights for the show days. You can visit with about 40 aircraft vendors (weather permitting and it usually is good) and you can take a demo flight in mere minutes.
The airport has forums, air conditioned inside displays, food, regular bathrooms, and a ramp full of fun airplanes. The town has plenty of restaurants and hotels, all reasonably priced.
What's not to love?
Here's a short video image about FX1 at Oshkosh and Mt. Vernon. Enjoy!
If you are an ultralight enthusiast (as I certainly am!), then you are probably celebrating with me as FX1 joins the Special LSA fleet — which it does as Number 150 on our popular SLSA List. Here’s a secret: the SLSA List is one of the most-visited features on ByDanJohnson.com. Those who frequent that page know they can find all the Special LSA that have been accepted by FAA with links to the manufacturer, their importer if appropriate, contact info and all our content about any of the long list of aircraft. We are nearly at the 15-year anniversary since FAA released the regulation for what is now known as Sport Pilot / Light-Sport Aircraft; the rule came out in early September 2004. It was grandly previewed at Airventure Oshkosh that summer. The first approvals — Evektor‘s SportStar and Flight Design‘s CT2K — were granted in April of 2005 at the Sun ‘n Fun event.
After impressing European pilots at the big German show called Aero Friedrichshafen, producer InnovAviation brought their sleek and sexy FX1 for Americans to see at Oshkosh 2019. For American representation, the Italian producer will be teaming up with Deon Lombard, who also represents the 
I can't imagine how anyone can look at Alfredo Di Cesare's creation and not react with admiration. Italian companies are known for dashing and innovative lines (think: Ferrari or any number of auto companies or LSA giant, Tecnam). Design talent is definitely not lacking from Italian products; FX1 should be an object of national pride.
The FX1 is an evolved fourth-generation aircraft following the JetFox 97 from the 1990s. Designed by Alfredo Di Cesare, a noted aircraft designer with over 35 years of experience in the sport-plane industry, FX1 is clearly related to the earlier model but it is so different in many ways that it is unfair to compare them directly.
Sitting in FX1 at Oshkosh, it is immediately clear this is not the JetFox97. The older model was much more challenging to enter as you had to contort your body to wriggle around structure. Once in it was comfortable but the all-new FX1 is far easier partly thanks to those shapely curved doors.
FX1 is a welded steel structure with a carbon fiber skin. During an Oshkosh video interview we learned the carbon fiber skin can be completely removed in about one and half hours when, for example, you may need to do a very thorough inspection.
Some aircraft that evolved from similar design can have rather awkward engine mounts, commonly with exposed engines. While I see nothing wrong with that — and they are certainly easy to inspect and maintain — Alfredo's has smoothly encased the fuel injected 
A luggage compartment aft of the cockpit has access doors on each side and the space is open side to side giving ample area for items you wish to transport to your destination. For things you might want in flight, a space behind the occupant's heads is available. Seats are comfortable and the cockpit measures a broad 49 inches wide (almost 10 inches more than a Cessna 172).
In the side-by-side seats, FX1 features handsome side sticks on the outside of each seat. A single throttle is center mounted. All controls are within an easy reach.
Visibility is enormous, with occupants surrounded by perhaps 300 degrees of clear acrylic. The Rotax engine above and in front of the cockpit is almost out of sight and only very marginally impedes your vision, less so than most engines on the nose of an aircraft.
"FX1 delivers ease of flying, comfort, safety, ruggedness, durability, attractive styling and exceptional performance across the board," boasted the company. For more, 
Years ago, back in the late 1990s, I flew an aircraft called JetFox 97. It resembled the Flightstar of the day and both were modeled on talented European designer Hans Gygax's designs. Along came Light-Sport Aircraft in 2004; years passed with not much word about the increasingly aged JetFox 97.
It's back and looking handsome, cloaked in a carbon fiber fuselage. Since this is an Italian design, it has the beauty we often associate with products from that country. I am describing Alfredo Di Cesare's FX1.
You can 
While FX1 clearly follows the Jetfox 97 — its overall shape, planform, and layout are very similar — the new model is very different in some ways not obvious in the nearby photos.
To start, FX1 uses a chrome moly steel internal structure, with a beautifully-shaped carbon fiber exterior, and riveted aluminum wings and tail.
No doubt, Alfredo's latest is a dramatic update from the one of two decades back.
Today, as then, the main engine choice is the Rotax 912 ULS carbureted engine but InnovAviation will soon begin offering the Rotax 912iS Sport fuel injected version.
We've got the answers and more.
FX1 will make its first showing at 
Look for Deon, Alfredo, FX1, and L600 in the ultralight / light plane area of Oshkosh at the south end of the sprawling airshow grounds (you can take a free tram ride if the hike is too much for you).
Meanwhile, enjoy our video interview and look for Videoman Dave and I at Oshkosh (though we'll be a blur as we zoom back and forth making many more of the videos you love. Specifications are shown below the video.
By the way, the use of technology seeks not only to save weight. New methods are used because they can, that is, developers don't need to jump through the regulatory hoops as demanded in Part 23. LSA developers can quickly implement new ideas and materials.
Boeing’s Aurora is one of a flock of new developments aimed at the air taxi trade but it could result in a sport model.
Seamax LSA Seaplane
Flight Design USA
Aeropilot L600 and New FX1
Aeropilot USA
FX1's cabin is fully enclosed and sports large, curved doors. The tail is joined by a more conventional looking fuselage rather than a simple tailboom. The engine is now fully enclosed. Flightstar built it the way they did for some 1,000 aircraft to keep the weight down to a minimum because of the ultralight regulations of the day. That was also a simpler time and today's FX1 may have appeared bulky and expensive back in the early 2000s.
After bringing in the aircraft of other producers Alfredo began work on his own design resulting in the JetFox 91 (in 1991), followed by an upgraded model called JetFox 97, and finally the JetFox GT in 2005. That was about the time Light-Sport Aircraft burst on the scene and caused pilots to look in new directions bringing doubt about the future of JetFox.
A dozen years later, Alfredo is back with his best looking project yet, called FX1, a fourth-generation sport plane evolved from multiple European sport planes over the last three decades. "This modern computer-aided design has been carefully engineered to optimize all aspects of a proven configuration," said Di Cesare (see sidebar). "It incorporates countless improvements and refinements that came from the knowledge and experience of working with similar designs."
Given a fresh design with Italian styling and the promise of future sales, InnovAviation announced several developments.
"We've got financial support to ramp up our serial production," said the company. They plan to demonstrate Special LSA compliance and will seek FAA acceptance "within 2017."
Their first sale went to their dealer in Israel and they noted, "We are in negotiations for dealerships in France, Scandinavia, Australia, and Iran."
For U.S. consumption, "We are in negotiations with a group of investors from Florida in order to establish a US sales and assembly point."
"We've people coming to our factory for demo flights every month," added Alfredo.
Looking for more? Contact Alfredo via 
Improved forward visibility — to enhance flying enjoyment and safety.
John Hunter has extensive experience with Drifter, AirCam, and several Aeroprakt models. Recently, he has been in Italy visiting Innovaviation to conduct the first test flights.
Created by JetFox designer, Alfredo Di Cesare, FX 1 is a modern aircraft cabin and fuselage structure made primarily of light weight carbon-graphite composite with wings and tail built from aluminum. Under the shapely skin is a cage of welded chromoly steel that provides robust occupant protection.
Alfredo wrote, "FX1 is a fourth-generation sport plane [that] evolved from successful European designs of the last three decades." Using computer-aided design FX1 "has been carefully engineered to optimize all aspects of a proven configuration."
Additional details including many more photos plus design considerations can be found on 
"The aircraft is stable, yet responsive. It does not display control sensitivity in any axis, yet control response is very positive. It can easily be flown with neutral trim throughout it's speed range, including all three stages of flap deployment (15º, 30º, and 45º).
"In flight it does not exhibit significant changes pitch with the application or retraction of power, and controls do not become heavy from changes in configuration or speed. Stall behavior is "tame" and predictable, exhibiting a mild break, shallow pitching and a quick recovery.
"Seating is comfortable, and adjustable fore and aft. The optional side-stick control system works well, and I found the aircraft easy to fly from either seat (left seat requires left-hand control, with right-hand for the right seat). The standard control will be conventional dual joy-sticks, centrally mounted. A vernier throttle is installed at the center of the panel. Control for the hydraulic brakes is a manual lever mounted forward between the seats, and includes a parking brake valve. Turn radius is adequate for ramp maneuvers.
"The first flap position (15º) is recommended for takeoff. On turf, the nose gear can be rotated in 5 seconds, and liftoff occurs 8 seconds from standstill, with winds calm and a takeoff weight of 950 pounds (solo flight with 50% fuel). Takeoff roll is approximately 320 feet. Standard day rate of climb at 80 mph is 1,050 feet per minute.
"On landing, the first flap position is recommended on downwind, second on crosswind (30º), and third on final (45º, full flaps). The fowler flaps are effective, and necessary for short field operations. The aircraft exhibits low drag, and speed control is imperative for short runways. The aircraft flares well, and is easy to land. When I asked for speeds, John noted he used 75 mph on downwind, 60 on base leg, and 55 over the fence after full flaps (45º) were deployed.
"The cabin is comfortable, relatively quiet, and visibility is excellent. The FX1 has a high-quality feel, and is a pleasure to fly."
FX 1 was designed to conform to American regulations. John's goal has been to establish production of the FX1 in the United States, both for the domestic market and for export. "I have been working with Innovaviation over the past two years towards that end, and having just flown the plane, we are definitely on the right track," John expressed.
When Fx1 makes landfall in the USA, we will look toward a video interview with John and perhaps a fuller flight report. If interested to keep up with John Hunter's effort to import FX1, call (207) 271-3040.