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.
Some kind of remarkable thing happened here in Mt. Vernon, Illinois where the Midwest LSA Expo is taking place. Out of the 30 or 40 airplanes on display, no less than three of them are what I’ll call “next generation” Part 103 ultralight entries. 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 Merlin Lite, the AVI Swan I wrote about yesterday, and today’s subject: AeroplanesDAR’s Solo. All three are impressive and all three break away from the common Part 103 ultralight using “tube and gusset” construction Two years ago I reported on the Merlin Lite and the pace of its innovative development has quickened. Chip’s popular entry will soon enter into a new production agreement so the airplanes will be assembled here in the USA by a longtime reliable expert.
Bulgarian designer Tony Ilieff is on a mission to find new representatives for his handsome light aircraft after concluding earlier representation in Canada. Built carefully — that is, without lots of weighty options — Solo can fit the Part 103 category. Given accelerating interest in Part 103 aircraft in recent years, I'd bet someone will step up for this opportunity.
"Ho hum," you yawn. "Don't we already have lots of Part 103 choices?"
While candidate Bernie Sanders criticized stores selling numerous brands of deodorant, choice serves highly-individualized interests. We don't all want the same things.
A single make of car was a poor selection for subjects of the former Communist East Germany; the state-produced 
As noted, this company, in very different form and with a military mission, started almost 100 years ago in 1912 as the Bulgarian State Aircraft Workshops. In 1925 the company started producing airplanes under a name employing the letters DAR.
After the fall of communism, Bulgaria in the early 1990s was a place full of hope and enthusiasm. One of those enthusiasts was Tony Ilieff, an engineer working at the Sofia airport. In 1995 he and a small group of engineers started a small ultra-light aircraft company. Tony named the company “
Solo UL gives the owner somewhat higher weight — 260 kilograms or 572 pounds gross — that can allow more options. Solo has been designed be a bit heavier than a typical Part 103 entry, but you'll need an inspection and N-numbers, a pilot certificate, and you'll have to build it from a kit. Buyers, however, are often attracted to genuine Part 103 models that can be bought ready-to-fly.
Addressing a still-lighter segment of aircraft, Solo 120 got leaner to meet the German 120-kilogram class. As 120 kilograms is 264.5 pounds, this is close to the empty, dry weight of 254 pounds (115 kilograms) as allowed by FAA. With an available parachute, DAR 120 should easily qualify under the American regulation but the company posted on Facebook about a DAR 115 model they say meets Part 103. Another market, Russia, has a similar weight limit.
Interest in Part 103 ultralights has been heating up according to my best information. As I seek to ask every single one of the 58 producers of Part 103-compliant aircraft about their recent sales successes I expect to learn more. Information flowing from Tony is start of what I expect and hope will be many more examples.
Even though I am just getting started with the Par 103 List and my survey of the industry, I am already ready to make a risky prediction, something I rarely do, as my crystal ball does not always turn out to be accurate.
My prediction — We may see more units delivered by the Part 103 industry than all Special LSA registered in the USA over the last year.
Solo from Aeroplanes DAR is a single-seat, single-engine, high-wing ultra-light airplane. All Solo models are constructed with mixed materials involving aluminum wings and composite airframe. During development Aeroplanes DAR introduced new technologies and unique practices.
"Creating such a light, affordable aircraft required an absolutely new approach to the design," said Tony. "Combining metal wings and composite airframe was a key to minimizing weight and to have excellent flight performance." Composite technology gave Ilieff a possibility to integrate different parts; for example, the central fuselage beam and vertical stabilizer are one single part (see nearby drawing).
"Our leader in the lightest category, FAR 103, is DAR Solo," wrote Tony. "Solo complies with FAR 103 rules." He reported Solo has been in production since 2008.
"We made several modifications through the years; the Solo we produce now is the fifth generation."
Other national markets offer light aircraft regulation roughly similar to Part 103 rules: Britain has SSDR for slightly larger (than 103) aircraft and Sub-70 for very light machines. Germany has its 120-Kilogram Class for which the Solo 120 is designed. Russia has an even closer-to-Part-103 variant called the 115-kilogram category. Other nations, including China, Korea, and Brazil, also have variations on the 103 theme. All feature less regulation, which contributes to lower prices of these machines.
"We have discontinued with a Canadian dealer and our sales in USA are still minimal," said Tony while also noting that four Solo aircraft are presently flying in America. "We are looking for a dealer in USA."
As reported earlier, prices are good enough that the Canadian dealer offered Solo for only $18,900 — though that is no guarantee prices will remain as they were. However, this figure shows Solo to be affordable to many buyers.
Aeroplanes DAR's Solo has been certified as a European-style ultralight aircraft by one of the bodies sanctioned by Germany's LBA (their equivalent of FAA). All three models — Solo 120, Solo UL, and 23 Duo, which functions as a basic trainer — remain in production in 2021.
Solo is powered by engines from Polini featuring a single-cylinder, two-stroke, liquid-cooled, carbureted aircraft powerplant.
On Solo UL, a Thor 250 DS produces 36.5 horsepower through a two-blade wooden prop. For those interested to earn a bit of extra weight, a Galaxy GRS 260 emergency parachute fits this light aircraft well.
The somewhat lighter Solo 120, which meets German 120 kilogram rules, is powered by a Polini Thor 200 EVO producing 28 horsepower through a two blade wooden prop. For the lighter aircraft a Galaxy GRS 240 emergency parachute system is available.
DAR Solo is available with a folding wing to reduce hangar costs. A folding system good for transport should be soon available, the company said. Folding wings allows the pilot to assemble the plane by him or herself and prepare it for flight within 30 minutes. Learn more on 
We still have such models as the popular 
Aeroplanes Dar's main production facility is in Sofia, Bulgaria (a few hundred miles straight north of Athens, Greece). This location has advantages, the company believes. "We stay competitive in terms of prices [because in] Bulgaria taxes are the lowest in all of Europe."
Although Aeroplanes DAR goes back more than 100 years, it changed dramatically in 1995 when a man named Tony Ilieff took over the company, making serial production a priority.
"Our target is mass production of single, two and four-seated ultra and light planes based on all-metal technology," said Tony. "For this purpose we created a special sheet management technology in which all aluminum details are cut by laser and shaped by CNC machines."
Aeroplanes DAR is not solely an aluminum-bending company. "In addition, we are working on the use of composites in our constructions as they provide us with certain advantages: weight, strength, and price."
Composite parts in both Solo models are made by carbon, aramid and fiberglass in molds under vacuum and controlled temperature. "Using this technique, the central (front-to-back) beam and vertical stabilizer has been combined in one. Main landing gear is fiberglass built with a new two-stage vacuum process."
"Originally our Solo was designed to be sold as an airplane kit," explained Tony. "That's why airfoil and assembly have been specially chosen and modified to be easily handled by customers and can be assembled on a regular workshop table. The customer receives all-important parts ready for final assembly. These important features are required for a product that will be sold as kit set, intended for private manual assembly."
TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS
DAR Solo UL
Electric aircraft continue to be a Euro focus and are now joined by "multicopters" / "drones" / "UAVs" …call them what you will.
In the USA, you can buy the 
One of my personal delights is the lightest aircraft flown solo. I find an essential magic to flight when the aircraft is particularly lightweight.
We never lost "Ultralight Vehicles" in the U.S. — matter of fact, F.A.R. Part 103 has now been in place for 32 years! U.S.-style ultralights now have counterparts in Europe. The British use the term "SSDR" (for Single Seat De Regulated) while the Germans permitted a "120-Class" for aircraft that weigh only 120 kilograms, or 264 pounds. All three regulatory schemes envision essentially the same flying machines, though with the usual international diversity.
I already reported on the Aerolite 120 — sold in the USA by 
I referred earlier to the 
