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Mosaic-Ready Powerplant… BRP-Rotax Surprises Sun ‘n Fun with a Powerful New Announcement

By Dan Johnson || March 28, 2023 5 Comments

Sun 'n Fun 2023 — Day 1

During 2023, in only three months, I've lost count how many airframe producers have told me a story that goes something like this…

"We (some manufacturer) offer two 100-horsepower choices: a Rotax 912ULS (carbureted) and 912iS (fuel injected), plus the new 141-horsepower 915iS (fuel injected, intercooled). Yet everyone is ordering the 915." More power always draws interest. As you read yesterday, BRP-Rotax has bumped up the juice on the 912iS. Paul Mather of M-Square reported, "Rotax's latest 912iS now offers 105 horsepower." This increase is not particularly unusual. BRP-Rotax has long been quite conservative with their initial numbers. Before 915iS was ready for market, the Austrian manufacturer said to expect 135 horsepower. It turned out to test at 141 continuous horsepower, a 4% increase.

And Now…! Rotax's newest 916iS

At their Sun 'n Fun 2023 press conference, Rotax said, "We are proud to achieve a new level of performance with the launch of our Rotax 916iS/c aircraft propulsion system, which makes it perfectly suitable for four seater planes and for high performance two seaters." Float-equipped airplanes may embrace the more potent engine as an aid to break water faster.

How about 160 horsepower!? That's a 19-horse or 13% gain in power, all essentially from the same engine core? With Mosaic set to allow four seaters, heavier airplanes, greater speed, and probably retractable gear, the newest 916iS seems perfectly situated for Mosaic. However, since the new rule won't allow deliveries before early 2025, does that mean a long wait for a 916iS? No, as it not made expressly for Mosaic. Indeed, BRP-Rotax already has a launch customer: CubCrafters. The popular Cub maker has never used Rotax. They used their own engine (one they had manufactured to their specifications). Understandably, the European engine maker is pleased to win CubCrafters as a new customer.

Rotax observed, "Our Rotax 916iS/c showcased its power for the first time in the new CubCrafters Carbon Cub UL, a new engineering prototype equipped with the 916iS." "Working with Rotax on the 916iS/c has been a great collaboration. We are excited to launch our latest products together and make them available worldwide," said Patrick Horgan, president and CEO of CubCrafters. "The powerful and smooth single lever operation Rotax 916iS/c is outstanding, bringing the latest engine technology to the Carbon Cub family." Patrick added that 916iS/c is compatible with fuels available worldwide. Single lever control is a simplified means of offering an in-flight adjustable pitch propeller. SLC does not increase the pilot's workload, eliminating the need for flight training required to use a constant-speed propeller. The concept (explanatory article), also used in every Cirrus airplane, was promoted by LAMA and is likely to be accepted by FAA in Mosaic.

Progressive Aerodyne's Searey offered a long-time test bed for single lever control installation. ▫️ This particularly handsome Searey is operated by FlytheBeach.com, an active northern Florida flight operation that "has more Seareys than Searey." FlytheBeach is operated by partners Ryan and Rose who have 4,500 Searey hours between them. This beautifully painted Searey was parked at Sun 'n Fun 2023.

"The launch of the 916 ISC is yet another testament to our commitment to developing groundbreaking technologies and creating the most advanced propulsion system for our customers," stated Rotax General Manager Peter Ölsinger of Rotax Propulsion Systems. He continued, "For us, it was crystal clear that we had to build on the success of the 915 engine. We can now seize new opportunities in the four-seat market segment with a perfectly mature product." How "mature" is this brand-new engine? Most new powerplants, especially from careful producers such as Rotax, begin life with a 1,000- or 1,200-, or perhaps a 1,500-hour Time Between Overhaul (TBO). However, right out of the gate, 916iS/c offers a 2,000-hour TBO, matching the best from any engine maker in the industry. That shows confidence. The latest 916iS/c has a maximum operating altitude of 23,000 feet; maximum continuous power is available to 15,000 feet.

Little Things That Matter a Lot

Notice that "c" on the end? It's a little letter with a big meaning — "certified." Rotax noted, "In addition, the 916iS/c is an alternative for IFR flights as well as for commercial flying, for example, flight schools. Of course, that little letter "c" its going to increase the price because it is "certified."

However, Rotax literature specified other variations, such as the 916iS (no "c"), which they describe as the ASTM compliant engine, making them suitable for LSA today and Mosaic LSA or mLSA in 2025. The 916iS/c is certified by EASA (Europe's rough equivalent to FAA). Commonly, reciprocal agreements between CAAs in western European nations and FAA in America allows the U.S. agency to accept EASA's approval and vice versa. Helicopters (and, finally, fully-built gyroplanes) are also expected to be permitted under Mosaic. As rotary aircraft often prefer higher power, 916iS appears to offer a good fit.

Since 915iS has been winning converts steadily, I predict a wonderful response to the latest and greatest from the largest supplier of light aircraft engines in the world. Strap your seat belt securely, clear the sky ahead and push that SLC throttle to the max. Hoo-yah!

Sun ‘n Fun 2023 — Day 1 During 2023, in only three months, I’ve lost count how many airframe producers have told me a story that goes something like this… “We (some manufacturer) offer two 100-horsepower choices: a Rotax 912ULS (carbureted) and 912iS (fuel injected), plus the new 141-horsepower 915iS (fuel injected, intercooled). Yet everyone is ordering the 915.” More power always draws interest. As you read yesterday, BRP-Rotax has bumped up the juice on the 912iS. Paul Mather of M-Square reported, “Rotax’s latest 912iS now offers 105 horsepower.” This increase is not particularly unusual. BRP-Rotax has long been quite conservative with their initial numbers. Before 915iS was ready for market, the Austrian manufacturer said to expect 135 horsepower. It turned out to test at 141 continuous horsepower, a 4% increase. And Now…! Rotax’s newest 916iS At their Sun ‘n Fun 2023 press conference, Rotax said, “We are proud to achieve a new level of performance with the launch of our Rotax 916iS/c aircraft propulsion system, which makes it perfectly suitable for four seater planes and for high performance two seaters.” Float-equipped airplanes may embrace the more potent engine as an aid to break water faster.

WHAT?! A Cub Dragging its Nose Rather than its Tail? CubCrafters’ Newest Entry…

By Dan Johnson || June 18, 2020 5 Comments

What on Earth is the world coming to…?! A Cub with a nose wheel? Has the aviation world gone mad?

No, of course not. Admittedly, though, a nosedragger is certainly not what most pilots think when they envision a Cub. Leading manufacturer CubCrafters has explored many corners of the Cub world, filling niche after niche in fulfilling resilient demand for this popular airplane design. (Note that I keep calling this aircraft a "Cub," instead of "Cubalike" because the Washington company actually owns that name after acquiring it from Piper some time back.)

Cub Wonderment

"Following a year-long public market survey," CubCrafters announced, "[we have] officially decided to [start efforts to] certify and offer a nosewheel option for our flagship Part 23 certified aircraft, the CC-19 XCub." This is not an Light-Sport Aircraft entry, however, the model remains easily within the coverage area this website pursues.

“Putting a nosewheel on a modern Cub type aircraft certainly surprised some people," noted CubCrafters' VP of Sales & Marketing, Brad Damm. "The overwhelming public response has been positive, especially among more than 300 pilots that had the opportunity to fly the airplane during the market survey phase." “A nosewheel equipped XCub is a very easy airplane to fly that takes off shorter, lands shorter, and cruises faster than the tailwheel version," Brad added. "Once a pilot is in the airplane and experiences it, the advantages are obvious.” “Engaging our customers has been hugely important,” said Patrick Horgan, President of CubCrafters. “We went into this process not entirely sure if the market wanted to accept a nosewheel-type personal adventure Cub." He reported the question has been resolved. "We’ve had people wanting to place deposits for this aircraft from day one. Our customers have made it very clear that they want us to build this airplane.”

CubCrafters said that a variety of pilots with varying skill levels invested hundreds of hours of real-world use during the market survey phase. The Yakima company said this experience led to many design improvements that might not have happened solely from company engineers.

Going Both Ways

“XCub is easily convertible between nosewheel and tailwheel," CubCrafters said, "so you really get two airplanes in one: a tricycle-gear aircraft, and a traditional big-tire tailwheel Cub. Both are very capable STOL aircraft designed for backcountry missions.” CubCrafters boasts "an extremely robust trailing-link nosewheel assembly and large tundra tires as an option for the mains." The company said the traditional tail-dragging XCub can handle "primitive landing strips" plus most off-airport operations. Likewise landing loads on the nosewheel are transmitted to the airframe by a heavy duty truss and can accommodate unimproved landing surfaces.

Regarding retrofit, the nosewheel assembly "is a bolt-on effort that can be removed should the owner want to convert the airplane to a tailwheel configuration." XCub's tricycle gear option is available now on experimental XCubs through the company’s Builder Assist program Following the company's also-Part 23 Cub, the nosedragger has been badged as “NX Cub” for aircraft delivered from the factory in nosewheel configuration. CubCrafters expects to achieve FAA Part 23 certification for NX Cub in early 2021.

Company founder Jim Richmond added, “I’ve always believed that back-country flying should be open to more than just tailwheel rated pilots.” While not about XCub or NX Cub, this video pilot report featuring both Videoman Dave and me will provide more info about flying CubCrafters SuperSport. This is different than our usual work; enjoy!

https://youtu.be/vAK0iwHuf5I

What on Earth is the world coming to…?! A Cub with a nose wheel? Has the aviation world gone mad? No, of course not. Admittedly, though, a nosedragger is certainly not what most pilots think when they envision a Cub. Leading manufacturer CubCrafters has explored many corners of the Cub world, filling niche after niche in fulfilling resilient demand for this popular airplane design. (Note that I keep calling this aircraft a “Cub,” instead of “Cubalike” because the Washington company actually owns that name after acquiring it from Piper some time back.) Cub Wonderment “Following a year-long public market survey,” CubCrafters announced, “[we have] officially decided to [start efforts to] certify and offer a nosewheel option for our flagship Part 23 certified aircraft, the CC-19 XCub.” This is not an Light-Sport Aircraft entry, however, the model remains easily within the coverage area this website pursues. “Putting a nosewheel on a modern Cub type aircraft certainly surprised some people,” noted CubCrafters’ VP of Sales & Marketing, Brad Damm.

Light-Sport Aircraft Market Shares for Fleet and 2016

By Dan Johnson || May 1, 2017 9 Comments

A dozen years after FAA created aviation's newest sector, we have a new leader among manufacturers of fully built Light-Sport Aircraft. CubCrafters has been moving upward with several years hitting 50 deliveries. In 2016 the west coast builder finally topped perennial leader Flight Design, which slipped to second place. The CT builder had occupied the #1 position since the beginning of Light-Sport Aircraft. Only four aircraft separate the two brands. Note: this article has been updated twice; see at end. —DJ In the single-year race, Czech Sport Aircraft won convincingly with almost double the next closest producer. The Czech builder performed well in 2015 but significantly increased last year. Congratulations to both companies.

Our well-known SLSA Market Share chart illustrates the size of the entire fleet since the beginning of the newest category.

To explain further, our "whole fleet" market share chart — the one we have published going back to 2006 — keeps track of all Special LSA (SLSA) airplanes in the U.S. fleet. Regretfully, we are unable to properly account for weight shift trikes, powered parachutes, gyroplanes, or motorgliders because the database is too variable. This does not mean to criticize FAA data entry clerks; for example, how should they list a trike that uses a different ASTM-compliant wing? Does it deserve a different model name? Also, gyroplanes must be sold as kits in the USA (for now) even while fully built models are selling strongly overseas. We believe all the sub-categories of LSA could increase the fleet count by an additional 25% but we only show fixed wing airplanes in our chart. Likewise, we give a small reference to Experimental LSA (ELSA) when we can account for them with good accuracy. Finally, many two-place ultralights converted to ELSA before 2010 are not counted. Add all these types and the U.S. market for LSA or LSA-like aircraft probably exceeds 10,000 flying machines and even that does not include ultralights. For more on this accounting dilemma read this article or this one (see chart at end). The numbers come directly from FAA's registration (N-number) database. Besides the difficulty for FAA to correctly identify many makes and models, mistakes or changes happen. Entry errors can occur. Airplanes may be sold out of the USA. Mishaps can remove an aircraft from the database. These possibilities can cause our numbers not to identically match what a producer may show as American sales. Despite these disclaimers, we know our information is the best available and we work hard to assure the most accurate information we can find. For this effort, I am deeply grateful to LAMA Europe director, Jan Fridrich, who has faithfully maintained this information for more than a decade. Jan expertly does this tedious database work even as his job with the Czech Light Aircraft Association has taken him to China nearly two dozen times in the last couple years as he and his nation attempt to help China grow its recreational aircraft community. After producing the fleet chart for several years, people wanted to know how various companies had done only in the last year. For the last few years, we have broken out these figures in our calendar chart. Of course, this list faces he same challenges and our numbers may not exactly agree with what producer records show. Over time, both charts tend to get closer. We have and will continue to omit some brands from our Top-20 market share ranking if the supplying company leaves the business and no one absorbs their production. For example, Cessna has nearly 300 examples flying in America. However, since you can no longer buy a new one, even this famous brand may one day be dropped from the list.

Changes in the Rankings

Besides the leaders, the Top-5 brands remained steady with CubCrafters, Flight Design, Czech Sport Aircraft, American Legend, and Tecnam holding their highest rankings.

Our newer Calendar-Year SLSA Market Share table reveals which companies had the strongest performances in 2016.

Jabiru moved up one notch, while Remos slipped one. Aerotrek (another year-after-year gainer) climbed another rank while Evektor fell one. Nonetheless the top five, these last four, and Cessna are the only brands breaking into triple digits. Although Pipistrel gives us challenges to count (some are registered as Experimental Exhibition), the Slovenian company has also exhibited an even climb and now ranks 11th in the fleet or 3rd for calendar 2016. One fooler is SportairUSA, which markets both TL Ultralights and Zlin. Neither has broken 100 yet but when combined SportairUSA has and that's before fresh excitement over their new Outback Shock. Van's continues to make more fully built RV-12s with their partner Synergy Air. Progressive Aerodyne, builder of the Searey approved in both USA and China, has had and still boasts solid years. The central Florida company is the clear leader in LSA seaplanes even while Icon's A5 finally began to show up with 13 new registrations in 2016. Finally, while our main chart focuses on the top brands, note that the largest single percentage are registrations from “All other producers.” The same is true in our calendar year chart. Sometimes called "boutique brands," these companies continue to find customers. Even as Light-Sport Aircraft matures as a niche in the aviation industry, its promise remains strong. As our ongoing reporting from Aero and Sun 'n Fun shows, new models continue to be developed and governments in more countries are embracing the ASTM standards to approve these aircraft. No wonder the general aviation world wants what LSA has. Unlike legacy aircraft producers — those making general aircraft that have changed little over half a century — the LSA space continues to supply interesting, innovative, modestly priced, good performing, superbly equipped, and yes! …safe aircraft. Now that most manufacturers have seen BasicMed has not materially affected their business the American LSA segment grows steadily while worldwide sales continue to eclipse new GA single engine piston deliveries by multiple times. Update #1 — May 1, 2017: After this article was posted, Pete Krotje of Jabiru North America wrote, "Your 2016 LSA chart shows Jabiru North America with five units last year. The number is actually seven (N733Y, N766J, N768J, N72TA, N773J, N218KC, and N772J (a J170-D)." We love when vendors aid our effort to achieve accuracy. This information was shared with Jan Fridrich. Update #2 — May 2, 2017: After Tecnam's U.S. base got a number of calls about this article, we exchanged email about the process. While we can only reliably count FAA registrations and these numbers may not precisely match a seller's data, Tecnam USA observed, "FAA registers us in different ways. Sometimes just Tecnam, sometimes Costruzioni Aeronautiche Tecnam, and sometimes Tecnam SRL C.A. So that might be why not all the Tecnams sold were included." Their sales records show the following 17 SLSA were sold in 2016: 7 Astore models, 8 P2008s, and 2 P92s. Thanks to Tecnam for sharing this and again, we forwarded the numbers to Jan.

A dozen years after FAA created aviation’s newest sector, we have a new leader among manufacturers of fully built Light-Sport Aircraft. CubCrafters has been moving upward with several years hitting 50 deliveries. In 2016 the west coast builder finally topped perennial leader Flight Design, which slipped to second place. The CT builder had occupied the #1 position since the beginning of Light-Sport Aircraft. Only four aircraft separate the two brands. Note: this article has been updated twice; see at end. —DJ In the single-year race, Czech Sport Aircraft won convincingly with almost double the next closest producer. The Czech builder performed well in 2015 but significantly increased last year. Congratulations to both companies. To explain further, our “whole fleet” market share chart — the one we have published going back to 2006 — keeps track of all Special LSA (SLSA) airplanes in the U.S. fleet. Regretfully, we are unable to properly account for weight shift trikes, powered parachutes, gyroplanes, or motorgliders because the database is too variable.

GA Deliveries Decline Yet Tecnam Performs Well

By Dan Johnson || November 11, 2016 2 Comments

The world best seller is Cirrus SR22, especially the 22T for turbo.

Every quarter, like clockwork, the General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA), issues its delivery report. I've used their data in the past (see HERE) and I appreciate the work they do for the GA producer community. For the past few years, these reports have not exactly been a bright spot, with fairly small numbers of aircraft reported delivered and trends sloping downward. Thanks to my LAMA associate in Europe, Jan Fridrich, ByDanJohnson.com also reports airplane activity, although Jan and I use FAA registration data modified only by our intimate knowledge of the light aircraft industry. Both GAMA and LAMA must interpret some info as these data sources are more slippery than you might think. For each organization the best info is that which you can distill over years of reporting. If the detail may have potential errors (usually small) the long term trends are more reliable. I want to give you a small glimpse at GAMA's numbers for the first nine months of 2016. I am well aware such info is not why you come to this website. However, as GAMA has coaxed a few of the larger LSA producers into its membership, I found some facts of interest.

Tecnam's lovely Astore resembles the Cirrus but costs a fraction as much.

The best news was Tecnam's numbers. This Italian company has been a major force in light aircraft production for years. That isn't changing; in fact, it appears certain to accelerate. From GAMA's numbers I ignore all the business jet, turbine, helicopter, and ag-plane data. That stuff interests me and most readers only peripherally. So, I look solely at their Single Engine Piston (SEP) data as the closest comparison to LSA and light kit aircraft. GAMA reported 601 SEPs for the first nine months, or 800 annualized. Of that, Tecnam logged 122 units for better than 20% of all GAMA SEPs. This does count all their aircraft with one engine including their Type Certified P2010 four seater as well as their LSA models, the latter accounting for 53 units or 71 annualized. GAMA decided from info supplied by Tecnam which ones were LSA, referring to their ASTM standards compliance. The GA organization leaves LSA out of their summary tables but includes those stats in their detail info. To compare, Cessna reported 127 units in the same nine-month period. So, short by only a hair, Tecnam produced as many SEPs as did giant Cessna. Both significantly trailed Cirrus, which logged 226 units delivered (38% of all SEPs), by far the best in the list. Other GA producers, in order, were Diamond (46) and Piper (41), trailed distantly by Bonanza (16), Champion (15), Mooney (5), and Maule (3).

Tecnam's P2008 is a handsome and popular Light-Sport entry. Tecnam photos courtesy the company

The only other LSA producers included on GAMA's review were Flight Design (19) and CubCrafters (27... of which 22 were LSA). Flight Design is going through reorganization and how GAMA will handle that change remains to be seen. CubCrafters, with 22 LSA (all Carbon Cubs, zero Sport Cubs) annualizes to 29 LSA and that is far off their hot pace the last few years. In 2015, the West coast Cub-like builder slipped from their one-a-week rate in the preceding few years and 2016's info appears to slow further. Could the number of potential buyers of $200,000 Cubs be dropping or is this just a temporary slowdown? CubCrafters has competition from American Legend and various European suppliers of very similar aircraft (SportairUSA's Shock), American variations (Just Aircraft) that perform even better, and still others with more affordable prices (Rans). All that said, Tecnam clearly looks like the strong company in light aviation with numbers way ahead of whomever comes second. The company has a wide line of several LSA (P92, P2008, Astore, etc.) plus the dual-Rotax Twin, the newer P2010 GA model and an 11-seater in progress. Good for Tecnam!

Every quarter, like clockwork, the General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA), issues its delivery report. I’ve used their data in the past (see HERE) and I appreciate the work they do for the GA producer community. For the past few years, these reports have not exactly been a bright spot, with fairly small numbers of aircraft reported delivered and trends sloping downward. Thanks to my LAMA associate in Europe, Jan Fridrich, ByDanJohnson.com also reports airplane activity, although Jan and I use FAA registration data modified only by our intimate knowledge of the light aircraft industry. Both GAMA and LAMA must interpret some info as these data sources are more slippery than you might think. For each organization the best info is that which you can distill over years of reporting. If the detail may have potential errors (usually small) the long term trends are more reliable. I want to give you a small glimpse at GAMA’s numbers for the first nine months of 2016.

CubCrafters SportCub with Mead Amphib Floats

By Dan Johnson || August 19, 2016 Leave a Comment

If you've ever tried float flying, you probably love it. If you haven't tried it, do so ... soon! While the activity is great, it can be mighty expensive. Amphibious floats for a Cessna 182, for example, probably cost more than a brand-new LSA. So how does a company make this more affordable? Check out this video and get an education about a much more modestly price float set on a very popular airplane, the CubCrafters Sport Cub.

If you’ve ever tried float flying, you probably love it. If you haven’t tried it, do so … soon! While the activity is great, it can be mighty expensive. Amphibious floats for a Cessna 182, for example, probably cost more than a brand-new LSA. So how does a company make this more affordable? Check out this video and get an education about a much more modestly price float set on a very popular airplane, the CubCrafters Sport Cub.

CubCrafters — Carbon Cub SS (Pilot Report-2012)

By Dan Johnson || August 19, 2016 Leave a Comment

Come along with us as we check out the potent CubCrafters Carbon Cub SS with its 180-horsepower engine. You fly right with us as we put the SS through its paces including the energetic climb, slow flight, stalls, steep turns, and finally ending with a three point landing. Both takeoff and landing, while exciting, were not challenging, at least for someone with taildragger experience. See for yourself and hear the dialogue between Ben Redman of Rare Aircraft and Dan Johnson. TRT: 33 minutes

5 LSA Taildraggers

By Dan Johnson || August 19, 2016 Leave a Comment

Video viewers like collections of LSA where we look at several different models and review their differences. In this edition shot at the 2011 Midwest LSA Expo, we bring in representatives from each company to help with the details as we tour five models in a circle: Zlin Savage iCub; FK12 Comet; Rans S-7 Courier; CubCrafters CarbonCub SS; and American Legend Cub. Note that this video runs 25 minutes.

CubCrafters — SportCub

By Dan Johnson || August 19, 2016 Leave a Comment

CubCrafters is a well-established company that retores vintage Cubs, makes the FAA Type Certificated Top Cub, and is one of our LSA market leaders with their SportCub. This may look like a replica Cub but is actually a thoroughly modern version as evidenced by significant use of carbon fiber to stay with the LSA empty weight limit.

An Impressive Record and Benchmark for CubCrafters

By Dan Johnson || March 13, 2014 Leave a Comment

Should the expression be "You can keep a good thing up?" It is more positive than "You can't keep a good man down." Up, in this case, is CubCrafters and their climb in market share rank. The Yakima, Washington company logged another record year in 2013 and hit an impressive benchmark as the engines of demand and production paint a picture of a revved-up juggernaut. Congratulations to CubCrafters but the real reward for their team is a steady stream of customers that are convinced by the innovative re-creation of one of aviation's most iconic designs. Among many smart decisions was the addition of the big 180-horsepower Titan 340CC engine, built by ECi, which gives the machine such exciting performance. I wonder if William Piper ever envisioned a CarbonCub SS. CubCrafters delivered 63 new airplanes during 2013, soundly beating their solid performance of 48 CubCrafters in 2012. For LSA enthusiasts, the total number reduces by nine Top Cub units that are not aimed at the Light-Sport space, but that still leaves two Sport Cub models and 52 Carbon Cub Special LSA. That means a 12.5% growth in LSA sales and a new record for the company. CubCrafters also increased shipments of its Carbon Cub EX kit-built models by 50% over last year, marking a record for the company's Experimental Amateur Built kit program as well. While many producers are still struggling to climb out of the Great Recession (that supposedly ended more than four years ago), CubCrafters must be saying, "What recession?!" The company reached another milestone by delivering its 300th CC11 aircraft in January of 2014 (photo). CubCrafters' CC11 family includes the popular Carbon Cub SS and Sport Cub S2 LSA models. "Serial Number 300 is a handsome Carbon Cub SS in Volcano Red bound for Idaho," noted CubCrafters. The company is growing so solidly that changes are needed. "As of [early March 2014], the next delivery position for a ready-to-fly airplane is in late August and new buyers of the Carbon Cub EX Kit can expect shipment in May. CubCrafters' continued sales growth "has stretched the company's manufacturing facilities to the limit," officials reported. All manufacturing and assembly occurs in the company's three buildings encompassing 40,000 square feet. "Across the past four years we've done a great job of refining our processes," commented Jim Richmond, Founder and CEO of CubCrafters. "However, we've reached a point where our limited space will impede efficiency." To address this predicament, the company said that it purchased a 23-acre parcel adjacent to McAllister Airport in Yakima and has broken ground on a new composites fabrication shop. "The expansion will allow us to devote more space to composites, parts and kits, thereby affording an overall increase in production. Looking forward, the new property will accommodate additional construction as our needs grow."

Should the expression be “You can keep a good thing up?” It is more positive than “You can’t keep a good man down.” Up, in this case, is CubCrafters and their climb in market share rank. The Yakima, Washington company logged another record year in 2013 and hit an impressive benchmark as the engines of demand and production paint a picture of a revved-up juggernaut. Congratulations to CubCrafters but the real reward for their team is a steady stream of customers that are convinced by the innovative re-creation of one of aviation’s most iconic designs. Among many smart decisions was the addition of the big 180-horsepower Titan 340CC engine, built by ECi, which gives the machine such exciting performance. I wonder if William Piper ever envisioned a CarbonCub SS. CubCrafters delivered 63 new airplanes during 2013, soundly beating their solid performance of 48 CubCrafters in 2012.

CubCrafters Welcomes a New Certified Sales Center

By Dan Johnson || January 11, 2014 Leave a Comment

photos courtesy CubCrafters

Plenty of aviation companies, certainly in the light end of the industry, are happy to welcome a new dealer. CubCrafters elevates this position to a certified sales center and the Yakima, Washington company recently secured a new one fleshing out their national map more fully (graphic). CubCrafters announced the appointment of Innovation Aircraft Sales (IAS) as their new Certified Sales Center covering the Midwestern United States. IAS is now the exclusive authorized dealer for new and pre-owned CubCrafters aircraft including the Sport Cub S2 and Carbon Cub SS LSA models, as well as the Part 23-certified Top Cub. IAS will serve North & South Dakota, Minnesota, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, southern Illinois and most of Nebraska from their base at Creve Coeur Airport (1H0) in St. Louis. The LSA manufacturer announced facts about their newest outlet. As President and CEO of Innovation, Jeff Baber began his association with CubCrafters at SunCountry Aircraft Sales in 2012. SunCountry is CubCrafters' Certified Sales Center in Arizona. "We founded SunCountry in 2001 to provide aircraft services, flight instruction and sales of pre-owned aircraft," Jeff says, "but the business really took off in 2011 when CubCrafters chose us to sell their backcountry airplanes. We quickly realized that, with CubCrafters, we could expand our business model in terms of size and reach." Given his successful foundation and growth in Arizona, Baber reportedly jumped on the opportunity to extend the business in the Midwestern States. "When I learned that CubCrafters was making a change here, I immediately submitted a business plan for our new company, Innovation Aircraft Sales." Both Jeff and his wife, Serene, are from Missouri and have family in that state. Further, Serene is a finance executive at another major aviation manufacturer, and she had a position waiting for her in St. Louis, so the move was an easy one. "Our priority for the selection of IAS was customer service," said Randy Lervold, General Manager at CubCrafters. "Making a change like this is never easy. Our dealers provide a high level of customer service by virtue of their deep experience with CubCrafters' product line. Innovation delivers an uncommon fusion of familiarity, know-how and professionalism. We feel fortunate that Jeff and company have decided to bring their expertise to the territory." Beside selling new and used CubCrafters aircraft, Innovation also sells aircraft from other brands. SunCountry Aircraft Sales will continue their operations as the exclusive CubCrafters Certified Sales Center in Mesa, Arizona under the direction of Rick Bosshardt,. CubCrafters indicated.

Update on the 2013 LSA Marketplace

By Dan Johnson || December 31, 2013 Leave a Comment

At least aviation is not bowling! Recent articles say the number of American bowlers has plummeted from nine million to two million, a drop of 78%. Compared to that the aviation industry looks far more durable (line chart). Indeed, aviation in all sectors is facing challenges but we are buoyed by reports in the same newspapers that say Americans are feeling more financially secure since stock markets are up substantially and houses are selling faster and at better prices. However, as we'll show below, 2013 is one of those transition years. That means that sales have been occurring at an increased pace, but due to companies assuming a defensive posture in the 2007-2011 downturn, production is now lagging behind sales just as it was in 2005-2006 when LSA burst on the scene. I'm optimistic that 2014 is going to be a much stronger year. I am not the only one. "I feel we will be experiencing two significant growth years in 2014 and 2015 based on the continued aging of the pilot population and the pent-up demand in the marketplace," said Tim Casey, Garmin's sales manager for portables, LSA, and experimental aircraft markets. In his role for the big avionics maker, Tim keeps a very close eye on the industry. "Combine that with the activity surrounding the Part 23 re-write and it appears we may be approaching an inflection point in the market," added Casey. The biggest single change in the LSA market numbers is that Cessna appears to have thrown in the towel on Skycatcher (article). Whatever the corporate decision may ultimately be, the fact is that Cessna registered zero Skycatchers in the first nine months of 2013. In all of 2012 ... 94. Remove the "Cessna variable" and you might say LSA registrations are up in 2013 (though that analysis might have too much "sunshine" for some readers). To be honest, the numbers still look weak though fortunately some bright spots exist. Two brands — CubCrafters and Van's — are game changers. As noted Van's has elected to take its popular RV-12 more deeply into fully built SLSA. In the same part of the country, CubCrafters is again showing great strength. Plus, several of our top suppliers remain very active even if their registration numbers look light. One company said they'd made more than 30 sales yet registered only a quarter of them, all in 2013. As the engines of production accelerate around the USA and world, we can see rising currents of air in the industry. Unlike in years past, the U.S.-based manufacturers in particular seem ready to lift more pilots aloft. Hoping for a much improved 2014 and 2015 and focusing on the companies that did enjoy a good first nine months of 2013, we tick off the top performers. Once again, the LSA pack is lead — very convincingly — by CubCrafters with a solid 40 new registrations in nine months. Calculating forward, the Yakima company should hit 53 aircraft registered, boosting last year's good performance by another 10%. At this rate, CubCrafters will pass Cessna and give Flight Design its greatest challenge so far. Congratulation to Jim Richmond's CubCrew! In the first nine months of 2013, CubCrafters is trailed at some distance by SportCruiser logging 13 registrations and American Legend with 12. Both performances are good; U.S. Sport Aircraft has maintained admirable sales consistency even through the down years and Legend bounced back from some soft years of late. Another top brand that is reviving nicely is Tecnam with 10 registrations in the first nine months of 2013. Please remember, all numbers are derived from the FAA registration database and are rarely in perfect sync with a company's sales activity; over time, these differences find equilibrium. A notch back but still finding good performance in a sluggish economy is Pipistrel, which logged eight registrations and finally arrived in the Top 20 List. Flight Design added seven registrations but is one of those companies reporting much better sales albeit with delivery lags slowing their entry to the FAA database. Tied with Flight Design is Aerotrek. For this company, the figures represent another good performance; they ranked third in 2012 registrations, now move into the Top 10, and have generally been a model of consistent sales. Producer Aeropro takes a conservative approach and can only allocate a limited number of their production to the USA (England is presently hot for them). Phoenix Air USA, importer of the gorgeous motorglider of the same name registered three and has also had to learn patience with the manufacturer's cautious delivery pace. In 2013, the refrain has been that sales are up from 2011 and 2012 but deliveries are not keeping up, a situation that should improve as builders sense better economic conditions. Finally, remember that many producers sell elsewhere in the world. ByDanJohnson.com is now read 31% by pilots not residing in the USA and this helps to show the global effect LSA is enjoying. So, as 2013 closes, we wish all readers a HAPPY NEW YEAR ... we think it is going to be a good one! Notice: As always, we observe for you that all numbers here are derived from FAA's N-number registration database and are subject to data entry errors. Figures presented are not identical to sales recorded by the companies though over time the numbers draw closer.

CubCrafters Upgrades Industry’s Best Seller

By Dan Johnson || December 16, 2013 Leave a Comment

CubCrafters stylish instrument panel is available in three configurations; this is the World VFR setup selling for $14,990.

Top selling aircraft models in the LSA space over the last couple years are manufactured by CubCrafters. It's not too strong to say they've done well because the Yakima, Washington company got the formula right: Start with an iconic design; add features the original Piper version never dreamed of having; pump it up with lots more power; add in a finer finish, modern materials, and instruments; upgrade it steadily; and finish by doing it all in the USA. To continue building on the best performance among any LSA producer, the company announced a range of updates for their Carbon Cub SS and Sport Cub S2 Light-Sport Aircraft for 2014. Soon we'll release the first market share stats of 2013 and through the first nine months of the year CubCrafters has a clear lead. Last year, Cessna registered more aircraft but the Wichita giant has been completely quiet in 2013 giving room for CubCrafters to soar. Our stats based on the first nine months of 2013 will show CubCrafters just behind Cessna for the all-time number two rank, but in fact they've actually already passed them. The company's two LSA entries — Carbon Cub and Sport Cub models — are based on the Company's CC11 airframe, of which they report 291 units have been delivered. (They speak of deliveries in the year where our numbers will address registrations and, as we've always said, these two sets of numbers are not always in perfect sync in a given period of time.) Upgrades for 2014 announced by CubCrafters include: CubCrafters' 180 horsepower Titan 340CC engine (built by ECi) will have a new magnesium accessory case for a spin-on oil filter plus thermostatic oil cooler bypass valve; these improvements reduce net engine weight by 1.5 pounds. Carburetor has a fuel nozzle with a proprietary "perforation pattern" to improve vaporization and distribution of the fuel/air mixture that levels EGT and CHT values so the engine runs more efficiently, smoothly and produces increased power. At no additional charge, CubCrafters upgraded the standard instrument panel to includes a new CHT Monitor and Garmin GTR 200 Comm Radio connected to a RAMI Antenna relocated to the aircraft turtle deck for superior performance. Their mid-grade World VFR panel (photo) features Garmin's 796 GPS and Electronics International CGR 30P Engine Monitor, providing full-glass benefits at a lower price; also includes a Trig TT21 Transponder and Trig TY91 Comm Radio with 8.33 and 25 kHz channel spacing that international markets will value. Other improvements: new non-skid and more durable pilot step that weighs less; new kick-panel at the front of the cabin featuring a cup/bottle holder for the pilot; and, the glare shield is now painted flat black as standard. According to General Manager Randy Lervold, "CubCrafters is now accepting orders for 2014 Carbon Cub SS and Sport Cub S2 models. Base prices remain unchanged at $172,990 and $134,950 respectively." CubCrafters also offers their Carbon Cub in a kit version, the Carbon Cub EX. Watch our in-flight video of the 180 horsepower Carbon Cub to sense the excitement of this potent model that CubCrafters says is "the most powerful LSA aircraft in production":

Top selling aircraft models in the LSA space over the last couple years are manufactured by CubCrafters. It’s not too strong to say they’ve done well because the Yakima, Washington company got the formula right: Start with an iconic design; add features the original Piper version never dreamed of having; pump it up with lots more power; add in a finer finish, modern materials, and instruments; upgrade it steadily; and finish by doing it all in the USA. To continue building on the best performance among any LSA producer, the company announced a range of updates for their Carbon Cub SS and Sport Cub S2 Light-Sport Aircraft for 2014. Soon we’ll release the first market share stats of 2013 and through the first nine months of the year CubCrafters has a clear lead. Last year, Cessna registered more aircraft but the Wichita giant has been completely quiet in 2013 giving room for CubCrafters to soar.

CubCrafters’ 180-hp Carbon Cub SS… Hoo Rah!

By Dan Johnson || October 28, 2013 Leave a Comment

CubCrafters Carbon Cub SS

Refueling Carbon Cub SS involves standing on a tire and the entry step; no ladder required as Rare Aircraft's Ben Redman demonstrates.

You can fly Carbon Cub SS with one window open, including the door if you like.

Finish quality and components are excellent on Carbon Cub SS.

The Heart of America Sport Aviation Classic is history. Weather and first year challenges conspired to keep the event from achieving its true potential, which illustrates the task of creating a "new Sebring" LSA Expo. These small venues have outsize appeal because they are much more intimate than the big airshows with their tens or hundreds of thousands of attendees. You can talk at length with aircraft sellers and taking a demo flight is... well, it's practically the whole point. So we did. We were able to perform a full video pilot report on the CubCrafters Carbon Cub SS. Update 10/9/12; video appears below — The west coast company's popular model with a potent 180-horsepower engine leaps off the runway with such enthusiasm it can appear a visual trick. Both my videographer and I had a chance to fly with CubCrafters dealer and Rare Aircraft vintage aircraft restoration partner, Ben Redman. We logged in-flight video, ground video, and did a video recap at the end with Dave and I comparing thoughts. Here is the essence of what we discovered. Right off the bat, takeoff behind 180 horses is a hoot! If you've seen a demo, what you see is pretty much what you get except that in the pilot's seat it's even more fun. CubCrafters has performed well in climbing our market share chart and the sheer power of this LSA has to be one of the main reasons. Ben advised I add in full power smoothly. You instantly roar down the runway. Dave found you hardly need to lift the tail — a normal taildragger technique — as the power does it for you. I did lift the tail, but almost in one motion, I then began to pull back on the joystick and it is literally a second or two before the mains are leaving the ground. We climbed like a SpaceX rocket and clocked more than a thousand feet before reaching the end of the runway. Once aloft, Ben suggested we throttle back to about 1700 rpm where we could pretend we were in an authentic (meaning 60-year-old) Cub, putt-putting along at about 60 mph. It was quite pleasant. You can open either window, though the Pilots Operating Handbook says not both at once. Ben prefers to open the right window plus the door. Had it been a warm summer day, I definitely would have given this a try. Though it can act like a old Piper Cub, it certainly is not one. You can have a digital panel if you wish. You have all the amenities of any modern airplane. Plus, the interior finish of the Carbon Cub SS is exquisite. As its name implies, carbon fiber has been widely used to restrain the weight of this largish airplane to stay within the LSA parameters. Of course, you pay for the company's effort to hold weight down while giving you the goodies. Carbon Cub SS starts at $173,000 and I'm told plenty of them hit or break $200 grand. That's a lot of dough for an LSA but you do get a remarkably well finished and equipped aircraft. Handling was pleasant with a need to use the rudder pedals lightly and the joystick a bit more assertively. My early dutch rolls were a tad sloppy but improved quickly. Stalls were very mild, with an audible horn and a muted drop of the nose. Recovery was very quick. Steeps turns usually require a touch of power and in Carbon Cub SS, "a touch" is literal; I made a tiny movement of the nearby throttle to find myself climbing 500 fpm. Still, it's easy to get used to this much power. My three-point landing went very well with Carbon Cub SS staying planted firmly (assuming you've kept your speed below 60 mph at touchdown). On the taxi back, I found I could see over the nose easily from the front seat, though from the rear, Dave said you have to fishtail back and forth. Shorter folks will find this a bit challenging but normally you'll solo up front. We'll relate more on the video pilot report that appears below and on our LSA Video page.

2012 LSA Market Shares — Cubs & Surprises

By Dan Johnson || February 9, 2013 3 Comments

Our annual review of LSA Market Share brings our updated fleet chart and a second chart showing prior-year registrations. While sales of new SLSA remains below par, the market appears to be experiencing spotty but regular recovery from earlier low points. The first half the year foretold a better recovery but the last half of the year stalled somewhat. Regardless, based on traffic to this website, LSA interest is higher than ever. For January 2013, ByDanJohnson.com set all-time records in Unique Visitors and all other measuring criteria Thank you for your support! 2012 Market Share report — Nearby, we present our standard market share numbers. Our original chart remains consistent, illustrating the "installed base," or "fleet size." Because we know many of you seek recent-year information we are repeating the Calendar Year chart that debuted last year.

For the second year in a row Cessna lead in 2012 with an impressive 94 registrations though this is down 30% from 134 in 2011. While Cessna looked to set a new record with 76 registrations (152 annualized) in the first half of 2012, their pace slowed sharply in the second half, adding only 23, perhaps a result of their announcement about switching to Primary Category as a means of entering the European market. The Wichita giant is singlehandedly restarting Primary Category with the first such application in nearly 20 years, a decision that may inspire other companies to go this route.

Perhaps the most noteworthy story in 2012 registrations is an even better performance by CubCrafters. The Washington State company added 48 new registrations, up 33% from 36 in 2011. Company marketing boss John Whitish reported 52 SLSA sales, which prompts us to ask that you read the notice at the end of this article. Congratulations to CubCrafters, clearly a company to keep watching.

A remarkably steady climber is Aerotrek, which took the #3 slot for 2012 registrations, a notable improvement from their #5 spot in 2011. Despite some reports that all SLSA are expensive, Aerotrek has a very attractive price point and an impressively built, folding wing aircraft available in tailwheel or trigear. Aerotrek consistently replies to our listings, with the goal of making our FAA registrations report more precise. This happens, for example, when sales occur to Canada with no N-number assigned or when a SLSA drops down to ELSA perhaps as the owner wants to make design changes (which is allowed as is owner maintenance). Other companies also see differences explained by deregistration, accidents that remove the aircraft from the registry, or simple errors in data entry after a sale. Regardless of the variables in counting registrations versus sales, bravo to Aerotrek! Based on their faithful feedback we have been able to improve our accuracy.

Other top guns in 2012 include perennial leaders like Flight Design, which remains convincingly atop the overall fleet and added 11 more registrations during the year and American Legend which revived from a sluggish 2011 to add 11 SLSA in 2012. SportCruiser importer US Sport Aircraft fulfilled the last of the PiperSport orders and rewrote their distributor agreement with Czech Sport Aircraft; they added another 10 SLSA in 2012. In a pleasant but unexpected turn, importer Phoenix Air USA added an impressive 10 SLSA registrations of their extremely lovely motorglider. Congratulations to all these leaders.

A member of the exclusive Over-100 Club listing only eight SLSA producers is Tecnam. The Italian company showed renewed vigor logging six registrations in the second half of the year. They also successfully completed an FAA audit in Italy. Among their five SLSA models, four are high-wing models yet their low wing Sierra has 51 units flying in America, more than any other Tecnam model. Another European producer with facilities in Italy is Pipistrel, which overcame regulatory hurdles in mid-year and has begun delivering SLSA to Americans. They also logged six in the last half of the year. Both Tecnam and Pipistrel report active sales outside the USA.

Unfortunately, one former high flyer, Remos, lost its U.S representative and has become very quiet though earlier this year, their CEO said they had recovered from the previous CEO's high-spending ways. We are watching a few companies not on our fleet chart. One new entry to the SLSA scene is Bristell, in a new partnership with fractional ownership provider, AAP. They join some other companies that have not been active long enough to get on the fleet chart, but nonetheless deserve attention. These companies include World Aircraft Co., which is bringing all production to their Paris, Tennessee facility. Breezer is now established on the Sun 'n Fun campus and more is expected from them. Sky Arrow producer Magnaghi has new life and may resurge. Aero's AT-4 (formerly known as Gobosh) is back with new representation. Just Aircraft got rave reviews on their SuperSTOL model and this mostly kit company is enjoying a solid run of business something like 100% kit producers Zenith Aircraft and Sonex. While mentioning kit builders (not on our SLSA list), we must include Van's Aircraft, which has seen registration of 203 RV-12 kits.

We are also watching the pulse on seaplanes lead this year by Progressive Aerodyne, which earned SLSA approval even as FAA increased their oversight via highly detailed audits. Congratulations to the SeaRey team for this significant accomplishment. This brief look at the LSA market is not complete. One observation is that the "All other producers" category is now the largest percentage, indicating small producers continue to develop sales. Some companies not reflected in our Top-20 and Top-10 charts may emerge into these lists in the future. Others that have been in the Top-20 but which are no longer producing new aircraft were omitted. However, all SLSA models are covered in our SPLOG reports and you may also examine our Featured Aircraft (right column of most pages) for more exciting Light-Sport Aircraft and other aircraft Sport Pilots can fly.

As I have said for years, a loud shout-out is owed to Jan Fridrich of the Czech LAA for the LSA Market Share report. Jan is also head of LAMA Europe and a tireless worker for the advancement of Light-Sport aviation. He invests many hours to analyze data for each report. Thanks, Jan, on behalf of all ByDanJohnson.com readers. During 2013, we will work to solicit comments from producers to evaluate the sales versus registration numbers. This is not an easy task and no promises are made yet the effort seems worthwhile in the pursuit of better information.

Notice: As always, we observe for you that all numbers here are derived from FAA's N-number registration database and are subject to data entry errors. Figures presented are not identical to sales recorded by the companies though over time the numbers draw closer. UPDATE 2/13/13: GAMA held a press conference today where they released their industry numbers. Get more on GAMA here, but this is where their figures relate to the Light-Sport market. Piston aircraft, singles and twins, suffered a minor drop, only 1.9% down; GAMA did list some LSA in their report but did not use them in summary tables. Turbines were up and GAMA added agricultural crop-spraying planes to their membership; many ag planes are turbine powered. Jets were down slightly more at minus 3.4%. Like the Light-Sport industry, GAMA is hoping for improvement in 2013 and they announced some interesting initiatives to this end.

Our annual review of LSA Market Share brings our updated fleet chart and a second chart showing prior-year registrations. While sales of new SLSA remains below par, the market appears to be experiencing spotty but regular recovery from earlier low points. The first half the year foretold a better recovery but the last half of the year stalled somewhat. Regardless, based on traffic to this website, LSA interest is higher than ever. For January 2013, ByDanJohnson.com set all-time records in Unique Visitors and all other measuring criteria Thank you for your support! 2012 Market Share report — Nearby, we present our standard market share numbers. Our original chart remains consistent, illustrating the “installed base,” or “fleet size.” Because we know many of you seek recent-year information we are repeating the Calendar Year chart that debuted last year. For the second year in a row Cessna lead in 2012 with an impressive 94 registrations though this is down 30% from 134 in 2011.

Happy New Year LSA News Wrap

By Dan Johnson || January 4, 2013 Leave a Comment

Former FAA Administrator Randy Babbitt (L) will address the LAMA Dinner group of 300 LSA professionals on opening night of the Sebring LSA Expo (January 17-20). photo courtesy EAA

The all-new Paradise City at Sun 'n Fun (layout still subject to last-minute changes). The curved arcs in the center are the newly relocated LSA Mall. Runway is seen at bottom. The hash markings identify irrigation on the RC runway that uses this area at other times.

AirBorne makes hang gliders, like the clean "blade wing" at the top plus a line of trikes from two seaters to very light single seaters.

Team Will Wing posed for a company photo to celebrate the holidays and reaching their 40th year.

CubCrafters Set Records In a second year of modest recovery for the LSA sector, most companies were happy to sell the same as the year before. Against this plain backdrop CubCrafters stands out sharply. The company announced that it delivered 58 new airplanes (52 of which were LSA models), a 23% increase over 2011, and more units than any year in the company's history. They're aiming for deliveries of 66 ready-to-fly aircraft this year. CubCrafters' 2012 deliveries are divided among their three models: Carbon Cub SS, Sport Cub S2, and Top Cub (the latter not a Light-Sport). • They also reported shipping 24 of their Carbon Cub EX kits in 2012, another record. That's 82 aircraft and makes them likely the light aviation leader for the year (we hope to publish our customary market report soon). CubCrafters General Manager Randy Lervold said, "Despite the economic climate, we've managed to defy industry trends." Congratulations, Team CubCrafters; job well done! Randy Babbitt to Speak at LAMA Dinner Each year, LAMA, the Light Aircraft Manufacturers Association, hosts its annual dinner on opening night of the Sebring LSA Expo and 2013 will be the sixth annual event. Following AOPA president Craig Fuller in 2011 and then-EAA president Rod Hightower in 2012, the association is pleased to offer former FAA Adminstrator Randy Babbitt for 2013. Now a senior VP with Southwest Air Lines, Babbitt will speak to more than 300 LSA professionals expected at the invitation-only dinner on Thursday evening, January 17th. As a strong supporter of the Light-Sport concept, LAMA is especially pleased to bring in Babbitt. On several occasions, he has publicly supported the concept of self governance by an aircraft sector. Babbitt was also instrumental in moving forward the agency's decision to allow a new ASTM committee to write new perscriptive portions of Part 23 aircraft certification, the first major change in how this is done in many decades. • Welcome all LSA businessmen to the free dinner but please RSVP at this website operated by the dinner sponsor Aviators Hot Line (only minimal information is requested). Paradise City Total Makeover Big things are happening to the location formerly known as the Ultralight Area at the Sun 'n Fun airshow and convention. First, the area will now permanently be known by its longtime affectionate name: Paradise City. Once a place of great charm and thick crowds, the area suffered from the dual effects of the economic recession and the arrival of Light-Sport Aircraft. Many vendors of LSA never exhibited in Paradise City and regard the location as out of the mainstream. However, major revisions to the paved east-west Doolittle Road to allow for TSA fencing has the road — heavily used by entering vendors and many others — dipping deeply down into Paradise City (see drawing). This will dramatically change the dynamics of Paradise City and significantly enhance its visibility. • Another major change is operational: aircraft will be allowed to fly all day — even during the main airshow (except when the Thunderbirds fly). They'll use the 1,400-foot turf runway, which has seen major improvements at each end of the runway. It now provides more than 2,400 feet of unobstructed access. LSA vendors who meet new rules of operation will be permitted to conduct demonstration flights most of the day right on the grounds of Sun 'n Fun and far more easily than using the main runway. Active demo operators can give multiple flights per day to prospective customers and then invite them to visit the LSA Mall right in the center of the newly revised area. Many other vendors will also conduct flights and have their exhibits in the area. C'mon over to the all-new Paradise City and watch the action in 2013. AirBorne News Weight shift aircraft, commonly known as trikes, don't get their fair share of news and we want to update you on one of the leading producers: Australia-based AirBorne with representation in the USA by companies like Precision Windsports. I greatly enjoyed flying AirBorne's Thermal-Lite trike with its excellent Bailey single-cylinder four-stroke engine. AirBorne reported, "All T-lites are now going out with the latest Bailey V5E engine. The V5 is the fifth generation of the Bailey Aviation four-stroke engine." Revisions include a two-piece CNC machined cast-alloy crankcase at 195cc using two valves operated by a chain driven overhead camshaft. The oil system is fully pressurized to maintain constant oil pressure regardless of the oil temperature or RPM. • If the T-lite is too big and heavy for you you could try AirBorne's new V-lite. "The V-lite single seater soaring trike is perfect for hang glider pilots as it fits into the sub-70kg (154-pound) category," said AirBorne. Hang glider pilots can fly it with minimal instruction. V-Lite uses AirBorne's F2T wing based on the F2 hang glider wing (photo); it can also be used for foot launch free flying. • As if they didn't have enough to do making two-seat trikes, light trikes, trike wings and hang gliders, AirBorne is also representing the Magni Gyro company down-under. A first shipment of Magni Gyrocopters will arrive at Airborne in January including two M24 Orions and an M16. Wills Wing Celebrates Turning 40! At the lightest end of flying, one company in the USA excels like no other. For hang glider and paraglider enthusiasts the brand name Wills Wing is as good as it gets. I have long known and admired the owners of this well-run California company so I am very pleased to offer my congratulations to Wills Wing on their 40th anniversary. Five years ago I reported the company had produced more than 22,000 gliders and they must now be reaching or exceeding 25,000 ... a remarkable accomplishment for any aircraft company. • You can see their line near and close to Sun 'n Fun at one of my very favorite places to go in Florida. Wills said, "Our Wallaby Ranch 2013 Demo Days and Fly-In will be held Wednesday, April 3rd, through Saturday April 6th, with our traditional party and dinner on Saturday night. (Sun 'n Fun 2013 runs 9-14 of April, so you could make both.) • The company had a very special celebration this summer when Wills Wing Team pilot Dustin Martin set a world record flying his Wills Wing T2C 144 hang glider 475 miles from Zapata, Texas. The previous record stood for 11 years. Most powered pilots are amazed to hear hang gliders can travel so far. The company's top-of-their-line T2 wings run $6,575 to $8,585. They can achieve sink rates of only 175 feet per minute. As I close out this first-of-2013 LSA news wrap, I want to extend a Happy New Year greeting to all our loyal readers and to most sincerely thank you for making 2012 by far our best year ever! We were up in every measurement category from 21% to 58% over our best prior year. Given the sluggish economy we're pleased to evidently be offering what you want and we plan to keep it up. Watch for fresh news and videos from Sebring starting in just days.

2011 Market Share Info… and We Set Records

By Dan Johnson || February 8, 2012 Leave a Comment

...is setting records

CubCrafters achieved the #2 performance in 2011, a credit to their highly refined and very potent Cubalike with a 180-hp engine. photo courtesy CubCrafters

Cessna's Skycatcher leads in 2011 registrations. photo courtesy Cessna Aircraft

The LSA Market Share numbers are complete for 2011 and we offer them below. But first, if you will permit, I wish to say a hearty thanks to all the visitors that helped ByDanJohnson.com achieve an all-time record month in January 2012 following a strong December 2011. In the first month of the new year we broke nearly every prior record: Unique Visitors, Total Visits, and Hits. We also serve a 25% international audience in nearly every country on Earth. We appreciate the long-term loyalty of our sponsors and each of you who are Members. Your $29 annual donation to this website helps us provide lots of free information. Thank you for your support. 2011 Market Share Report Nearby, we present our standard market share numbers. Our original chart remains consistent, illustrating the "installed base," or "fleet size." However, we know many of you want current-year information and therefore we begin our first Calendar Year chart. *** No question about it. Cessna easily won the 2011 race with 134 registrations, the most ever in one year for one company and 48% of all registrations for the year. Flight Design achieved nearly this number for two years running (109 and 103 in '06 and '07). Even Cessna can't yet match that. Experts and former Cessna people wonder how many of the 1,000 original Skycatcher deposits could be returned after a dramatic 30% price increase but that takes nothing away from Wichita giant's performance at delivering aircraft, slowly in 2009, accelerating in 2010, and zooming upward in 2011. *** The second biggest story in 2011 registration performance is CubCrafters. Their 36 new registrations vaulted the company into the number two spot in overall fleet, while Cessna and the SportCruiser are tied in third. Last year deliveries were good enough for second in 2011, yet CubCrafters has a solid record of adding to their fleet (15-51-19-24-39-36 in '06 thru '11). Cessna didn't start delivering until 2009. *** In third and fourth place for 2011 are perennial leader Flight Design, which remains convincingly atop the overall fleet, and the SportCruiser. Importer US Sport Aircraft has done well to carry on after Piper left the LSA scene. Both Flight Design and US Sport Aircraft have strong customer support programs that help account for their success. *** Another interesting accomplishment are the twin (but different) companies of Jabiru USA and Arion, which tied for 2011 registrations. Jabiru is one of our Big Eight with more than 100 aircraft in the fleet (though Evektor is nearly ready to make it Big Nine). Arion is all-U.S. design and manufacture and has been steadily adding SLSA to a respectable fleet of kit-built LS-1s. *** Some solid producers American Legend, Tecnam, and Remos had a slow year but reported sales at Sebring 2012 in response to new models and programs from each company. *** It's little surprise to see Aerotrek in the #5 spot for 2011 and #12 overall. The company has one of the best price points among SLSA and an impressively built, folding wing aircraft available in tailwheel or trigear. *** In the Up-and-Comers Department, I suggest keeping an eye on American producers Allegro, World Aircraft, and Progressive Aerodyne plus European builders Pipistrel and Fk Lightplanes. Finally, SportairUSA has the broadest selection of SLSA plus the coolest options worth a closer look. *** This brief review of the LSA market is not complete. Please see all our SPLOG reports and Featured Aircraft for more on the Light-Sport Aircraft and other aircraft Sport Pilots can fly. Notice: As always, we observe for you that all numbers here are derived from FAA's N-number registration database. These figures are not identical to sales logged by the companies. ••• A sincere thank you goes to Jan Fridrich of the Czech LAA for his work on the LSA Market Share report. Jan is also head of LAMA Europe and a tireless worker for the advancement of Light-Sport aviation. He invests many hours to analyze data for each report. Thanks Jan, on behalf of all ByDanJohnson.com readers.

LSA Sales Continue Slowly; Change Among Leaders

By Dan Johnson || August 26, 2010 Leave a Comment

In the chart above, the Top 20 companies represent going businesses. Companies with enough registered aircraft to qualify for the Top 20 but which are insolvent or inactive were removed to present a truer picture of the current fleet of active companies.

While most of the LSA industry — as with most of aviation — endures unprecedented slow sales, at least two companies are showing reasonably good 2010 performances. *** Washington-based CubCrafters is the clear market leader for the first seven months of 2010, with 27 new registrations. We repeat, as always, that FAA registrations do not equal sales; individual company statistics may be different. Following CubCrafters is CSA's PiperSport with 18 new registrations and Flight Design with an even dozen. *** All the Big Six companies remain the same — in their rank for the entire LSA fleet — though some shifting occurred: Flight Design; American Legend; CubCrafters (moving from 4th to 3rd ranked); Tecnam (3rd to 4th); Czech Sport Aircraft (builder of the PiperSport, 6th to 5th); and Remos (5th to 6th). These Big Six all have more than 100 registered airplanes in FAA's database, though they are trailed by only a few airplanes by Jabiru USA and Evektor. AMD and TL Ultralight (up to 9th from 10th) are in a third tier of the top ten. *** Two companies advanced into the Top 20 rank positions for the first time: Paradise; and airplane manufacturing giant, Cessna. Other brands to watch include Arion, and FK Lightplanes. *** Of the three companies with the most action this year, CubCrafters has moved forward smartly. Flight Design is always a contender. But the main one to watch closely may be Piper. According to LSA project manager Russ Greenberg, the company is "on track to meet our January forecast of 75 airplanes sold in 2010." Though their FAA registrations show 18 for the year, Piper reported 40 sales consummated by AirVenture 2010. If the company hits their target and if all were registered in 2010 (unlikely), PiperSport-producer CSA could dislodge American Legend in the number two spot. However, forecasting the future is hazardous at best; for true information we'll have to wait for the final answer just before January's Sebring LSA Expo.

Super SportCub Rocking Out

By James Lawrence || January 9, 2010 Leave a Comment

Just talked with CubCrafter's PR head Jon Bliss to check out the haps on the left coast - Yakima, WA to be exact - with the company's Super SportCub and other Cubalike models. *** "We're doing as well as we've done in a long time," says Jon. "We've even got a backlog of orders." *** As I said some months ago: *** Bad economy - bah! *** CubCrafters expects to move 50 LSA total out the door next year (2010), with the ASTM-certified (spring of '09) Super garnering most of the orders. *** If you've got a Cub in your dreams, it's worth checking out the Super, especially if eye-popping takeoff/climb performance is on your wish list. *** The airplane sports the company's own CC340, high-compression, electronic-ignition engine. News here is, and it's allowed for in the ASTM spec, that the engine can be run at 180hp for as long as five minutes, then must be throttled back to 80 hp for cruise (around 5 gal/hr fuel burn) to keep it in the LSA-legal performance envelope. *** The real-world effect of 180 ponies in a 1320-lb. gross weight LSA? Liftoff from a standing start in four to five fuselage lengths, and around 2,100 feet per minute climb! *** Time to get me a ride on this rocket... *** ---photos courtesy CubCrafters

Just talked with CubCrafter’s PR head Jon Bliss to check out the haps on the left coast – Yakima, WA to be exact – with the company’s Super SportCub and other Cubalike models. *** “We’re doing as well as we’ve done in a long time,” says Jon. “We’ve even got a backlog of orders.” *** As I said some months ago: *** Bad economy – bah! *** CubCrafters expects to move 50 LSA total out the door next year (2010), with the ASTM-certified (spring of ’09) Super garnering most of the orders. *** If you’ve got a Cub in your dreams, it’s worth checking out the Super, especially if eye-popping takeoff/climb performance is on your wish list. *** The airplane sports the company’s own CC340, high-compression, electronic-ignition engine. News here is, and it’s allowed for in the ASTM spec, that the engine can be run at 180hp for as long as five minutes, then must be throttled back to 80 hp for cruise (around 5 gal/hr fuel burn) to keep it in the LSA-legal performance envelope.

LSA Market Shares Are Stable through August 2009

By Dan Johnson || October 9, 2009 Leave a Comment

Top Guns -- Since January 2008, or over the last 20 months, the FAA registration leaders are -- in order: Remos; Flight Design; (tie) Tecnam and Czech Sport Aircraft; Jabiru, American Legend; CubCrafters; AMD; Aeropro (Aerotrek); TL Ultralight (Sting); and Evektor. These 11 brands account for 72% of all FAA registrations. As always, my thanks to Jan Fridrich for the considerable effort it takes to sift through FAA's database.

As the challenging year for aircraft sales grinds on, Light-Sport Aircraft continue to hold their own. In tough times, when cash is tight, small enterprises may fare better than large companies. Their low expense structures, modestly compensated managers and employees, and lean manufacturing -- as allowed by industry-standards certification -- become strengths. *** But we see another quality. The half-million-plus general aviation pilots are more accepting of LSA today than three years ago. Organizations like AOPA are more fully embracing LSA, because their members are calling to ask questions. (Watch for a surprise LSA announcement at AOPA's Aviation Summit in about a month!) GA pilots make up most buyers of LSA and those aviators now recognize the brands and have begun to acquire faith in companies certifying themselves (though many are still reserving judgement). *** Through August, a full month after AirVenture, the LSA fleet has grown to just under 1,700 fully-built aircraft not including ELSA kits or alternative aircraft like trikes and powered parachutes, nor any converted ultralights. The LSA market leaders have remained about the same and held their same positions (more info: chart). *** I see four up-and-comers to watch: Aerotrek (Aeropro); American producer, RANS; Gobosh (importing two airplanes); and Brazilian entry Paradise. In addition to the top-10 that hold three-quarters of the market, these four brands are working hard and moving up. In 2010, we'll begin to see Cessna numbers plus a few new entries. It stays exciting here at aviation's entry level. [UPDATE 10/7/09] CubCrafters identified additional SLSA not included in the accompanying chart. Such errors happen due to a large number of LSA models and the FAA database entry of them. According to better information, it appears CubCrafters has leapfrogged into the #5 slot, and the exclusive triple-digit club, with 100 total CubCrafters SLSA.

Big Crowds at the Sun ‘n Fun LSA Mall

By Dan Johnson || April 20, 2008 Leave a Comment

If you missed the Sun 'n Fun LSA Mall in 2008, please accept an invitation for April 21-26, 2009.

Sun 'n Fun 2008 is history, but planning is already underway for the 2009 event. Event boss John Burton confirmed we will again have the LAMA-hosted LSA Mall right at the front gate next April 21-26. A major success at this year's Lakeland, Florida airshow, the industry Mall presentation featured 17 Special Light-Sport Aircraft. Weather prevented Fantasy Air's Allegro from attending. Two days before the event, a tornado crushed a Sting S3 planned for display. And work at Quicksilver Manufacturing postponed the exhibit of the GT500 (they're finishing SLSA approval, reports national sales manager, Todd Ellefson). *** The 17 who were in the '08 LSA Mall enjoyed significant traffic all week and virtually every visitor to Sun 'n Fun was at least exposed to Light-Sport Aircraft in a wide variety (although we were not able to enlist any trike or powered parachute companies). Aircraft shown were: Flight Design CTLS, AirMax SeaMax, Jabiru USA J-250, IndUS Thorpedo, CubCrafters Sport Cub, FP&A A-22 Valor, Sportsplanes.com Breezer II, Just Aircraft Highlander on floats, Lambada motorglider, Gobosh G-700S, Remos G-3, CZAW SportCruiser, Legend Cub, AMD Patriot and CH-601, Evektor SportStar, and Paradise P-1. *** Joining LAMA inside the big welcome tent were Rotax and Jabiru LSA engines, BRS emergency parachutes, AirFleet Capital (LSA financing), and ASA training resources featuring Paul Hamilton (who also made a special 30-minute DVD of LSA flying in scenic locations). LAMA plus tens of thousands of visitors thank all who participated!

Sun ‘n Fun 2008 is history, but planning is already underway for the 2009 event. Event boss John Burton confirmed we will again have the LAMA-hosted LSA Mall right at the front gate next April 21-26. A major success at this year’s Lakeland, Florida airshow, the industry Mall presentation featured 17 Special Light-Sport Aircraft. Weather prevented Fantasy Air’s Allegro from attending. Two days before the event, a tornado crushed a Sting S3 planned for display. And work at Quicksilver Manufacturing postponed the exhibit of the GT500 (they’re finishing SLSA approval, reports national sales manager, Todd Ellefson). *** The 17 who were in the ’08 LSA Mall enjoyed significant traffic all week and virtually every visitor to Sun ‘n Fun was at least exposed to Light-Sport Aircraft in a wide variety (although we were not able to enlist any trike or powered parachute companies).