In the 15 months since the first two special light-sport aircraft (S-LSA) were introduced at the Sun 'n Fun Fly-In in Lakeland, Florida, a wave of S-LSA have taken to the sky. The number delivered to customers is approaching 500 aircraft -- and climbing as quickly as factories can produce and deliver them. The years ahead should see a sharply increasing number of LSA flying in America. The good news for pilots is we won't just have more LSA, we'll have better ones as designers modify and improve aircraft based on customer input and service history. That's one of the benefi ts of consensus standards versus type certification-manufacturers can cram more features into the airplanes and factories may refine production techniques without undergoing costly recertification. The best news is we don't have to wait. "New and improved" LSA are here now. The 2006 CT Because of its distinctive profile, the Flight Design CT is one of the most recognized S-LSA flying. Some of the design's success comes from an effort by its German producer to make the CT a better package, as witnessed by its introduction of a refined 2006 model. Flight Design Germany has been aided in this effort by its U.S. importer, Flight Design USA, and the experienced network of dealers that Flight Design USA has created. And the European-born CT has evolved to meet the expectations of American pilots. Just prior to Sun 'n Fun 2006, I flew both the 2005 and 2006 model CTs, courtesy of the folks at Sebring Aviation, the Flight Design USA distributor for the southeastern United States. Back-to-back flights in the two models offered a clear comparison and updated my previous experiences flying the CT. Close observers should quickly note: Two changes to the tail surfaces. Most noticeable is an enlarged area on the leading edge of the vertical stabilizer. Next, the full-flying stabilator has an anti-servo tab that runs full span. A new instrument panel configuration is standard. A wider, flat-gray panel is now divided into three segments with satin-finish aluminum faces, with two slightly angled panels flanking a center panel. The 2006 model's seats rise higher and offer some head support. The pilot can now trim the aircraft in all three axes using trim wheels, a feature common only on more expensive general aviation (GA) aircraft. The wings of the two models are exactly the same, employing the same flaperons. After reacquainting myself with the characteristics of the 2005 model in flight, I went aloft in the 2006 model with its larger vertical tail and full span anti-servo tab. The aircraft offered by Sebring Aviation had a decked-out panel to make most pilots envious. Regardless of its aerodynamic improvements, the larger vertical tail on the 2006 model visually fills out the aircraft's profile, making the tail volume conform better to the fuselage. The reshaped tail blends nicely with the ventral (below-the-fuselage) fin. Shape, like color, is decidedly personal, but I believe most aviators will find the curves of the 2006 CT to be appealing. I enjoyed flying both '05 and '06 models even more than I expected. The soaring enthusiast in me loved the original long-winged CT's superb glide, but I found it more work coordinating rudder and ailerons in the older model than in either shorterwinged '05 and '06 models. Surprisingly the shorter wing configuration still gives the CT plenty of loft on approach to landing, a reported 14-to-1 glide. The 2006 CT has become a refi ned flying machine. Lots of Elbow Room The cockpits of many European-designed airplanes are too tight for larger Americans. Everybody likes to have a little extra room, especially on longer flights. In the CT's 49-inch-wide cockpit, John and I, both of average build, had plenty of room. I had less at my feet because the nose of the aircraft tapers, but I didn't feel cramped. The CT's seats adjust fully aft, which allowed me to extend my legs fully. The seats in the 2006 CT are also softer and more comfortable than earlier models, and it felt like they offered more lumbar support. The seats also extend up higher, supporting your head, something the seats on the earlier models did not do. Fore and aft adjustment plus height adjustments are available, but you must make these adjustments on the ground where you can visually ascertain that the locking pins are properly seated in the adjustment rail holes. Cockpit Refinements LSA are not ultralights. Ultralights want to be simple and inexpensive, and fewer instruments are employed to stay light. But buyers of LSA are often GA pilots accustomed to fully equipped panels. Recognizing this customer demand, the 2006 CT boasts enlarged space for avionics. The 2005 CT had analog gauges while the 2006 model I flew was all digital. Though a digital cockpit may offer more information, many pilots feel they pick up on data quicker from analog gauges. Yet digital instruments, like the CT airframe, keep getting better, and analog pilots will adapt. Other cockpit refinements include a smaller flap switch in the '06, and this turned out to be good. I tended to over-control the larger lever, flipping it inadvertently back and forth between two settings, which confused the system. A light-emitting diode (LED) readout clearly shows the flaps setting. I am highly supportive of the BRS emergency parachute system that's standard equipment on the CT (as a former BRS employee, I should be), but I have never been a big fan of the parachute handle's location on the aft bulkhead of this aircraft. While that assures a direct routing for the activating housing, it requires the pilot or passenger to reach backward and make a substantial pull of a handle at an awkward angle. A better position might be to have the handle mounted on the instrument panel, but that would require a long activating housing. Pilots will definitely want to rehearse the parachute handle pull motion and instruct passengers about the operation. In addition to its challenging placement, the parachute handle also somewhat interferes with the aileron and rudder trim wheels, which are located nearby. Pilots will acquire a natural feel for them eventually, but they'll need to confirm what they're engaging the first few times they fly the 2006 CT. To open the cockpit door from the inside, push the doorknob toward the outside slightly and then release the three pins that secure the door, which are hidden by the interior door finish. (Flight Design also offers a right-side photo door for those interested in pursuing such a hobby.) The Mecaplex sliding window vents let in the most air when you close the sliding mechanism and use the small, angular flip-out vent. For flying in cool months, CT comes with standard cabin heat, or you can order a higher output system for cold climates. As you prepare to start the CT, you'll run into another good safety idea. Engineers positioned the fuel shut-off lever so you cannot insert the starter key with the fuel selector in the off position. You raise the fuel shut-off for flight (logically) and then put your key in and start the engine. As in most GA aircraft, you use the key switch to check magnetos. Don't Expect a Long Ground Roll As usual, the 100-hp Rotax 912S snapped to a start when I turned the key. After assuring our seat belts were latched and the doors were properly closed, John and I taxied for takeoff. Rudder steering in both '05 and '06 models is solid. On Sebring Airport's long, wide, and unobstructed runways, we had no need to max out take-off performance. Yet even with gentle controls, the CT left the ground with enthusiasm. I doubt our first roll was 500 feet, and we weren't even trying to take off quickly. Off the runway, I noted climb at more than 1,500 fpm, a rate that settled around 1,100, though John and I were not flying at full gross weight. Most of this evaluation flight was done at low altitude- about 1,200 feet MSL. Before we took the CT to its top speed, we experimented with slow flight. Pulling the power liberally, we waited for 63 knots before deploying the flaps. The LED flap indicator blinks your setting until the flaps are deployed to the position selected. Once your chosen setting is reached, the number glows steadily. The CT is smart; John told me that if you select 40 degrees of flaps while flying too fast for safe deployment, a sensor reads the amperage load on the flap motor and stops the flap deployment if the load is too high. As we practiced a few touch-andgoes, I made approaches in the 2005 CT using 40 degrees of flaps while doing a slip that put one rudder pedal on the floor. The plane exhibited excellent handling throughout this exercise. My last landing was done with only 15 degrees of flaps, and the 2005 CT simply did not want to drop out of the sky. It demonstrated a slow, unpowered descent that would buy any pilot time should the engine quit. The landing gear on the 2005 model offered smooth and stable ground operations, and both model years exhibited superb taxiing characteristics, almost like driving an automobile. On the 2006 model, however, I observed a roughness in the ride as soon as we landed, possibly resulting from some gear leg harmonic. The roughness disappeared as we slowed, suggesting it was not simply an out-of-balance tire. (John had checked that possibility.) Even though I'm experienced with hand brakes, I found it a bit cumbersome attempting to work the hand brake and the throttle simultaneously with my right hand on the brake and my left hand on the throttle. Later I developed a technique of using my right forearm to assure holding the throttle at idle, which is where you'd place it before activating the brakes. Sweet, Light Handling As we said earlier, one of the most visible changes to the 2006 CT is its enlarged vertical stabilizer, but how does it help handling? During his evaluation of the new tail on the 2006 model, Flight Design President Tom Peghiny disturbed the controls and watched the airplane's recovery to straight and level flight. My method to gain a feel for the larger vertical stabilizer was to note the speed and accuracy of recovery from slips. The CT comes out of the deepest slip authoritatively. The CT uses a stabilator-a fullmoving elevator and horizontal stabilizer surface. Compared to the earlier CTs I'd flown, I detected less hunting of the nose and a more dampened response to pitch changes-attributes that should make cross-country flying easier on pilot and passenger. A longer anti-servo tab makes this surface much more effective. (Note that an anti-servo tab works the opposite of a trim tab, making the free-moving stabilator not as light in pitch response. A trim tab relieves control pressures whereas an anti-servo tab increases control forces on aircraft with light pitch response.) When the anti-servo tab was extended, it increased elevator forces to bring them in better harmony with the ailerons. I especially noticed this when exiting a deep slip. I had more feel from the 2006 CT's joystick than I did on the 2005 model. Commensurately, in the 2006 CT the slip is not quite as deep as in the 2005 model, proving the larger vertical stabilizer is at work. Compared to the longwinged version with a smaller tail and smaller anti-servo tab, the 2006 CT has significantly improved control feel and harmony. Keeping the ball centered is now much easier than it was in the older versions. Carbon Fiber Performer Since its introduction in the mid- 1990s, the CT has looked the part of a performance machine. Like Jim Griswold's distinctly egg-shaped Questair Venture, performance comes with this fuselage configuration. John and I flew the 2006 CT to 5500 rpm where we averaged 119 knots indicated air speed (IAS) on an upwind and downwind run. This translated to 125 knots true airspeed (TAS) on the day we flew together. The fastest speed was achieved with the flaps reflexed (curved upward) to the 6-degree setting. This sailplane control helps broaden the CT's speed range. John stated that not using the reflex would lower cruise by 2 to 3 knots. When I wasn't trying to evaluate the CT's upper-end performance, I tended to fly it in the low 5000 or high 4000 rpm range. I felt comfortable at this setting. The CT was quieter and smoother. When you raise the rpm to 5500 you experience greater noise and vibration. On the other end of the speed scale, the CT can go quite slowly. Keep backing off on power and the CT won't start sinking. Finally, after you dial in flaperons you can watch the speed come down. Using aileron trim, I got the 2006 model into slow flight-very slow, about 28 knots indicated on the digital readout until it fell to zero. The CT wanted to roll to the left, so I moved the aileron control to the right, which cured the problem. Of course, airspeed readings at high angles of attack are suspect; we didn't necessarily fly at 28 knots, but we were "crawling" above the earth's surface. At these foot-dragging speeds, the CT handled cooperatively. Not quite as light in pressures, the 2006 model gave good response and didn't feel sloppy. When stalls in the 2006 CT were done mildly, the airplane demonstrated almost no nose or wing drop. When done more aggressively, both trials caused this CT to drop a little to the right. I used aileron to bring the wing back, a reasonable maneuver as long as the movement is modest. (Intentional spins and aerobatics are not approved; markings in more than one location reinforce this message.) Voting for CT A year and a quarter after the first SLSA were approved, the CT has taken a convincing lead in deliveries, with more than 85 aircraft delivered. This is an active marketplace, and other manufacturers are also selling large numbers of airplanes. But Flight Design had a head start, starting earlier than others in gearing up production for U.S. consumption. Flight Design of Germany projects it will produce and sell more than 200 CTs in 2007. So far in 2006, Sebring Aviation has delivered eight CTs and has orders for 10 more. John sees no problem in selling his dealership's allocation of 25 airplanes for 2006. Other Flight Design USA distributors say the same thing: "Give us the airplanes; we can sell them all." Just three years ago, I wrote about the CT of that period and called it a higher-end choice for about $70,000. Today, the CT sells for $92,900. The $22,900 increase is in small part covered by a longer list of standard items (see below), but the majority of that price inflation is the reduced dollar value compared to a highervalued euro. Flight Design of Germany, Flight Design USA, and its Keep backing off on power and the CT won't start sinking. Finally, after you dial in flaperons you can watch the speed come down. Using aileron trim, I got the 2006 model into slow flight-very slow, about 28 knots indicated on the digital readout until it fell to zero. The CT wanted to roll to the left, so I moved the aileron control to the right, which cured the problem. Of course, airspeed readings at high angles of attack are suspect; we didn't necessarily fly at 28 knots, but we were "crawling" above the earth's surface. At these foot-dragging speeds, the CT handled cooperatively. Not quite as light in pressures, the 2006 model gave good response and didn't feel sloppy. When stalls in the 2006 CT were done mildly, the airplane demonstrated almost no nose or wing drop. When done more aggressively, both trials caused this CT to drop a little to the right. I used aileron to bring the wing back, a reasonable maneuver as long as the movement is modest. (Intentional spins and aerobatics are not approved; markings in more than one location reinforce this message.) Voting for CT A year and a quarter after the first SLSA were approved, the CT has taken a convincing lead in deliveries, with more than 85 aircraft delivered. This is an active marketplace, and other manufacturers are also selling large numbers of airplanes. But Flight Design had a head start, starting earlier than others in gearing up production for U.S. consumption. Flight Design of Germany projects it will produce and sell more than 200 CTs in 2007. So far in 2006, Sebring Aviation has delivered eight CTs and has orders for 10 more. John sees no problem in selling his dealership's allocation of 25 airplanes for 2006. Other Flight Design USA distributors say the same thing: "Give us the airplanes; we can sell them all." Just three years ago, I wrote about the CT of that period and called it a higher-end choice for about $70,000. Today, the CT sells for $92,900. The $22,900 increase is in small part covered by a longer list of standard items (see below), but the majority of that price inflation is the reduced dollar value compared to a highervalued euro. Flight Design of Germany, Flight Design USA, and its distributors and dealers are not making more money at these higher prices. Even at $92,900, the CT represents a good value among the more refined S-LSA. For that figure you get pattern and color choices, the Rotax 912S 100-hp engine, a three-axis trim system with discrete wheel controls for each, a full instrument package (including airspeed, altimeter, vertical speed, tachometer, hour meter, and slip indicator), the Rotax FlyDat digital engine instrument with numerous functions (or you can select American-made UMA analog engine gauges if you prefer), strobe and position lights, stainless steel exhaust with cabin heat, a Mecaplex sliding window vent, quarter-turn fasteners on the engine cowl, and the BRS emergency parachute system. To assure you know how to operate your new 2006 CT, Flight Design provides each buyer with three hours of flight orientation (included in the price). Overseas shipping to the East Coast is also included in the price, though delivery charges may apply if you take delivery, for example, at Flight Design West based in Reno, Nevada. Those seeking more instrumentation and appointments can choose from options like black or brown leather seating, mode A/C transponder, a choice of Garmin 296 or 396 panel-mounted GPS, one- or two-axis autopilot, King radio packages, David Clark headsets, a PS intercom, or the Dynon 100-120 electronic flight instrument and engine monitoring glass display. Flight Design USA also offers many other optional items to help you customize your CT. With Flight Design Germany working hard to increase manufacturing capacity, and the company's American reps standing ready to sell and service the aircraft, getting a CT shouldn't involve too long a wait. Find your way to the head of the parade and you'll see why CT occupies the lead position. It might be your new LSA.