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Future Vehicles s.r.o. Song UL

Website: https://www.futurevehicles.eu/

Email: jan.jilek@futurevehicles.eu

Phone: +420 732 229 915

Hradec Králové, 500 12 - Czech

A Song to Lift Your Spirits — Clever, Sleek, and Part 103-Capable from Future Vehicles

By Dan Johnson || 7 Comments

You know this airplane and you know this company, although a refresher might be in order. You can be excused if this one slips you mind. The airplane in the nearby images was from years ago when you probably first saw it with an electric motor developed by Randall Fishman, one of the original pioneers in the electric aircraft space. He was so far ahead of his time that a market for electric had yet to develop. When Randall flew his first battery-electric-powered trike 16 years ago at Oshkosh 2007, no one was using the terms "air taxi" or "multicopter." Electric Aircraft Corporation didn't complete many sales but Randall's developments were ground-breaking. Now the handsome Song returns with a new producer, Future Vehicles. Earlier I wrote about the charming biplane Dingo, a modern-day follow-on to Hovey's Whing Ding and worthy entry in the Part 103 space. Read more about Dingo in this article from July, 2023.

Sleek Song

"A cockpit with a perfect view and a focus on ergonomics, a rescue parachute system, and the joy of flying with the option to switch off the engine and soar on updrafts like in a glider, all in an aircraft that can qualify for Part 103," said Future Vehicles. Why did these two different sort of Part 103 entries (Song and Dingo) end up in the same company? "Song was designed by Ing. Marek Ivanov, the engineer who behind the Dingo aircraft." "Future Vehicles s.r.o. took over the production and sales of the aircraft at the end of 2021 based on an agreement with Gramex," reported Future Vehicles. Song is a single-seater, low-wing ultralight aircraft with a pusher engine and tricycle gear equipped with spring-loaded nose gear. The nose gear is steerable. Song is designed according to the Czech regulation UL-2 and compliant with the requirements of the German regulation LTF-L for 120 kilogram aircraft (very similar to Part 103). This means it is eligible as for America's Part 103 and Britain's SSDR. "Song is aerodynamically and structurally optimized and made of carbon composite materials, to minimize empty weight," said Future Vehicles. "It has a distinctive twin-fuselage silhouette with the elevator located between the twin fins. The 11.2-meter (36.75 foot) wingspan wing is equipped with ailerons and air brakes." Song's cockpit is fully enclosed with a plexiglass canopy with a ventilation window on the left side. The seat is equipped with a four-point safety harness and adjustable back seat. The control stick is located in the center and the throttle and air brakes control levers on the left side. Ailerons are connected to the stick by push-pull rods, and both the elevator and rudder are controlled by cables. Rudders are interconnected by a push-pull rod. Rudder pedals have multiple positions and can be adjusted according to the pilot’s needs.

AERO-2017

The 25-liter (6.6 gallon) fuel tank is located in the left wing, while the right wing provides a luggage compartment with access from the cabin. A slightly smaller tank will be required for Part 103 in the USA. A significant advantage of Song is its minimal requirement for hangar space. "Thanks to a simple wing-to-fuselage connection system, known mainly from glider design, Song aircraft can be transported or stored disassembled and assembled for flight in less than 20 minutes," reported Future Vehicles. Song is delivered as "ready to fly," meaning you just need to assemble it, and you’re ready to take off!

ARTICLE LINKS:

This video, ranking in our Top 50 (at 292,000 views) discusses the conventional, gasoline-powered Song aircraft. https://youtu.be/t7_YlthuPV0?si=WTOGYxqRzrbbhOOb

Here's the same Song aircraft but outfitted for electric propulsion by Randall Fishman, who is interviewed in this video that also passed 100,000 views.

https://youtu.be/VWCc6ig-xMQ?si=l3KBTAbnRRGRwHIS And, with 29,000 views, here is a longer (better audio) interview with Randall Fishman of the electric Song, which he named ElectraFlyer ULS (for "Ultralight Specification"). https://youtu.be/JxHzxnaLhME?si=4koPDQtiu_bTTk0z

You know this airplane and you know this company, although a refresher might be in order. You can be excused if this one slips you mind. The airplane in the nearby images was from years ago when you probably first saw it with an electric motor developed by Randall Fishman, one of the original pioneers in the electric aircraft space. He was so far ahead of his time that a market for electric had yet to develop. When Randall flew his first battery-electric-powered trike 16 years ago at Oshkosh 2007, no one was using the terms “air taxi” or “multicopter.” Electric Aircraft Corporation didn’t complete many sales but Randall’s developments were ground-breaking. Now the handsome Song returns with a new producer, Future Vehicles. Earlier I wrote about the charming biplane Dingo, a modern-day follow-on to Hovey’s Whing Ding and worthy entry in the Part 103 space.

Super-Affordable Part 103 Dingo (low $20,000s, complete) Enters Production

By Dan Johnson || 10 Comments

While you continue digesting FAA's 318-page thriller on Mosaic, here's a fun aircraft that does not have to spend even one minute meeting those new rules. I've written about the Part 103-compliant Dingo from Future Flight before (this article) but the delightful biplane is now entering production. Tom Peghiny of Flight Design USA fame, wrote, "Jan Jilek is one of the design engineers of Future Vehicles as well as their test pilot. He is also a talented aerobatic performer. We flew together in a few planes while I was working in Sumperk, CZ [as a consultant to Flight Design]." Dingo was created by Marek Ivanov. At the beginning of 2021, he showed the first 3D images to the Future Vehicles team. This is an experienced group that does a wide range of engineering work for a variety of aircraft producers.

Describing Dingo

Dingo's airframe is primarily riveted 6061 and 2024 aluminum sheet. Wings, full-flying elevator, and rudder are covered with Ceconite polyester fabric. A composite seat rivets to the front part of the fuselage. The 2.6-gallon plastic fuel tank is located inside the fuselage behind the pilot’s seat and behind that, the powerplant is mounted to the fuselage using rubber isolator blocks. Dingo's main landing gear is welded from thin-walled steel tubes and bolts to the fuselage. Tail gear is steerable and straightened by spring. Ailerons and elevator are connected to the stick by push-pull rods, and the rudder is connected to welded pedals by cables. Dingo made its maiden flight on June 22, 2022 at the Jaroměř (LKJA airport) only a year and a half after the team pondered the 3D drawings. Dingo is a single-seat open cockpit biplane, powerplant in pusher configuration, a classic taildragger with a T-tail empennage. It was designed with a focus on easy and quick assembly. That promise is aided by using match-hole technology that assures a homebuilder without fancy jigs can accurately assemble Dingo subassemblies. This is now widely used in LSA but it is far less common on Part 103 entries. Based in Hradec Králové, Czech Republic, Future Vehicles announced that the Dingo has passed several key milestones, and is now in full production.

Designer Marek Ivanov gives instructions to test pilot and engineer Jan Jilek before the first Dingo flight.

"Dingo is an ultralight aircraft that can qualify as an Ultralight in the U.S. according to FAR 103, and as a single seat deregulated aircraft in numerous other countries," said the company. "It is a design inspired by the Hovey Whing Ding, a landmark design in the 1960s." The original Whing Ding was meant for flying mostly in ground effect, low over the desert but Future Vehicles' Dingo is designed and built to current airworthiness thinking and uses only aircraft-grade materials.

Well Wrung Out

In the year since its introduction, the Dingo has finished development and testing, completed the kit, and the in-depth assembly manual and videos. The first 10 kits have been sold. Three Dingo kits have been completed and are flying in Europe and the first Dingo kit to be sold in the USA was recently delivered. An active Dingo Facebook group is following several projects currently.

Dubbed Alaska Dingo after tundra tires were added, this example just screams "Fun!"

Dingo is available in two versions: Prices start with a basic 25 horsepower air-cooled single-cylinder Vittorazi Moster 185. A more powerful, deluxe version uses a 36 horsepower liquid-cooled single-cylinder Polini Thor 250 DS. Both popular engines are represented and supported worldwide with parts and service. The airframe can be equipped with up to a 40 horsepower engine. Options include several instrument packages and even a fat-tired "Alaska" version for rough fields or as an ultralight STOL competitor. "The detailed assembly directions include both a PDF manual with excellent CAD drawings and parts lists of each assembly and companion videos of how each assembly is built," noted Future Vehicles. The recommended covering is Ceconite polyester fabric. One current builder in the UK is using Oratex which does not even require painting. View a sample tutorial video of the assembly directions at the bottom of this page. The exciting and easy-to-build aircraft is now available worldwide through an innovative, factory-direct business model (think: Tesla) that reduces delivery times. Currently Future Vehicles can ship in one month. Going factory direct ensures door-to-door delivery.

An original Hovey Whing Ding from the early 1970s. image from Wikipedia

Future Vehicles offers upfront, fixed-cost delivery through the DHL Worldwide which cuts out the need for the typical manufacturer-dealer-container-reship to the owner cycle of many other kits and light aircraft. Their website shows the fixed shipping cost to many countries. How Much? The complete airframe kit is €12,204 (currently $13,668). Door-to-door shipping by DHL anywhere in the USA is €1,483 (currently $1,660), making total airframe cost $15,328. A completed Dingo after adding engine, instruments, propeller and covering costs €19,000-22,000 (currently $22,000 and $25,000).
In an age when everything seems to have doubled in price, Dingo keeps affordable aviation going strong.

ARTICLE LINKS:

Future Vehicles has created several aircraft, including the shapely Song.
  This short video focuses on a e-unicycle chasing a Dingo but it provides some interesting views of Dingo in flight. https://youtu.be/8l-B5x567VY For a more detailed view this half-hour sample video provides an assembly tutorial. https://youtu.be/cG2pttKgjBo

While you continue digesting FAA’s 318-page thriller on Mosaic, here’s a fun aircraft that does not have to spend even one minute meeting those new rules. I’ve written about the Part 103-compliant Dingo from Future Flight before (this article) but the delightful biplane is now entering production. Tom Peghiny of Flight Design USA fame, wrote, “Jan Jilek is one of the design engineers of Future Vehicles as well as their test pilot. He is also a talented aerobatic performer. We flew together in a few planes while I was working in Sumperk, CZ [as a consultant to Flight Design].” Dingo was created by Marek Ivanov. At the beginning of 2021, he showed the first 3D images to the Future Vehicles team. This is an experienced group that does a wide range of engineering work for a variety of aircraft producers. Describing Dingo Dingo’s airframe is primarily riveted 6061 and 2024 aluminum sheet.

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