Over many years, many people have done solid work to accommodate people who are physically challenged in one way or another. That’s great! More opportunities to bring in motivated pilots is worthwhile. Yet designers have been hampered from making such changes, partly as they are burdened by a certification system that is simply too rigid to make the effort of approval worth it for small numbers of specially-equipped aircraft. Cars, hotel rooms, curb construction, building ramps, smartphones, and more …all accommodate persons with disabilities. That’s wonderful, however… All those arrangements that make life easier for someone in a wheelchair must nonetheless cope with strenuous regulatory demands. Cars, hotels, and smartphones are created by vastly larger enterprises with staff to handle regulatory burdens. In the more intimate world of recreational aviation, the industry is composed of much smaller enterprises. A lighter regulatory hand (using ASTM standards instead of full FAA certification) allows easier airframe customization for specific purposes — such as hand control fittings and linkages — and this system allows changes on a dramatically faster schedule.
Montaer Aeronaves (Brazil) MC01
Website: http://www.montaer.com.br/montaer/
Email: contato@montaer.com.br
Phone: +55 75-3015-1207
, - BrazilVideo Bonanza! Despite Covid and Distance, Fresh Light Aircraft Videos Continue to Arrive
The night airshow continued to be very popular with large crowds (image from EAA)
You've Got Video!
For a few airshows now, I've had to do my job and Videoman Dave's job.Aeromarine-LSA's Merlin Lite now has a much longer wingspan helping the model stay within Part 103 parameters. The inset features another development using this platform.
Oh-So-Fast JMB VL3 / Speedster — Shooting like lightning across the sky, JMB is now beginning to install and deliver their sleek speed machine with Rotax's potent 915iS.
With the potent Rotax 915iS installed in JMB's VL3 the European speedster will continue to be one of the fastest in the sky.
Roomy and Well-Behaved Montaer MC01 / Touring — One of the most common questions I get involves payload. How much stuff can you carry and how do big fellows fit?
Talk about spacious… and Montaer's MC01 has even more room aft of the seats, with a third door to access it.
Affordable and Handsome Ultralights / Affordable — Tri-State is one of those companies that's been around a long time yet you may still not know of it. Well, that won't do. You should know about Smithsilvers or Quicksmiths (casual, not official references).
Artful sail work is only one of the skills Tr-State Kite Sales brings to market. Most components of the "Smithsilver" line are produced in-house.
For 18 months, the world has been under assault from a bug so small you can’t see it without a big microscope. Plenty of us are hungry to return to what we once quaintly called “normal.” Hundreds of thousands of people at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2021 started back on that path! Let’s review: Lots of people. Lots of exhibitors. Perhaps a record number of aircraft flown to the show by visitors. Airplanes were selling, according to many vendors. Weather was good; it only rained at night. No serious accidents. No subsequent reports of any “superspreading.” I’d say it’s all good, except… I was able to gather lots of material and put up daily posts. That made for very long days and short nights of sleep but it’s what many readers have asked for and I’m happy to oblige. What I did not do was shoot enough video. In the five days I attended, my Apple Watch said I walked almost 75 miles, nearly 15 miles a day on average.
Sun ‘n Fun 2021 / Day 3 — The Brazilian Invasion Continues; Montaer MC01 Has Arrived
Now, Welcome Montaer
The first airshow in too long, Sun 'n Fun 2021 is where Montaer made its formal debut to American pilots. Displayed in Paradise City — Sun 'n Fun's main light aircraft area — MC01 jumped out to get your attention in a bright red, white, and black paint job. Montaer Aeronaves, the Brazilian company name, formed in late 2013 "with the aim of bringing innovation to national aviation." An engineer who formerly worked with Paradise Aircraft, Bruno de Oliveira leads the company. If you think Montaer looks remarkably like Paradise and the P1NG, you'd be right though Bruno reported he has made "numerous changes and refinements."Three-Door Configuration
Technical Specifications Montaer MC01 All specifications provided by the factory
- Wing Span — 28 feet 10 inches
- Aircraft length — 21 feet
- Empty weight — 855 pounds
- Useful load — 465 pounds
- Fuel Capacity — 37 gallons
- Range — 780 miles
- Cruise speed — 120 miles per hour
- VNE — 137 miles per hour
- Stall Speed — 45 miles per hour
Perhaps you knew years ago that Brazil was an aviation beehive of activity. Since Santos-Dumont early last century, the South American country has been known for aviation. This millennia, the Brazilians have adapted to Light-Sport Aircraft and ASTM standards, which the country’s CAA accepts (as do several other nations). Not only have they populated the skies over Brazil, but several companies have moved to establish their business in the USA. Seamax, Super Petrel, the engineering behind the Texas Aircraft Colt, Paradise P-1, Flyer SS …all these are Brazilian designs and except for the last two, all have an active U.S. presence and all have the Brazilian factory as a partner or owner. For the record, this is also how Tecnam and others have handled their American representation. This may not assure success but it does keep the factory deeply involved with their entry to aviation’s largest marketplace.
Almost Time for the First Airshow in Too Long — Welcome to Sun ‘n Fun 2021!
Asking Too Much?
Does it seems too much ask that aviation — numbering somewhere around one million pilots globally plus the industry that supports them — provide the path back to better times? I certainly don’t know the future but we’re about to get a first real test of aviation’s resiliency as Sun ‘n Fun 2021 begins on Tuesday April 13th.Seamax will display at Sun ‘n Fun 2021 after a solid year continuing to expand their business. At the show next week, they’ll be promoting their new carbon fiber wing (image below), a major design enhancement, following on last year’s IFR model.
Not everyone will chance attending Sun ‘n Fun. Covering all the bases in their usual adroit fashion, Dynon and its sister companies will exhibit inside with a “spaced-out” presence plus offer a “virtual booth” experience that everyone staying home can visit. Dynon said both methods of visiting will present their whole line-up.
All Y’all, Come On Down!
For those that cannot attend, I’ll do my best to buzz around continuously looking for interesting stories in light aviation. Although I'll be working solo while Videoman Dave is not allowed to leave Canada, I will do my best to post here daily if possible.Montaer makes its first U.S. appearance after sorting out its representation. Launching into the dense U.S. sportplane market is a daunting task but Brazilian manufacturers and designers continue to enlarge their American footprint.
The amazingly energetic and positive Miguel Rosario spreads his wings further as Seamax grows globally. The company’s U.S. operation appears securely grounded and functioning well and he’s got a newly-designed carbon wing.
LAMA’s LSA Mall will exhibit a different look this with a new tent arrangement but presents a group of modern aircraft for review by visitors, including one you've never seen. Thanks to the DeLand Showcase for this money-sparing loan of their tent. The association is pleased to be on-site to provide industry support. The LSA Mall venue will also be host to a couple receptions and daily “happy hour” live music, compliments of the Flying Musicians Association. It’s a great place to watch the evening "airshow” as a flurry of light aircraft take to the sky every day after the main airshow ends. See it all — and buy — in the LSA Mall.
Luscombe makes a return to the market. Accepted by FAA as a Special Light-Sport Aircraft some years ago, the iconic brand so loved for its wonderful handling will now be produced in Jamestown, New York, as reported here. One novelty: This is a rare company stating, "Cryptocurrency Accepted." Grab your Bitcoin wallet and come have a closer look.
Can aviation lead us back toward normal? Globally, governments have ordered their citizens to stay at home and all the rest, as you’ve heard ad naseum. Some places — Florida, as a sunshining example — is more open than others but much of civilization remains restricted. • Article updated… see at bottom —DJ Again I ask, “Can aviation lead us back toward normal?” Asking Too Much? Does it seems too much ask that aviation — numbering somewhere around one million pilots globally plus the industry that supports them — provide the path back to better times? I certainly don’t know the future but we’re about to get a first real test of aviation’s resiliency as Sun ‘n Fun 2021 begins on Tuesday April 13th. Sun ‘n Fun has for years been one of Florida’s largest spectator events so even if attendance is off it still implies a very large gathering.
Special Light-Sport Aircraft #154 — Welcome to Montaer’s MC01 from Brazil
Please Welcome Montaer MC01
It's easy to see the visual relationship between MC01 and Paradise's P1NG. While the new model bears a close resemblance to the earlier SLSA, that former LSA is no longer represented in the U.S. market — although several models sold earlier continue to operate.See at bottom for current (Feb '21) panel offered by Montaer USA. This configuration also remains available.
Montaer MC01 Special LSA TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS
- Wing Span — 28 feet 10 inches
- Wing Area — 124 square feet
- Length — 21 feet
- Empty Weight — 855 pounds (varies with options)
- Useful Load — 465 pounds
- Fuel Capacity — 37 gallons
- Range — 780 nautical miles
- Cruise Speed — 120 miles per hour
- Never-Exceed Speed — 137 miles per hour
- Stall Speed (best flaps) — 45 miles per hour
Bruno de Oliveira (R) receives approval from Brazil's aviation authority. The South American county has long embraced ASTM standards so Bruno could achieve acceptance in both countries more quickly.
Ed Ricks (L) accepts the airworthiness certificate from FAA.
Lay-flat seats (like international airline's First Class seats) may allow sleeping in your MC01 but could be quite useful on the passenger side.
Montaer's MC01 uses welded chrome-moly steel with aluminum non-structural skins.
Panel featured in early 2021 by Montaer USA: Garmin G3X 10-inch touch screen; G3X autopilot: and G-5.
Welcome our newest entry to the Special LSA fleet: Montaer’s MC01. It’s been added to our SLSA List that so many of you visit regularly. In a way, you already know this aircraft or at least its look-a-like predecessor, Paradise’s P1NG. As happens in every industry, a key engineer left a family airplane building business — Paradise, run by granddad, Noe de Oliveira — and started his own aircraft factory. The departure occurred eight years ago. Now, Bruno de Oliveira has won FAA acceptance of his Special LSA model. Brazil uses ASTM standards as well so he also got approval in the South American country. Importer Ed Ricks of Montaer USA hoped to make it to the Midwest LSA Expo in late summer 2020, but we know all-too well how strange last year was. Many hoped-for gatherings simply fell apart in the year of Covid.
Virtual Sun ‘n Fun 2020 — 5 Light Aircraft You Might Have Seen in Lakeland
Bristell 915iS
The successful model from the very active BRM Aero in the Czech Republic was always a favorite for its exquisite design with no detail overlooked, with some of the smoothest execution in the industry. It's wide cabin and luxurious appointments puts Bristell almost in a class of its own, with a price tag to match.Jabiru J230D
For a very rare airframe company that also builds its own engines, welcome to the all-new Jabiru J230D with their latest Gen 4 (generation 4) Jabiru engine. The two seater LSA is also supplied as a four seater in its homeland of Australia, so this American model offers not only one of the most voluminous aft cabins in all of LSA-land but a separate, third door to access it.Flight Design F2
Flight Design has been busy over the last year. Not only have they come out with their CTLS 2020 (fresh news) but they've put their all-new F2 through multiple tests. The German company is almost ready to begin deliveries.Whisper X350
You know the Czech Cessna-182 lookalike called L600 from AeroPilot USA. You also know the dashing FX1 from InnovAviation in Italy. Both of these interesting models are represented by Deon Lombard of AeroPilot USA, now based in Florida but with representation in California.Whisper Aircraft in South Africa has created Whisper X350 Gen II, a two-seat, cross-country sport aircraft with a limit load factor of plus 6.0 and minus 4.0 Gs. Those are merely limit loads. This is a tough bird.
Whisper wings feature a carbon fiber structure tested to an ultimate load factor of 12.0 Gs. The Gen II’s wing tanks offer a total fuel capacity of 63 U.S. gallons, giving a range of 1,000 nautical miles and an endurance of over 6 hours.
"The aircraft also has one of the widest interiors on the market today, featuring optional leather interior and plenty of baggage room making the Gen II perfect for comfortable cross-country trips. This will make a good member of the AeroPilot USA family. A few more specs: Useful Load — 925 pounds; Speed — 175 knots; Range — 1,137 miles.
••• Get Lots More Info — AeroPilot USAMontaer MC-01
It might have been one of the great flights to reach Sun 'n Fun 2020, had it occurred. That's because designer and company representative Bruno de Oliveira had planned to fly his new model all the way from Brazil to Lakeland. That alone would have been reason to examine the new Light-Sport Aircraft.While I continue to worry about the cash crunch faced by two of my favorite shows, I am still driven to provide content as if those shows had occurred this year and not been postponed to 2021. Of course, I refer to Aero Friedrichshafen and Sun ‘n Fun, the latter my focus for this post. Here I will relate five aircraft you might have seen in Lakeland last week …before it was bumped to early May, but which is now off until April 2021. I admit I secretly hoped for good news in these sad cancellations that might allow me to attend both events in 2021. I had to pick one over the other in 2020 as they were exactly opposite one another. Unfortunately for my schedule, the year-long postponement didn’t change anything. Sun ‘n Fun 2021 will be 13-18 of April while Aero 2021 is planned for 14-17 April.