One of Canada's best-kept secrets can be found hidden away in a northeastern Ontario town called Hawkesbury. That secret is the PUMA - a little plane being imported into Canada by Humberto Dramisino of Otreb Technologies. When you look into the history of ultralight and light sport aviation, it's interesting to note that the successful manufacturers are the ones that introduce a design and then adjust it as times goes by to better fit the ever-changing aviation marketplace. This is what has lead to the success of the PUMA. Designed in Italy by Antonio Bortolanza, the aircraft has undergone a number of design transitions since it was first introduced in '85. Dramisino has been involved with the manufacture of the PUMA from a very early age. He first started working in the factory when he was only 15 years of age, "working just for the pleasure of working on airplanes," he says. The factory decided to redesign the craft with the idea of moving into the North American market. The redesign did not change the materials and construction techniques that have proven themselves for more than 20 years. It involved more the appearance of the craft. In '06 Otreb Technologies became the North American distributor for the PUMA. The first aircraft arrived in November '06 and was finished and flown in May '07. When you hear the name PUMA, you immediately think of the sleek, powerful majestic cat that roams the North American wilds. Italians have long been famous for their flare for design. When you look at the PUMA aircraft you can see how the Italian designer has introduced the same qualities of the wild cat into his aircraft. All of the manufacturing of the PUMA - preformed parts, composite parts, drilling, etc. - is done in Italy. The kit is then crated and shipped to Canada. On arrival Otreb Technologies then inventories the craft and prepares it for delivery to the customer. Otreb Technologies receives the craft minus engine, exhaust and instruments. These are all supplied by Otreb Technologies from North American suppliers. Otreb also produces a number of items for the PUMA, such as trim fairings for the rudder cables, instrument panels and wiring harnesses. The PUMA is also built specifically for the North American market, which has considerably higher weights and speeds than are allowed in Europe. The PUMA is offered in kit form, which will take about 150 hours to complete, or as a ready-to-fly aircraft as a Basic or Advanced Ultralight in Canada. Otreb Technologies is also preparing to enter the U.S. light sport aircraft (LSA) market. The PUMA already meets a number of very strict European standards, so most of the work to meet LSA requirements is paperwork. Cockpit and Controls The PUMA is a high-wing side-byside 2-seater featuring a composite fuselage and metal wings and tail sections. The doors fit snuggly into the fuselage body and do not require any sealing material. They are hinged at the front, which allows the doors to fully open. The wing struts are located behind the seating area, allowing easy entry and exit from the craft. The plane can be flown with the doors on or off, and removal and reinstallation take literally seconds. The doors are also equipped with side pockets for storage of small items, and have adjustable air vents that provide cabin ventilation during summer flying conditions. For colder flying weather an in-cabin heater with an electric fan comes standard. The heater runs off the liquid cooling system, the same as that used in most automobiles. A lockable storage area is located on the outside of the fuselage behind the pilot seats. There is also a storage area directly behind the seats, which can be reached from inside the cabin. The well-padded seats are available in cloth or optional simulated leather. Seats can be easily adjusted on the ground by the removal and reinstallation of a pin, which allows seat movement forward and aft. Pilot restraint is via a lap belt and shoulder harness system. The instrument panel is broken down into three sections: the left section features flight instruments the pilot would use for flying (airspeed, altimeter, variometer, and turn and bank), and are available in both analog or digital format. The center section holds engine instruments, and the fuel gauge, radio, hourmeter, etc. are in the right panel. Since the instruments and panels are supplied and designed by Otreb Technologies, customers are able to design their own instrument panel layout. The PUMA comes with dual stick-and-rudder controls. The rudder and ailerons are cable-operated while the elevator is via push-pull tube. The model I flew for this report had a center-mounted Vernier-style throttle with a twist to lock and pushbutton release. A dual throttle system is also available. The flaps and trim are operated electrically. The trim has an indicator on the dash to show trim position. Flap position requires the pilot to glance out at the wing. The ailerons and flaps can be recessed 4° negative, which provides a higher cruise speed at lower rpm. Fuel is turned on and off via two valves located at the root of each wing. During flight both valves are flown in the "on" position. The PUMA has excellent side-to-side and forward visibility. It also comes standard with an overhead skylight for added visibility in a turn. Construction of Wing, Tail, Control Systems The PUMA uses all-metal wing construction. The wing structure, ailerons, flaps, horizontal stabilizer, elevator, and rudder are fabricated from 2024-T3 and 6061-T6 aluminum. According to Dramisino, "The PUMA has a metal wing because the craft is being used in the training environment, where the potential for damage is greater. A metal wing is easily repairable, whereas a composite wing generally has to be replaced from the factory." When ordering a kit the customer can order a folding wing option that allows one person to easily fold the wing back onto the tail section for storage in a 1-car garage. The standard wings come with a quick-disconnect system that allows the wings to be removed by two people in about 10 minutes. The 50-liter (13.2-gallon) fuel tanks are located in the wings, and each tank has a fuel drain located in the rear section of the tank. The PUMA also has a third gascolator drain located at the lowest point in the system, directly below the engine. Fuselage Like the main landing gear the fuselage is made from certified composite resin, molded under vacuum and cured at high temperature. The PUMA loading factors are +4g -2g and at a maximum weight of 1,157 pounds (525 kg). PUMA Power and Handling The PUMA is powered by the 80-hp Rotax 912 4-stroke aircraft engine as standard, or the optional 100-hp Rotax 912S engine. The engine is mounted to the airframe using a Rotax-recommended two-piece rubber-isolated suspension frame. A problem facing many Rotax 912 engine owners who are building their kits is finding someone to weld an exhaust system for them from the parts supplied by Rotax. To alleviate this problem Otreb Technologies supplies the PUMA with a dual exhaust system produced in North America by Toucan Exhaust Systems. This dual exhaust system comes ready to bolt on with no cutting or welding required. As an option, a customer can also have the exhaust ceramic-coated, which will help dissipate heat better and give the system a cleaner look and longer life. Another unique feature of the PUMA is that it comes standard with an oil thermostat mounted to the engine mount. This aids in faster warm-ups and keeps the engine at optimum operating temperature, which will really be appreciated by pilots flying in colder areas. In the case of a thermostat failure, it is designed to fail in the "open" position. The very efficient cooling system has three air inlets, one in the lower cowl for the radiator and oil cooler, and two other inlets in the top of the cowl directly in front of the cylinder heads. The standard 2-blade wood propeller supplied on the PUMA is being manufactured in Italy specifically for the PUMA. Optional 2- and 3-blade composite propellers like the IvoProp, Powerfin and Warp Drive are also available. Ground Handling, Suspension and Steering System The PUMA features a tricycle gear landing system. The main landing gear structure is made from certified composite resin, molded under vacuum and cured at high temperature, and the castoring nosewheel assembly made of 7075 aluminum. The PUMA has independently operated hand brakes and wheels manufactured in the U.S. by MATCO. Turning at slow speeds requires a coordinated application of brakes and throttle. Once moving, pilots are able to steer the PUMA by application of rudder and backpressure on the stick. Flying the PUMA The sleepy little town of Hawkesbury is located about 6 hours northeast of Toronto on the border of Ontario and Quebec, just 20 minutes from Montreal. It has a population of just over 10,000 people with 80% of these being Francophones. As you drive into town on Highway 17 coming from the Trans Canada Highway, you have to be very careful that you don't drive by 3435 County Road #17. This is the location of Hawkesbury East Airport, home of Focus Sport Aviation owned and operated by Gina Tremblay and Gerry deGrosbois. Tremblay and deGrosbois run a full-time ultralight flight-training facility from the airport, training in the Aerocruiser and more recently the PUMA. Hawkesbury East is also the home base for North American distributor of the PUMA, Humberto Dramisino of Otreb Technologies. Dramisino contacted me in midsummer '07 with an invitation to come over and fly the PUMA if I were in the area. As it happened in early December '07 I was doing a test flight and service call in the Kingston and Ottawa areas and decided to give him a call, to see if the invitation was still on. One thing led to another and a meeting was set for 9 a.m. Monday. Unfortunately Dramisino got tied up in traffic and then had a meeting to go to. This gave me some time to talk to Tremblay and deGrosbois and enjoy their hospitality. But I was not the only one. A couple of conventional pilots were out flying and dropped in. Over lunch and an endless pot of coffee, we all reminisced about our flying adventures. After lunch Dramisino checked for water in the two fuel drains in the wing tanks and the gascolator, and then pulled the PUMA out of the hangar. He then brought out a small 4-step ladder to fuel up the PUMA's two wing tanks. For those of you who have tried fueling a wing tank it can be a little awkward getting a 5-gallon fuel tank nozzle into the wing tanks without spilling fuel all over the wing. The trick is to use a product called the Super Syphon.With it you place the fuel can on the wing, install one end of the hose into the wing tank, place the other end into the 5-gallon fuel can, jig the line a couple of times and the fuel flows effortlessly into the wing tank, with no spilling. While deGrosbois was fueling the plane, I began a preflight. To do a thorough preflight on the engine, you have to remove the engine cowls, which require a screwdriver to unscrew the series of snap-lock screws located at the junction of the upper and lower cowl, and along the side of the firewall. It takes about a minute to remove the top cowl and about 3 to 4 minutes to remove both cowls. To check the oil and radiator fluid levels requires removal of only the top cowl. Once the cowls are removed the engine can be easily preflighted. The engine is supported by the Rotax-recommended 2-piece engine mount. The PUMA factory does an excellent job on their Rotax 912 engine installation. You will notice several things on the PUMA that are different. Rather than using the Rotax-supplied exhaust, the PUMA comes standard with a dual exhaust system from Toucan. It also comes standard with a thermostat in the oil system, and it uses two K&N air filters rather than the big, bulky aluminum air box system offered by Rotax. Inspection of the prop revealed no signs of problems, but the wood prop had a spinner on it. Pilots should be aware that wood props tend to swell and shrink with temperature changes, which can lead to improper torque on the prop bolts. If flying an aircraft equipped with a wood prop and spinner, it is recommended that the spinner be removed and the torque checked regularly. Preflighting the control system on the PUMA is easy. All of the control systems are out in the open and easily accessible. The rudder and ailerons are operated by cable while the elevator is via push-pull tube. These run back through the center section of the plane. Looking back from the seat you can see the entire length of the interior of the fuselage. Checking the wheels, brakes and wheel pants I noticed a small steel cable running down to the ground. The PUMA comes equipped with two ground cables to help prevent static discharge during fueling. All of the wing attachment points are out in the open and the airspeed indicator tubing runs up through the middle of the streamlined wing strut. After I finished my preflight Dramasino removed a single pin located under the seat cushion and moved the right seat forward to better fit my 5-foot 6-inch frame. With the pin replaced, the seat again was locked into position. The doors are hinged at the front and the struts are located behind the door opening, which means they don't interfere with pilots entering or exiting the craft. Add to this short control sticks and even the largest pilot won't have a problem getting in or out of a PUMA. Once in and seated I fastened my seat belt and shoulder harness, while deGrosbois, who is over 6 feet tall, climbed into the other seat. It was early December, the wind was really blowing and the temperature was bone-chilling cold! Both deGrosbois and I were dressed for these conditions, but even dressed this way, there was plenty of room for both of us in the 44-inch-wide PUMA cabin. With both of us buckled up, headsets on, and radio on, it was time to fire up the 80-hp Rotax 912. A check of the fuel shut-off valves revealed they were both in the "on" position. With the throttle at an idle and choke and ignition on, I turned the key. The engine turned over about three revolutions and fired up. Easing back on the choke, the engine started to idle a little more smoothly, and then began purring like a kitten. The engine came up to operating temperature in about half the time it would normally take, due to the thermostat in the oil system. When it did, I hit the switch for the fan on the in-cabin heater, which surprisingly began warming the cabin almost immediately. As we taxied out to the runway deGrosbois went over the control systems and speeds with me. Since this was my first time in the PUMA, I asked him take off and do a circuit with me following along on the controls. It was now about 2 o'clock in the afternoon, the wind was coming across the runway at an angle, gusting between 20 and 25 mph. Over the voice-activated headsets I heard him go through the standard radio preflight checks and notifications. He then glanced at the electric trim gauge and hit the electric trim switch to bring the trim to neutral. Looking out at the rear of the wing he deployed what looked to be about 15° of flap. As he advanced the throttle the nose immediately started to lift. About 150 feet and 40 mph we lifted off. Seconds later at about 500 feet deGrosbois retracted the flaps and we continued climbing out at just over 1,000 feet per minute at 80 mph. We climbed out to about 2,000 feet, did a gentle turn to the left and then left again and deGrosbois set up on the downwind leg, bringing the power back to 5,000 rpm. The airspeed indicator was showing 115 mph. Visibility forward and to the sides was excellent, with the overhead skylight giving an additional view for safety. Entering base deGrosbois pulled the power back and set up for a nice, gentle glide. About halfway across base he deployed flap, then turned to enter final. With flap on approach speed was 65 mph; at about 15 feet we began to round out and floated in ground effect for about 100 feet, and then the mains touched. deGrosbois held a little pressure on the stick to hold the nose off and then as it touched he deployed the brakes and then using the right brake turned us around so that we were heading back down the runway. As we taxied back I asked deGrosbois to release the controls to me. Steering the PUMA at anything above an idle is done via the rudder. The trick is to keep as little pressure as possible on the nosewheel so that the rudder can effectively steer the plane. At slower speeds you use the brakes with the assistance of the throttle. Taxiing back, the wind was coming from our rear and side, which meant I had to use both rudder and brake to keep the plane straight. As I approached the end of the runway and tried to turn around I had a problem turning. To turn left from a stopped position meant I had to apply the left brake and at the same time apply a burst of power.With both the throttle and the brakes centrally located it meant I had my left hand on the brake with my right hand coming across in front of my body working the Vernier-style throttle, which required me to push in on a button release while at the same time pushing the throttle in or pulling it out to apply or reduce power. On this first attempt I felt very uncomfortable and asked deGrosbois to take over and bring the plane back around to set up for takeoff. He appeared to have no problem doing this, despite the fact that it looked very awkward with both his right and left hands coming across to the center of the plane. Since deGrosbois had taken the plane off with flaps, I decided to try it without flaps. Applying power again brought the nose up almost immediately. We rapidly picked up speed and after about 300 feet and at about 45 mph we lifted off. I started a gentle climbout; seconds later I glanced at the airspeed and saw I was doing nearly 95 mph. A little backpressure on the stick brought me back to 85 with a climb rate of 1,200 feet per minute. Now, I weigh 200 pounds, deGrosbois probably weighs closer to 180 pounds, our fuel tanks were nearly full, and we were flying on only an 80- hp Rotax 912. There are many Advanced Ultralights and light sport aircraft that don't give this kind of performance when equipped with a 100-hp Rotax 912S engine. We climbed out again to 2,000 feet and set up to enter the circuit on the downwind leg. I decided to come in a little higher than deGrosbois had, to bring the power back a little earlier, and to deploy flaps a little later to see what type of glide ratio the PUMA had. In doing so I completely blew the approach. The plane cut through the air like a hot knife through butter; I was on final but was way too high to make a safe approach for a landing. So I climbed out again and set up for another circuit, again coming in high but setting up on final about a mile from the field. I slowed the plane down to 75, brought the engine back to an idle, deployed what I thought was about 15° of flap. Even with the gusty crosswind the plane was coming in like it was on a cable. Still a little high, I applied right rudder and a little left stick, and the PUMA responded with a nice, gentle forward slip. I kept the slip in until about 50 feet off the ground then straightened her out and touched down right where the numbers would normally be (grass strip - no numbers). Down on the ground I felt the crosswind pushing the plane over to the right. I applied left aileron and rudder, and reached over to give myself a little left brake. As I slowed to a stop and tried to turn, I found I was still having a little problem adjusting to the throttle and brake arrangement, but managed to get it around and back down to the end of the runway. Since we had taken off with no flap and 15° of flap, I decide to try it with full flap. Again the nosewheel came off the ground immediately on application of power. But we lifted off in less than 50 feet at just over 35 mph. The plane felt a little mushy so I let it pick up a little speed in ground effect and then started a gentle climbout, retracting the flaps as I did so. I asked deGrosbois to take over the controls and climb out to altitude so we could do some stalls and turns while I set up my video camera to could get some video of the instruments and cabin visibility. Glancing at the engine instruments, which were located in the center section of the instrument panel, revealed that all of the gauges were in the green areas recommended by Rotax. The PUMA is one of the few aircraft that I have flown where the manufacturer has designed his systems so that they all follow Rotax recommendations. We took her up to 3,000 feet, used the radio to let any traffic in the area know that we were going to be do some work with stalls, gently brought the power back to idle, and held the plane level with backpressure on the stick. At around 60 mph I felt the plane shudder a little; at 55 mph, the nose dropped straight over with no tendency of any wing drop; a little forward stick and 50 feet later we are back flying. We then climbed back up to 3,000 feet, this time applying about 20° of flap. Power to an idle, backpressure on the stick, again the PUMA gave a little shudder, this time around 50 mph with a break at 45 mph, but the nose only dropped about 15 feet and we were flying again. I asked deGrosbois to take over the controls again so I could time a climb from straight and level cruising flight through 1 minute of full power application. I gave deGrosbois the signal to go and started the timer. Sixty seconds later we had climbed through 1,250 feet. Next I tried doing right and left turns using just the rudder, then right and left turns using just the ailerons. The plane responded exceptionally well with no tendency to drop a wing while using the rudder, and no problem initiating or bringing the plane out of a turn with just the ailerons. Setting the throttle at 5,000 rpm produced 115 mph indicated. With the plane trimmed, pulling back on the stick and releasing it the plane did two small oscillations and then came back to level flight. The same thing happened when the stick was pushed forward and released. With the plane trimmed for straight and level flight, deGrosbois took over the controls, let go of the stick and with only the rudder pedals did a complete 360° turn to the left and then to the right. Back at cruise I removed my headset to judge the cabin noise. I was surprised to find how effective the headphones were as the cabin noise was louder than I expected. Then I realized that the rear of the cabin was open all the way to the back of the plane, which amplified the noise in the cabin. I also think the dual Toucan exhaust system was just a little noisier than the standard Rotax system, but it probably contributed to the extra power that the 80-hp Rotax 912 seemed have. Most other ultralights and light sport aircraft I have flown have a rear partition separating the cabin from the fuselage, which considerably cuts down the noise. This is even more effective in a composite fuselage as this material tends to absorb noise better than a metal or fabric. It was time to head back for one more landing. This time I decided to try a full flap approach. As I applied the flaps I noticed the pressure increase on the stick. deGrosbois asked if I wanted to trim it out, but I decided to leave it as was, to better feel the plane as I came in. I set up on final with an approach speed of 55 mph. The wind had changed directions and while still strong and gusty, it was now blowing straight down the runway. Still a little high, a little forward slip, holding it in until about 25 feet, straightened it out and at about 15 feet I felt it in ground effect. I touched down on the mains at what seemed to be just over a fast walking pace. I applied brakes and we stopped and turned around in less than 50 feet. Summary The PUMA is a well-designed aircraft built with technology that is on the leading edge of our sport. Its performance with only the 80-hp Rotax 912 is exceptional. It is a very comfortable plane to fly, with great visibility. There are a couple of negatives that I feel detracted from the mostly positive feeling I got from flying the PUMA. If the PUMA had throttles on the left- and right-hand sides versus only in the center I probably would not have reported this as a negative factor in the plane. Better yet would be dual throttles with toe brakes. As of December '07 the Italian factory had produced 65 aircraft, which is low compared to the number of years they have been in business. A positive to this is that many of these planes are being successfully used in training environments. Currently there is only one PUMA flying in North America, with two others in cargo containers en route to Canada from Italy. That said, the PUMA as a Canadian advanced or basic ultralight, or as a light sport aircraft in the U.S. rates very high, especially when you consider its $46,500 Canadian dollars price tag as of December '07 is midrange for this category while delivering many high-end features. Postflight Aircraft Changes Since I wrote this flight report, Dramisino has installed a 1-inch foam barrier directly behind the pilots' seats to separate the cabin from the fuselage. He has also changed the positioning of the brake lever handles so that they give more leverage on application. I found I had to apply quite a bit of pressure to get them to work. By lowering the pivot point on the lever means the pilot does not have to apply as much pressure, and he has more lever action.