The Super Magnum packs an 80-horse four-stroke Verner Some general aviation pilots are put off by ultralights; for others they're great fun. If you're the type who likes the idea of ultralight flight but you don't trust the common two-stroke engines, then Sport Flight's Super Magnum kit-built aircraft with the Verner engine may be what you're looking for. JOIN THE FAMILY For nearly a decade, Sport Flight Aviation has produced the Talon XP two-seater and the Magnum single-seater. In 1998 the company added the Super Magnum, a one-place airplane that features a substantial 80-horsepower engine from the Czech Republic. The Verner SVS-1400 engine was brought to the United States by Milan Stavenik in the mid-1990s. Milan lost his life in an accident unrelated to the Verner, but development of the engine has continued under Sport Flight Aviation owner Roger Bitton. In addition to the Verner, the new HKS 700E, imported from Japan by Hpower, is enjoying a good reception. At 60 horsepower, however, the 700E doesn't have the punch of the Verner or the larger 80-horse Rotax 912. The SVS-1400 puts out its 80 horsepower very smoothly. Differences between it and the popular Rotax 912 include a belt reduction drive, which is commonly thought to be smoother and quieter than gear drives, though its longevity is perhaps less well regarded. Verner uses two cylinders versus the 912's four. The Verner engine runs smoother than any Rotax engine I recall, even the well-regarded 912. The SVS-1400 also gives the Super Magnum an amazing amount of power. The Verner is relatively heavy and comes from a distant manufacturer. While Americans are slow to embrace foreign products, the proliferation of Austrian Rotax engines and Japanese autos proves that Yankees will pay for quality from overseas. With a smooth-operating engine come sacrifices. The Verner SVS-1400 weighs nearly 40 pounds more than the Rotax 912 and is 50 pounds heavier than the HKS 700E. More weight doesn't mean more price, however. In fact, at about $7,000 the SVS-1400 costs about the same as the 700E and is thousands of dollars less than the 912. SUPER MAGNUM AIRFRAME Sport Flight's Super Magnum is a slightly larger version of the Magnum single-seater. It has 22 more square feet of wing and its 70 additional pounds help support the push that the big engine generates. Like the rest of the Sport Flight line, the Super Magnum uses ultralight-common pod-and-boom construction, with its airframe built over a massive main tube that runs from nose to tail. Though the Super Magnum looks like an ultralight and flies like an ultralight, it is not an ultralight. To qualify for FAR Part 103, single-seaters must weigh 254 pounds or less, excluding floats or safety devices like an emergency parachute system. The Super Magnum weighs nearly double the ultralight limit. The extra weight is a good investment, however. With the heavy four-stroke engine comes greater reliability, lower fuel consumption and less noise. Sport Flight has been a successful company throughout most of the 1990s, and its Talon line shares a rich heritage with other ultralights. It's modeled roughly after the Drifter and the Explorer, two designs that are revered for their tough construction and excellent flight characteristics. Both went out of production when poor management led to their companies' demise. The Drifter, however, is being produced again by Leza-Lockwood in Sebring, Florida. The Drifter and Explorer developed reputations as enjoyable flying ultralights with robust airframes. With similar platforms, Talons and Magnums are brute aircraft that can accommodate larger engines like the Verner. Also like the Drifter and Explorer, the Super Magnum places its pilot well ahead of the wing, ensuring more visibility than even a helicopter with a bubble cockpit. You can see forever from the front of the Super Magnum - a sensation that some general aviation pilots may not appreciate. The older Drifter suffers from complaints that its lack of side enclosures creates fears of falling out, and by sitting in front of the wing the lack of lateral reference makes it difficult for a pilot to judge his flying. It's the same situation with the updated Super Magnum, and it takes some acclimation, especially for Cessna pilots who are accustomed to sighting down the wing to determine level flight or angle of attack. Challenges aside, the Super Magnum has a comfortable seat of aluminum tubing and wedge-shaped cushions. It's a simple design that offers better support than what you'll find in most general aviation airplanes. ROARING OFF THE RUNWAY Unless you're exceptionally tall, climbing into the Super Magnum requires a handy step that's mounted on the aircraft's right side. Left-side entry isn't advised because that's where Sport Flight mounts the throttle, flap lever, and trim lever. The confluence of structural tubes aft of the front seat (a hard point that supports the wing at its leading edge) provides a solid spot to grab for lowering yourself into the seat. Once you're buckled in with the thoughtfully appointed four-way seat belts, crack the throttle and twist the starter key in a switch panel that's located to your lower right. The SVS-1400 rumbles to life without protest and purrs ever so smoothly. To my ear at least, it's quieter than the Rotax 912. The Verner issued a muted roar when I moved the throttle forward to start taxiing. I initially added a little too much power because the throttle sits on a long lever that makes large movement easy. Its length, however, allows your left hand to rest on the side cockpit tube, a feature that I wouldn't change. But throttles with short levers take more muscle, so I overdid the boost a bit. A clear advantage of the tall throttle lever is that you aren't likely to confuse it with the neighboring flap lever or trim lever. Taxiing toward the departure end of the runway is much the same as I've experienced with the two-seat XP model. The full-swiveling Matco tailwheel is substantial, and the braking system - a Roger Bitton trademark - is excellent. An older Talon that I've flown in the past has the same brake system, but that one has a hydraulic cylinder on the back side of the joystick. With the actuating control lever on the front side, you can't get a good grip on the stick. The Super Magnum arrangement puts everything on the front, which makes it easier to find a secure hold. In the older two-place Talon with the 52-horsepower Rotax 503 engine, takeoff roll is pretty short, even with two aboard. With the mighty Verner pushing hard, takeoff roll is laughably brief in the single-seat Super Magnum. The 28 extra horses easily compensate for the extra weight. Thanks to a straight-on headwind, controlling the Super Magnum was easy during takeoff roll. Once I got away from the airstrip, I rediscovered the handling pleasure of Bitton's aircraft. Though I could feel the additional weight, the aircraft exhibited the brisk roll I had noted previously on the XP. Some ultralights such as the Kolb, Titan and Avid have faster roll rates, but the Super Magnum is still vigorous, and that's something to appreciate in crosswind or gusty conditions. As with most ultralights, the Super Magnum's pitch is light, which makes for easy steep turns. An extra hundred rpm are required to maintain altitude, but that's standard in most aircraft. Though the pitch is light, I appreciate the in-flight adjustable trim, which relieves the need to hold the stick in the right position. KEEP A LIGHT TOUCH The Super Magnum cooperated well during the maneuvering I executed, but I noted that it has a slight tendency to tighten up in turns, which demands some reverse control of the joystick. Wherever I set the power, the Verner hummed along steadily. When an engine delivers the power of the SVS-1400, there's no need to run it at high power settings unless you want to race along. Like a home stereo system, a unit with lots of power means you can hold the "volume" down, and that creates a better situation in several ways. An engine that runs in a modest power range lasts longer, uses less fuel, and generates less noise and vibration. Dump more fuel in the big powerplant, however, and she'll show you her muscle. Top speed, according to the ASI, read nearly 100 mph with the throttle fully opened. It's just as well that the airfoil section and drag keeps the Super Magnum from even higher speeds. Anything beyond the century mark would likely create flutter, and that would require mass balancing and research into an extended flight envelope. Of course, the engine's location above the wing means the nose gets shoved downward when you increase power. Trim offsets that tendency, but it's something to remember in places like short final. Such is the nature of high-thrust-line aircraft of any sort. The Super Magnum is downright friendly in stalls of all types. Its nose breaks through, but the action is not sudden and it doesn't go far. I did one exaggerated stall where I firmly held the stick full aft throughout. After a couple of nose bobs, the Super Magnum settled in at a slow but flyable speed - still with the stick full aft. Newer pilots will be reassured by the airplane's benign handling. The 503-powered XP two-seater has similar characteristics, which leads one to conclude that it's the airframe, not the engine. Despite the heavier weight of the Verner-equipped Super Magnum, stalls speeds are in the low 30s, assuming the ASI told me the truth. Regardless, it feels slow and non-threatening. I hadn't used any flaps for takeoff, as they seemed completely unnecessary given the more-than-ample power. They might come in handy for soft-field operations, of course. On approach to landing, however, flaps show their prowess. Hit the detent button and throw in both notches of flap deployment, and the Super Magnum slows noticeably. The flaps also move the nose up, which is nonstandard in the world of certified aircraft, but no one is likely to argue with their effectiveness here. Since the Super Magnum uses an aft fuselage cover over its center structure, its considerable side area confers a potent slipping ability. Mesh that with the hard-working flaps and you'll have plenty of flight-path control - a feature you'll no doubt appreciate during short-field landings. IS IT FOR YOU? Although I enjoyed flying with the four-stroke SVS-1400, and there are benefits as noted above, the engine simply provides more power than the Super Magnum needs. It reminds me of shoehorning a V-8 into a Volkswagen Beetle. I'm an advocate of smaller engines so long as they provide a margin of safety in situations that demand some extra climb power. This is an ultralight-type airplane, and 80 horsepower on a single-seater borders on the absurd. You don't need that much engine unless you have a work-related need for it. Since the simpler, cheaper and lighter 503 carries two persons aloft just fine, the Verner is a waste of money. That said, I am keenly aware that not everyone shares my enthusiasm for smaller powerplants. I recently spoke to a prospective ultralight buyer who asked about several different models. When I asked him what he was looking for in an ultralight, he said - among other things - that he wanted the largest engine he could buy. Some people just love power, and if you're one of those, then the Verner may be what the ultralight doctor ordered. And for general aviation pilots who are accustomed to the reliability of four-stroke power, the Verner provides a sense of security. That it runs smoother than the Lycoming on my Cessna 150 is an added benefit. The kit is priced at $10,750 without engine, and the Verner SVS-1400 is another $7,000, so you won't be buying a bargain-basement ultralight-type aircraft. But you'll have one that should last a long time, given proper maintenance. When it comes time to sell it - which happens to any aircraft you own - the Verner-equipped Super Magnum ought to return a substantial share of your investment. This is a strongly built airframe that has the toughness to deal with unimproved fields. It is also a fairly fast-build kit that comes with slip-on Dacron wings and bolt-together assembly. If you are intrigued by high-power, four-stroke, playful ultralight-type aircraft, give the Verner Super Magnum some serious consideration.