Before Cessna announced its light-sport aircraft (LSA) prototype, the Wichita, Kansas-based aircraft manufacturer investigated the airplanes produced by Costruzioni Aeronautiche Tecnam, aka Tecnam. Cessna's interest was likely stimulated by Tecnam's 50-year history of aircraft manufacturing. The company traces its roots to 1950 and the P48B Astore. You may also be familiar with its twin-engine Partenavia series of aircraft that emerged in the 1970s. The Pascale brothers founded Costruzioni Aeronautiche Tecnam just after World War II, but the company was reorganized in 1986. Based today in Casoria, Italy, Tecnam is a large operation with 36,000 square feet of facilities near the Naples Capodichino airport. A second facility is located in Capua, where the final assembly line is adjacent to an airport where flight tests are conducted. "Professor" Luigi Pascale, the 82-yearold patriarch of Tecnam, remains the guiding light of the company. He reportedly still does all first flights of Tecnam airplanes. The company's design approach is backed with the latest Catia V5 software, wind tunnel tests, and close associations with Italian aero institutes and universities. You may be wondering how a recreational aircraft manufacturer can afford such large facilities, equipped with many engineering workstations, extensive machining capability, full aircraft assembly line, ISO 9002 certification, and nearly 100 workers on the production line. The answer is that Tecnam also builds fuselage sections for Boeing, horizontal tail plane assemblies for ATR airliners, and parts for various other large aircraft. Of greatest importance to American sport pilots is the fact this leading Italian small aircraft manufacturer has delivered close to 2,000 lightplanes, making it one of the most prolific producers of fully built recreational aircraft. The Italian company definitely has a rich aviation history, and now the U.S. market is graced with three approved special light-sport aircraft (S-LSA) models from it: the P92 Echo Super, the P2002 Sierra, and the P2004 Bravo-the numbers indicating the year the airplane went into production. The Sierra also holds JAR/VLA (Joint Airworthiness Regulations for Very Light Aircraft) certification. This European certification system is a thorough program; having already complied with those standards made it relatively easy for Tecnam to make its Statement of Compliance as an S-LSA d A New Distributor and Modified Designs Tecnam altered its original approach to distribution of its products in the United States about a year ago and appointed Lynne and Mike Birmingham as the company's sole U.S. agents, a role that requires the Georgia couple to enlist dealers throughout the country and initiate the process of import and distribution of the company's airplanes. The Birminghams have established seven U.S. dealers thus far. (For a complete listing, visit www. TecnamAircraft.com and click on Dealers.). Currently, Tecnam is in a tie for fourth in the race for market share- that is, sale and delivery of S-LSA. Given the accolades heaped on the flight qualities of Tecnam's aircraft, I'd expect the company to maintain a strong position in the ready-to-fly LSA market. My experience with Tecnam aircraft starts with the company's original high-wing P92 Echo, which evolved into the Bravo and Echo Super, and the low-wing P96 Golf, which evolved into the Sierra. (We'll look at the Sierra and Bravo in this report.) Lynne Birmingham reported the Sierra is substantially changed from the earlier Golf, but she added it shares an identical wing with the cantilever, high-wing Bravo. The main change made to Echo Super and Sierra occurred in early 2000 when the squared-off "Hershey bar" wing then used gave way to a tapered wing with a laminar flow shape. Those refinements resulted in a gentler stall, and the new wing enjoys a Rounding out Tecnam's S-LSA offerings in the U.S. are the high-wing Bravo and Echo Super. The Sierra and Bravo use the same laminar flow wing, giving them similar takeoff characteristics. All three aircraft are tri-gear and all-metal with side-by-side seating. 6- to 8-knot faster cruise speed. While the older Golf reached 110 knots, the Sierra can slip along at 116 knots at 75 percent power. Mike Birmingham, a retired airline pilot, said the Sierra also takes turbulence better. "It feels less like a lightplane and more like a heavier airplane," he reported, but he added it's also more responsive in roll, not less as might be expected. Enhanced longitudinal stability also resulted from the new wing, Mike said. "It's magnificent; the Sierra comes back to level in three oscillations." Such a quality improves cross-country flying, even for those who choose an autopilot option. This characteristic also improves landings by allowing pilots to flare more precisely thanks to better stabilator control feel. "You can hold it off forever," said Mike. Some construction changes were also made to the airplane. The original Golf had a fabric-covered stabilator and ailerons, a common choice among light aircraft designers, but the Sierra is now an all-metal airplane, including all control surfaces. The fuselages of both the high-wing and low-wing Tecnams also changed. The older models were oriented toward kit building and had boxier lines that made assembly easier for amateurs. The factory-built Sierra, Echo Super, and Bravo have smoother, cleaner lines and a more finished appearance. Other less visible changes of importance are an integrated carbon fiber rollover bar and more rugged landing gear. No change was made to the nose gear. Tecnam also advanced the capability of the airplanes, stretching the Golf's 1,160-pound gross weight to 1,320 pounds for the Sierra and increasing the airplane's fuel capacity to 26.4 gallons from the Golf's 18.5 gallons. That translates to another 200 miles of range. Still, despite the Sierra's higher gross weight, takeoff distances between the two airplanes are similar. However, the Sierra's laminar flow wing has to be flown off the runway, whereas the Golf would practically fly itself off the ground. Similar changes occurred in the transition of the P92 Echo to the Bravo, which shares the new laminar flow wing with the Sierra, making their takeoff characteristics similar. Mike said the two airplanes perform fairly similarly. He and Lynne, also an experienced pilot, compared the airplanes in side-by-side flights and found the Bravo just slightly faster. They speculated that might be related to the lower amount of dihedral in the Bravo's wing. On refueling, the Birminghams found the two models had nearly identical fuel burns. Climb rates were also similar, with the Sierra being slightly stronger in en-route climb. The low-wing model averages 600 fpm at 75 knots. The older Golf, with its straight and fatter wing, gets off the ground quicker; its lighter weight also helps it accelerate quicker. But Sierra climbs faster and can fly faster. "It's the Piper Cherokee versus Warrior with the wing differences," explained Mike. The older models are superior for getting out of a short field quicker, he added. The Bravo's cabin seems wide, but the cockpits are actually the same dimension (43 inches wide), Mike said. But, balancing the space sensation, Mike thinks the Sierra has a more "fighter aircraft" feel, whereas Bravo will appeal to Cessna lovers. Of course, the difference in view related to sitting on the wing spar versus hanging from it also needs to be considered. The Bravo offers slightly more headroom than the Sierra. "Anyone taller than 6 feet 6 inches will be more comfortable in the Bravo," Mike said. Taller occupants with longer legs will sit aft more in the Bravo, giving them more headroom under the spar. Like most cantilevered designs, the spar does invade the cockpit to a small degree. Ironically, a shorter person sitting farther forward may notice the spar presence more than a taller person. The Sierra/Bravo wing has stall strips that weren't on the earlier Echo and Golf models. When Tecnam went to the laminar flow wing, these wing devices were added to start the stall inboard. "A laminar flow wing stalls more evenly across the surface at once and stall strips prevent that," Mike said. He prefers the high-wing Bravo to the Sierra for a few reasons: entry and exit are easier; it is easier to load baggage into; passengers like to see the ground more than look up into the sky; and the high-wing shades the cockpit, keeping it cooler, a significant factor for many buyers living in warmer climates. The Sierra's cockpit has dual throttles, allowing each occupant to have their left hand on the throttle and right hand on the joystick. Electric trim is located on the joystick, and you can verify the setting via a trim position indicator. You can open the Sierra's cockpit at any speed, though Mike said it is more comfortable at speeds under 90 knots. My experience says even 90 is pretty windy, but the ultralight enthusiast in me loved being able to slide the canopy back. My personal preference also leans toward high wings-it's about the sightseeing view-but opening the doors isn't nearly the same as sliding Sierra's canopy aft and letting the breeze flow through. One note: You cannot have the canopy open for takeoff according to the pilot's operating handbook. When you latch the canopy of Sierra, it is quieter than Bravo. "Doors are harder to seal than a canopy," Mike observed. Three latches secure Sierra's canopy. When you open the Sierra's canopy you'll suffer a 10-knot speed penalty, but who cares when you just want to feel the breeze. Ultralight pilots and others experienced in open-cockpit flying love this capability. When you close the canopy, you must duck your head a little as the leading edge is set a bit lower than the overhead position. Pilots First Most pilots who have the chance to compare many LSA will find the Tecnam aircraft fly well. The flight characteristics are no fluke. Mike reported that Tecnam's philosophy is "pilots first, engineers second." The controls use no springs; all are solely aerodynamic in their actions. To achieve this, all controls are balanced by well-distributed weights. Control harmony is good, with pitch stabilized enough to approximately match aileron control pressures. While the Rotax 912 warmed up, I kept a hand on the center-mounted brake. Aft of the handbrake lever is a knob that twists to set the lever. The brakes are hydraulic; when you pull the brake lever back and turn the knob, it locks the hydraulic pressure. Though it may look like a castering assembly, Sierra has a fully steerable nose wheel. A rubber doughnut-type shock absorber takes up most of the shock you impose on it. When I set the Sierra's flaps to 15 degrees for takeoff, I noted the electric control moves the surfaces quickly, and you can set infinite positions. Launching was ordinary and fairly swift, but you must rotate the airplane manually. Unlike the Golf, the Sierra simply won't fly itself off the tarmac. Climb settled in at 700-800 fpm. As we flew around in cruise, I had to work at not letting Sierra's nose rise. The view angle over the nose is such that I tended to lift the nose too much. Apparently this is a common reaction by pilots new to flying this airplane. The Sierra's handling is quite responsive yet very positive. It offers fluid stick movements, and the rudder pedals need little action to produce coordinated turns. Some pilots accustomed to using equal measures of stick and rudder may overuse the rudder initially. I was able to perform Dutch rolls to 30 to 40 degrees quickly and without swinging the coordination ball too wildly. For a short first flight in the plane, I was satisfied with my performance of the maneuver. Many pilots believe the FAA chose well when it elected to bump the speed limit for LSA up to 120 knots or 138 mph, and the Sierra makes nearly full use of this range. Cruise speeds at lower altitudes appeared to be consistent at 125 to 130 mph (108-113 knots). At 5300 rpm, I saw 130 mph (113 knots) in level flight at 3,000 feet of altitude on a warm day. All stalls I performed broke slightly below 40 mph indicated. The factory says 33 knots, which calculates to about 38 mph; given probable instrument error at low speeds, the factory information appears to be accurate. Just before stall, the stick provided a noticeable shake, beginning at about 45 mph indicated. The normal landing procedure in the Sierra is to use about 20 degrees of flaps, slightly more than halfway on the indicator. I had set power between 2000 to 2500 rpm and held my speed at just above 60 mph. Trim, like flaps, is also quite responsive. The Sierra retains energy well. Even at 60 mph, it was easy to hold the nose off. With 40 degrees of flaps set, the energy bleed-off is faster, as you'd expect. A Leader Among LSA With conventional flight qualities that general aviation (GA) pilots embrace, it is no wonder Tecnam has established itself as one of nine companies that have made 80 percent of all S-LSA deliveries since the first airplanes were approved 18 months ago in April 2004. Despite its leadership position, long company history, and well-regarded flight qualities, Tecnam's airplanes are not the most expensive S-LSA. Base price on the Sierra is presently $91,000, though such figures are subject to significant change based on currency fluctuations. Sport pilots may want a visual flight rules (VFR) model with a communications radio, transponder, and emergency locator transmitter (ELT). Add shipping, reassembly, N number, and certification, and the Sierra's price reaches $100,000. Private pilots may want a more advanced cockpit, with a Garmin 430 integrated flight control system (glass cockpit), strobe lights, navigation lights, and gyro instrumentation, which will increase the price to $120,000 to $125,000 according to Mike. GA pilots leaning toward the Sierra with the fuller panel may have an eye to instrument flight rules (IFR) operations. Mike explained that Rotax approves night and IFR operations so long as the airplane is powered by the certificated version of the 912 engine, which adds $8,000. If you want to save that extra $8,000, though, the non-certified version 912 ULS without carburetor heat may still be flown at night but not for IFR operations. Base price of the Bravo model starts at $88,900. Like the Sierra, it has a broad list of standard features and options. (Options for all three aircraft are nicely outlined on the Tecnam Aircraft website, www.TecnamAircraft.com.) The Tecnam line is broad and diverse enough that a review like this can do little more than whet your appetite and partly assist the purchase decision. To get the full story you'll want to contact the Birminghams or one of their distributors. Tecnam expects to deliver more than 100 airplanes to the United States in 2007, Lynne said, adding, "We hope to add some level of production in the USA in the future, too." In talking with a number of pilots who have flown the Sierra, Bravo, or Echo Super, I have found no one to date who did not love the way these Italian airplanes fly. With their strong points and the still-exploding interest in LSA, I predict the company will remain a sales leader in LSA.