There are a lot of sexy looking airplanes displayed at AirVenture, but a sure front runner for sleekest looking plane around is the Prime Veloce all-composite, two-place tandem retractable sport plane from Monopoli, Italy. This little speedster is powered by a Rotax 915 iS and is listed as capable of a 170 knot cruise speed. It stalls at 45 knots with full flaps and 57 knots clean. There are about 70 Prime Veloce aircraft flying in the rest of the world and Blackshape Aircraft, out of Sheridan, Indiana, will be importing them to the U.S. They are hoping to market the Prime Veloce as a completed aircraft, counting on MOSAIC regulations to empower them to accomplish that task. This “mosaic-ready” aircraft will carry 26 gallons of fuel and should be capable of 1,650 feet per minute climb at maximum takeoff weight. Blackshape will list the aircraft, depending on configuration at about $330,000.
Splog
Scissortail Aerosport Unveils Two-Place “MOSAIC-Ready” Gogetair G-750 At AirVenture
Shannon Hankins, former C-130 driver and now President of Scissortail Aerosport, shows off their new Gogetair G-750. This one costs $298,500.
Scissortail Aerosport company, out of Tulsa, Oklahoma, imports sleek composite aircraft from Slovenia. Last year, they brought a sleek four place low wing to AirVenture that was well-received. This year, they imported an even sleeker and, dare we say, sexier looking, two place speedster that promises to be “Mosaic ready.” Named the GOGETAIR G-750, this little sportster trues out at 138 knots at 10,000 feet and stalls at 54 knots. The two place Gogetair G-750 that Scissortail brought to AirVenture flies behind a Rotax 914 Turbo and a Woodcomp electric variable-pitch prop. Scissortail’s President, Shannon Hankins, states that the customer can also order a Rotax 915 and a hydraulically powered MT constant speed prop. The panel wears a Dynon HDX EFIS, but can be ordered with the Garmin G3X. This design features a fuselage roll safety cage and a whole airframe parachute. The Gogetair G-750’s most attractive trait, however is it’s eye-catching design, sporting swept wing tips and gull wing doors.
Cicaré 8 Kit Helicopter Debuts at AirVenture
It is hard to miss the sexy, sleek, Ferrari-red two-place helicopter on the Ultralight field at AirVenture. It’s new, it’s beautiful, and, as it turns out, it is a kit which can be completed in 200 hours, or even faster at a Cicaré builder assist facility. The two-place Cicaré 8 helicopter is appearing at AirVenture for the first time, made possible by Keith Barr, the President and CEO of the newly formed Cicaré USA corporation. If the Cicaré name rings a bell, it is because of Augusto Cicaré, who moved from Italy to Argentina at age 19 to start and build what is now the storied Cicaré Helicopter Company. Cicaré has been designing and building helicopters for the Argentinian civilian and military since the early 1960s. Although Augusto died in January of 2022, his sons have continued the business, with great success. The two place side by side Cicaré 8 was designed in Argentina in 2015.
Forty-Year-Old Ultralight Still Flying At AirVenture
At the 1993 EAA annual convention (long before they called it AirVenture) a young dreamer walked the ultralight grounds with hopes of someday building and flying an ultralight aircraft. On row 1 in front of the Ultralight Barn, Mike Ostrander spotted a well worn Quicksilver MX with a for sale sign. A short negotiation later, Mike, was the proud owner of an ultralight rebuild project. With the help of his father, he disassembled the Quick and brought it home to commence the resurrection. He also built a trailer for the Quick with the intention of avoiding hangar fees. Mike’s yearlong restoration and construction efforts paid off when he brought his Quicksilver to Oshkosh in 1994. He brought home an honorable mention award in the ultralight category. On top of that, he won the EAA 1997 Reserve Grand Champion and another honorable mention in 2004. On the ultralight flight line at AirVenture this year, the Quicksilver still looks as new as the day he finished its restoration in 1994.
Building the Affordaplane, Part 4
Polini 202 installed with custom mount. This mount could easily be modified to fit other engine models.
Engine mount designed with off-the-shelf components and no welding.
Builder Assistance
As luck would have it, a fellow builder, Oscar Zuniga, was following my YouTube channel where I documented this Affordaplane build and wrote to me offering his expertise in creating a mount. It just so happens he is a professional mechanical engineer and has built several Experimental aircraft in his day. To make a long story short, I simply sent him the specs of the mounting ring from the Polini engine and from there he went to work. Using his creativity and technical knowledge, he came up with a simple and elegant design that utilizes materials and components we were already using. Simple to build and strong. Never underestimate the talent and resources of your audience! The last major building hurdle was now in the past. After building the mount, the Polini engine was hung. A prop matched to this engine was installed and a minimal set of instruments needed for safe operation was included. It cannot be emphasized enough how much weight accumulates when adding all the peripheral parts required: throttle and cables, fuel lines, brackets and more. There is no documentation for a custom installation like this, so I used my experience for wiring and plumbing the engine systems. Plenty of effort went into breaking in and testing the engine while monitoring rpm and temperatures. With the preliminary engine operations completed, the wings and tail were removed for fabric covering. As I mentioned in the prior chapter, fabric covering can seem intimidating if you never have done this operation before. But with a step-by-step video and a water-based adhesive system—it becomes not much of a big deal! The next step was to final assemble the wings and tail surfaces back onto the fuselage along with control cables and every other part and piece that is required for flight. A gap seal was added above the wings where they come together as per plans. Reaching this point in the build process after all this time meant that we were ready to now weigh the aircraft! With the aircraft in a ready-to-fly configuration, it was carefully weighed. At this time, I performed the weight and balance exercise. It is a somewhat pleasant task with an ultralight to do this calculation as you can plug your personal body weight into this single-seater and get your balance numbers without many variables to consider. The good news was that the final weight was in the ballpark: 258 pounds. While I would not call it bad news, we were 4 pounds overweight compared to our goal of the legal limit of 254. I would call this a success for the following reason: It demonstrated that an ultralight could be built from inexpensive plans (not a kit) without special skills (no welding). The 4 pounds that need to be reduced can be addressed by carefully looking for ways to trim weight (for example, substituting a fabric seat for the fiberglass model I used). We can find multiple places to reduce weight by small amounts. It all adds up. The regulations regarding calculating total weight state that items not required for flight that can be removed are not included in this total number. In any case, we are dealing with a relatively small number so there is little concern about reducing the weight to get it spot on.Affordaplane set up for engine break-in and testing.
First Flight
Does this Affordaplane fly? It is beyond the scope of this article or this pilot to give a flight analysis. However, I would never allow another person to fly my creation for the first time! After taxi testing to become familiar with handling and a couple of crow hops, the next step was to fly the length of my small grass strip about 5 feet off the ground. After a couple hundred feet the aircraft lifted off the ground smoothly. I kept it at about 5 feet or so and eventually brought it down. The 33 hp is clearly adequate power to fly. This flight down the runway exhibited stable, level handling. This is what I needed from this initial “flight.” I recommend this project to anyone who has an interest in building their own ultralight. Of course, without flight training, it would be dangerous to jump in and fly. But, for pilots looking to have fun building and flying their own creation—this would be hard to beat. No inspections; fly when ready! As mentioned in previous chapters, the build process is available to watch for free on YouTube so you can judge for yourself. The plans are about $25 and can be found here. What an extraordinarily inexpensive, low-stress way to get familiar with building and flying. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hz3PlONJ-EQ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X-guhKhC1lY https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G0WNZqQep5U&list=PLhRuUetVypJSgaPHRIqPBbO8Td3ksGq5- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZpnZxYhBbd8With this, the last chapter of the Affordaplane build, I will describe how an engine mount was created to complete the last major step. As a quick recap of the previous chapters in this series, I was attempting to plans build a legal ultralight using common tools and store-purchased materials. For example: No welding allowed! So, now the biggest challenge confronting me was creating an engine mount needed for the engine installation. First, what engine should be used in this project? This decision could not be made until we were nearly finished with the entire project. Why? The choice of engine is determined by how much weight remains after deducting the aircraft’s total weight from the 254-pound limit imposed by the FAA ultralight regulations. With the wings and tail attached to the fuselage, I weighed the entire structure. Without an engine, the scales read very close to 200 pounds.
Buying Used: Aeronca Champ—A Plane That Deserves Your Respect
(Photo: Arpingstone - Own work, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=238354)
Development
Features & Flight Characteristics
Prebuy, Inspection, Maintenance & Ownership
Anyone buying a Champ should have a pre-buy inspection performed by an A&P who’s familiar with older aircraft, according to Coates and Weigel. The condition of the wooden wing spars should be carefully checked, as should the nails holding the ribs to the spar. Champs were often used to train pilots and some were subjected to harsh landings. The fabric covering should also be checked, especially if the plane has been left outside for any duration. Weigel says you could easily spend more having a Champ recovered than what you paid for it. “A lot of Champs were modified over the years and sometimes the paperwork wasn’t done correctly,” warns Weigel. “Get the Type Certificate Data Sheet (TCDS) on the plane, carefully review the plane’s logs to double check that Airworthiness Directives [ADs] have been followed and to make sure everything is as it should be.” This is especially true for Champs that had aftermarket starters and battery systems added. Unlike today’s Sport Planes which only need to meet ASTM standards, the Champ is a ‘certified’ aircraft. That means ADs are enforceable FAA regulations that must be followed and documented. Weigel says there are a number of STCs (Supplemental Type Certificates) available which allow for a wide range of modifications to the Champ. While some owners replaced the plane’s original heel-activated brakes with toe brakes, Weigel suggest keeping the originals and getting used to them. “You only need brakes for taxiing,” he explains. “It’s too easy to accidentally hit toe-brakes while using the rudder pedals for take-off and landing rolls—something you absolutely have to do—and that’s not a good thing with a taildragger.”(Photo: Arpingstone - Own work, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=6866179)
The Aeronca Champion might be the Rodney Dangerfield of light aircraft. The plane, which has historically played second fiddle to the Piper Cub, doesn’t get the respect it deserves, according to its fans. “Take all the light planes from that era and look at which offers the best characteristics… I would place the Champ at the top,” argues John Weigel, a Boston area pilot who twice flew a Champ from coast to coast. “I love the Cub,” he says, “but the Champ has no bad qualities. And if I’m taking someone up with me, I’ll take it over other similar planes every time.” When compared to the Cub, as well as the Luscombe, Taylorcraft and Cessna 120 and 140, among other tailwheelers, the Champ is easier to get into, offers more comfort, has better visibility, more forgiving landing gear and is probably the better training/low-time pilot aircraft. All are good reasons to consider a Champ if you’re looking for a simple, relatively inexpensive and fun to fly aircraft.
Flight Review: The Sleek Sting S4
So Let's Fly
Having hurriedly strapped myself down with the excellent four-point harness (the seats are fixed, although the rudder pedals adjust) we start up, line up and go. With around 13 gallons of fuel and no baggage, our mass is quite close to the 1320-pound max takeoff weight. But we use less than 10% of the 3600-foot runway before I rotate at 50 knots and the Sting springs off the runway. It settles into a 65-knot climb with the VSI indicating just over 1000 fpm.(Keith Wilson photo)
(Keith Wilson photo)
(Keith Wilson photo)
(Keith Wilson photo)
Back to Flying
(Keith Wilson photo)
“Look at that groundspeed!” I exclaimed, pointing at the Garmin EFIS. “Our TAS is nearly 125 knots, which means we’ve got a 60 knot headwind straight on the spinner!” “Can you imagine being up here in a traditional microlight?” asked the Sting’s owner, John Palmer. “No, because not only would I be scared out of my mind at the prospect of having to land, but right now we’d practically be going backwards!” I said. I’ve written before about just how capable and potent the new breed of light sport microlights is, and several of the aircraft I’ve tested recently are not only comparable to traditional GA types, but are demonstrably superior. An excellent representative of this new breed of speedy sport planes is the Sting S4, from Czech airframer TL Ultralights. As I wait at Saltby for John to arrive in the Sting, I’m aware that it’s extremely windy, and that if I’d told someone that I was planning on flying a microlight in such conditions, they’d probably think I was mad—or suicidal.
Look Out — A Hybrid Merlin is Coming!
The electric motor is built into the belt reduction drive!
The electric motor components of the drive.
First introduced in Europe in 2013, the all aluminum single seat enclosed cabin Merlin LSA has sported a variety of engines, including a Rotax 582, a specially built four stroke V-twin and even an electric motor. In fact, the Merlin airframe has served as a test bed for all kinds of propulsion and aerodynamic innovations. At AirVenture 2023, Aeromarine chief designer Chip Erwin even showcased a Merlin model with twin propellors imbedded in the wings. Erwin promises an even bigger surprise at Oshkosh later this month: a common-sense hybrid propulsion system for the Merlin. Erwin, who has done work for the Air Force Research Lab in Dayton, Ohio, has developed a parallel hybrid drive system for light sport aircraft that utilizes an electric motor to add to thrust generated by a piston engine during takeoff and climb, but shuts down during cruise. He points out that a major limitation of all electric aircraft is the need to lug around a heavy battery capable of providing thrust for a limited period of time.
If It Flies Like a Duck and Floats Like a Duck, Maybe It IS a Duck
Miguel Rosario is an enthusiastic and talented designer.
Welcome Duck!
Seamax and Duck share a love of water but otherwise they could hardly be more different.Welcome Duck!
Fabricating the hull for Duck mated to a V5 Fox Neo.
Duck Entry
Fortunately, challenges in the LSA seaplane sector need not affect all affordable aircraft.Main Technical Data supplied by Miguel Rosario
- Empty Weight — 540 pounds (245 kilograms)
- Useful Load — 485 pounds (220 kilograms)
- Wing Span — 31.7 feet (9,66 meters)
- Stall Speed — 32 mph / 28 knots
- Cruise Speed — 78 mph / 68 knots
- Engine — Rotax 582, 65 horsepower
- Propeller — Warp Drive 3-blade 68 inch
About Fly Fox
"Since the end of 2018, Fly Ultraleves (English website) created the company Fly Fox to manufacture kits for assembling Fox V-5 and Fox V-6 aircraft under license." wrote the Brazilian company.A 3D rendering of the project as it began.
Fly Fox of Australia featured this earlier floatplane version of Tandem Neo.
How Low Cost?
My title slide suggested Duck will be relatively inexpensive but it's still too early to know details. As a kit based on ultralight construction, it's reasonable to project a modest selling price. Fly Fox is not presently represented in the USA. Nonetheless, given rising LSA prices and even more costly Mosaic LSA to come in a year or so, economical choices like Duck may be worth investigating. You won't likely get one for summer 2024 but you can dream ahead.Interested? Contact Fly Fox directly…
![](https://bydanjohnson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Duck-3D-render-LEAD.jpg)
Article Updated July 17, 2024 — After this article was posted, Miguel Rosario reported, “Duck is still in tests. Now we will install a 912 ULS 80-horsepower engine, as requested by future customers.” He continued, “Molds are under construction for production, which we hope to start in three months” (approximately October 1, 2024). He finished, “I will keep you updated on all developments regarding Duck.” —DJ You probably know Seamax. This longtime, performance-oriented LSA seaplane was one of the first to make a splash in the U.S. light aircraft market way back in December, 2007. Today, regretfully, the Seamax company is going through some very difficult circumstances as noted in this State of the Seaplane Sector report. We don’t know the end of those stories yet. Nonetheless, Seamax M-22 designer Miguel Rosario remains active. You can’t keep a good man down but apparently you can keep him on the water.
Paths to Affordability
- Consider buying a reasonably priced used LSA and attending a Repairman course to begin learning the relevant maintenance practices.
- Become a Sport Pilot Instructor with 100 less hours than a traditional CFI, realizing the opportunity to begin flying for an income at 150 hours, lowering the cost to enter the profession and motivating more flight schools to purchase LSAs, reducing training and acquisition costs across the fleet.
- Develop great relationships with mechanics and wield the privileges afforded to you by Part 43, Appendix A, leading to a much more financially fulfilling love affair with Part 23 certified aircraft.
- Support organizations like EAA, that advocate for big wins like VARMA, which reduces parts replacement costs, and, if proven effective on older types, may lead to utilization in later models.
- Show up to have coffee with the old guard at your local airport and connect with someone that has an airplane but doesn’t fly it for various reasons—maybe they’re interested in cost sharing.
- Involve yourself with the local flying club, whether they have a sleek, sexy, nicely equipped LSA, or a ratty (but mechanically sound) Skyhawk.
- Advocate through your preferred organizations for careful and thoughtful revisions to strengthen the liability protections afforded to manufacturers and maintainers.
- Individual development efforts associated with growing your ability to contribute to operational and maintenance cost management, notwithstanding your preferred aircraft certification category.
- Volunteerism and financial contributions to general aviation advocacy organizations and an informed awareness of the work being done on your behalf by those entities.
- Meaningful revisions to the liability protections afforded to manufacturers and maintainers who make aviation possible when the NTSB rules something along the lines of “the pilot’s failure to …” in order to maintain an environment of business agility in both the LSA and Part 23 aircraft arenas.
It’s become almost folklore. The quest for affordability in the world of general aviation has been like trying to see the aurora on a cloudy night, or recalling a dog set loose on a squirrel in the forest, or even encountering Bigfoot. From the crash of the post-WW-II airplane buying frenzy, to the mid-1980s liability-fueled dissolution of the general aviation manufacturing industry, to the relative lack of affordability following what the introduction of LSA promised to be, we’re still here, waiting for a real solution. Parallel paths toward increased affordability exist. One is hopeful and one is tangible. On the hopeful side we have MOSAIC, which promises to increase capability and affordability within the LSA category by expanding Sport Pilot privileges and making a range of aircraft available to pilots limited to those privileges. Moreover, the MOSAIC-style LSAs could get a lot heavier and faster and more capable—including potential use at night and in instrument conditions.
Longest-Running Midwest Event Celebrates 16 Years — GO! FLY! MORE!
Articles on Midwest Expo:
- Last year's opening article; shows many vendors that will be returning
- 2023 article about Midwest as it matched Sebring Expo for "longest-running"
- Article from 2022 about the value of these smaller shows
- Midwest Aviation Expo, official website
Midwest Brain Trust — Chris Collins (R) talks with aides including Jana Filip at Midwest 2023.
See. Fly! Perhaps Buy?
I made a long career out of helping pilots choose the right aircraft to buy. I've tried to provide good, reliable, unbiased information to aid your selection. I'm pleased to have created thousands of articles and videos but the absolute best way to know if an airplane is right for you is to try it on for size and take it aloft.But, first…!
Going to Oshkosh? Got News We Can Report?
If you are a vendor, or a builder who finished a handsome kit, or someone with a great aviation story to tell, we want to hear about it.Send news to: EditorYou're going to a lot trouble making your aircraft look its best and planning how to best display it. You'll spend plenty of money to make it happen — and I hope it'll be totally worth it. Take five minutes to tell us your story. You inform us. We'll tell pilots. Attendees can plan what they need to see when they arrive at the big show. Everyone smiles. Airplane noise — here we come! 😎
Let me be clear — I think the Midwest Aviation Expo is the premiere event I’ve ever attended for pilots to take demonstration flights in several aircraft as they consider a purchase. That’s a major benefit. Sure, Sun ‘n Fun, Aero Friedrichshafen, and AirVenture Oshkosh are far larger… and that’s the problem. Size does matter but not always the way you think. At these wonderfully huge events, you have so much to see and so many people to talk to that you cannot get to everyone. When you do end up in the front of a waiting line to talk to a vendor, you may have be quick as many others are waiting and the vendor wants to serve all the customers he or she can. The sheer size of these events also means literally miles of walking on some days. I don’t even want to mention the lines of plastic portapottys baking in the sun.
Gas Pains — The Latest Mayhem Surrounding a High-Octane Avgas Replacement
LSAs running the 900-series Rotax engines might be in a far better place than many should there be more trouble finding a true 100-octane unleaded replacement for avgas.
The ongoing issue of finding a replacement for leaded avgas took an ugly turn recently after Cirrus advised owners that use of anything other than an “approved” fuel would likely invalidate the engine warranty. “Per Continental and Lycoming, only approved fuels may be used for an engine to be covered by warranty. As the GAMI G100UL fuel is a non-approved fuel per Continental and Lycoming, engines known to have run this fuel may not be covered by the OEM engine warranty. For specific details, please refer to the respective Continental and Lycoming engine warranty documents,” Cirrus said in a statement. “While some aspects of the initial Cirrus testing of the GAMI G100UL fuel are encouraging, other areas, including materials compatibility, remain inconclusive.” At issue is that the GAMI fuel has not been submitted to the ASTM for “approval” but has received FAA approval in the form of a Supplemental Type Certificate that applies to virtually every spark-ignition aviation engine made.
Building the Affordaplane, Part 3
A typical hinge assembly used throughout
An electrician’s conduit bender can form the aluminum tubing for the tail feathers
The workbench is used as a jig for an accurate wing build.
Fabric and Paint
Covering the Affordaplane wing using lightweight fabric.
Colorful latex house paint saved weight and money.
In the previous installment, I described construction details for the fuselage section of the Affordaplane ultralight project. Now let’s look at construction of the empennage and wing assemblies. Remember, this is a plans-only type of build using off-the-shelf materials and tools intended for a novice builder. Keep this objective in mind when reviewing the construction and design details. A complete free video series on YouTube shows each step of this construction. The components of the empennage (rudder, elevator, vertical and horizontal stabilizers) are all formed from 1-inch 6061-T6 aluminum tubing. These tubes must be bent into their respective shapes, matching template patterns drawn on your workbench. (Use some craft paper for this!) What is the easiest way to form these simple bends? I found that using an electrician’s conduit bender did the job nicely. With a little practice, each tube was formed to the proper shape and then fitted with a gusset to join its ends.
Inside the Transatlantic Crossing of the Risen
Ready to depart Voghera in Italy.
The planned routing.
Andrea, foreground, dons the survival suit before crossing the Atlantic.
The first sign of civilization after 10 hours over nothing but water.
An escort into Canada.
From the customs office in Appleton... success!
We recently reported that the newest version of the sleek, retractable-gear Risen had made a successful transatlantic crossing. From what we could piece together from outside accounts and posts on social media, it went well. But here’s a more first-person look at the crossing, from the perspective of the right seat. Andrea Venturini accompanied designer Alberto Porto on the epic journey across the pond. Here’s his account. It all started last December, with a phone call I received from Alberto Porto. At the time, I was in Australia doing a report at the Gliding World Championship for theItalianTeam. Onthephone Alberto, designer and builder of the fastest ultralight in the world (430 kph/232 knots), with the simplicity that always distinguishes him, says: ”Andrea, keep yourself free for next June, I’ll detail everything when you return to Italy.” You can imagine my curiosity in the meantime. A few weeks later, the mystery was revealed: the Risen Superveloce with the brand new Rotax 916 iS must be brought to Oshkosh, to AirVenture, the largest and the most important aviation fair ‘of the Universe.’ I knew well what Oshkosh meant.
Advanced Degree in Rotax-erie
Trying not to melt in the Florida heat, students take notes. Dean Vogel (right, facing students) combines a wicked sense of humor and encyclopedic knowledge of the engine. He’s passionate about the Rotax and wants us to succeed.
The demo 912 S is all put back together and read for the next class to tear down. This must be one of the circles of hell for an engine.
The Prep Work
A week before the class the instructor, Dean Vogel, emailed all of us links to a bunch of documentation, suggesting we familiarize ourselves with it. While I have a 914, the class documentation was all for the Rotax 912, but from the 2014 class I knew the engines were similar enough that about 95% of the material would be the same or similar. Plus when I called and registered for the class, Dean told me to prepare to stay late both days for some extra one-on-one instruction particular to my engine. The material Dean had us download was about what you’d expect: installation and parts manuals, light and heavy maintenance manuals, all stuff Dean said we’d need to take the test to pass the class. Wait, there’s a test? No one said anything about a test. The classes are primarily designed for mechanics to get or renew their iRMT (independent Rotax Maintenance Training) certification, so recurrent training and testing is required biannually by Rotax to be listed as a certified Rotax mechanic and for access to current documentation. But the class is open to all, homebuilders and owners included. Dean recommends builders attend at least the service course, and I strongly agree with him. There’s nothing like getting excellent, in-person, hands-on instruction from a factory- trained expert to make you feel much better about what you can or can’t do with your engine.Once On Site
You might be tempted to make the Sebring trip a working vacation by bringing the family down, but I’d advise against it because Sebring isn’t very close to Disney. However, there are several nice hotels in the area ranging up and down the luxury scale, and since it was the off-season I took advantage of an arrangement Lockwood has with the Seven Sebring Raceway Hotel, located on the seventh turn of the Sebring Raceway. It’s a short 5-minute drive or shuttle ride from Lockwood and I got a nice balcony room overlooking the racecourse at a surprisingly good rate because of this. I had swapped emails before the class with Dean, who is a former F-15 pilot and was a key employee at Cirrus Aircraft before coming to Lockwood in 2006. In person, he appeared to be a grayed version of the Robert Patrick T-1000 in the Terminator 2 movie. A bit intimidating at first, he still has the cold, steely eyes of a fighter pilot, but I was relieved to find he had a wicked sense of humor and often punctuated classes with jokes and stories of terrible things people had done to engines in the past. In the class, we had a wide mixture of male and female, professional and general aviation pilots, FBO mechanic/owners and mechanics sent by their schools, as well as another homebuilder like me. I felt a bit self-conscious taking the classes for the second time but Dean quickly reassured me that it was not uncommon and was a smart thing to do, reminding me that certified Rotax mechanics are required to take it every other year to stay current. He encourages builders to take the class both before and after acquiring their engines because (as I can attest) learning it on the school’s engine and then going back home and applying the knowledge to your own is a huge gulp moment. When you consider that the price of a mistake could easily be hundreds or even thousands of dollars and at worst loss of life, the cost to come to a class is trivial. In my case, tech support is now a bit easier when I call in for help since Dean and I have now gotten to know each other and, to be honest, I’ll probably take the class again or see if I can arrange a one-on-one visit before I run it for the first time. It’s cheaper than a ruined engine.About the Engines
Rotax engines have more in common with motorcycle technology than legacy aircraft engines. This is not better or worse, just different, which of course, pilots hate. Rotax engines are higher revving and geared (like a Continental GTSIO-520 on a Cessna 421), liquid cooled (like a P-51 Mustang’s Merlin engine) and engineered for a higher power/weight ratio. They use a hybrid cooling system, with air-cooled cylinder barrels and liquid-cooled heads. Since the heads are liquid cooled there is no need for huge cooling fins on the cylinder heads, allowing the cylinders to be closer together and the engine to have a smaller frontal section. The liquid cooling of the cylinder heads also results in a more stable thermal environment for the heads.Gearbox inspection and maintenance is a big part of the course.
Course Work
There is no way I can cover how much I learned in those four days, but I’ll try to give you some highlights. This is not a “death by PowerPoint’’ class. You’re going to get your hands on hardware from day one. Dean started off with classroom work describing the history of the engine and company. The service class is primarily a general overview of the engine and basic maintenance, things like oil changes and general troubleshooting a mechanic would see often at a flight school or as an owner, and the depth of the course is just right. While you get certified as an independent Rotax maintenance technician, the class is not designed to make you an instant expert on the engine, but instead to give you a broad familiarity with it and show you the resources to get help. The oil system was first, and this system was one Dean emphasized heavily and often came back to all four days. While you could suffer a complete failure of the cooling system for the cylinder heads and still fly a long time without having the engine seize, the high-revving engine and gearbox literally are bathed in and live or die by a healthy oil system. The dry-sump oil system allows a lower frontal area for the engine and a more compact installation resulting in less drag. The oil system is also one of the primary areas where the engine will be affected by running on 100LL. If used on avgas more than 30% of the time, Rotax reduces the oil-change interval from 100 hours to 50. You can see from some of the photos what lead buildup does to the engine.Engines are repaired and rebuilt in-house at Lockwood. Here a damaged engine is being torn down for diagnosis and possible repair.
Dean Vogel. "You see this? Don't do this!" Given his knowledge of Rotax engines, his advice should always be heeded.
Editor’s Note: This story originally appeared in KITPLANES magazine but since so much of the LSA world depends on Rotax engines, we thought this was worth a read here. Thirteen years into my two-year SeaRey build, OspRey finally had its engine mounted. But when I signed on the dotted line for my new Rotax 914, and with little more knowledge than how to change the oil in my car, I was nervous about my abilities to maintain this expensive engine. Because of this, back in 2014, I attended a weeklong service and maintenance class at Canadian Rotax distributor Rotech Motor, Ltd. Thanks to an excellent hands-on instructor, who acted like he had all the time in the world and a bagful of instructor tricks to teach us, by the second afternoon I had dropped my skepticism and distrust of the price/power ratio of the Rotax engine and was (almost) ready to go out and get a Rotax tattoo.
Buying Used: Flight Design CTs
Development
The first CT was produced in Germany by a company that began with hang gliders and paragliders in the 1980s and ultralights in the early 1990s. Now part of LIFT Air Gmbh, Flight Design has faced financial woes over the years, having gone into receivership, and then challenges caused by the war in Ukraine where the aircraft were being built. Money is less of an issue now and production is being done in the Czech Republic. There is a completely different company making the CTLS in China for that country’s market only, according to Tom Gutman, Jr., who imports CTs into the U.S..Features & Flight Characteristics
Specifications for these two CTs and the other models vary. (You can easily find them online.) You can generally expect an empty weight between 700 & 800 pounds, a stall speed between 35 and 40 knots, cruise speeds between 115 and 130 knots and a fuel capacity of 34 gallons. The CTSW is lighter and faster than the IS, but has a higher stall speed. Many models come with a ballistic parachute system. Avionics vary, with older planes sporting round gauges and later models featuring glass. Almost all of the used CTs available will have a Rotax 912ULS.Pre-purchase Inspection
Maintenance & Ownership
Owners seem to be very happy with the reliability of their planes, noting easy access to parts and excellent support from Flight Design in the U.S. Some CTs have logged more than 5000 hours, according to the company.If you’ve ever shopped for a used sport plane you’ve probably noticed there are almost always a number of Flight Design CT series LSAs up for sale. This shouldn’t be surprising since Flight Design was an early player in our segment of aviation, and in the past two-plus decades the company has sold more than 400 CTs in the U.S. alone. The planes have proven popular, in part, due to their speed (for an LSA), having a cabin wider than a Cessna 172 and their generous payloads. This article is an introduction to the various CT models, their flight characteristics, and advice for a pre-buy inspection and ownership. Development The first CT was produced in Germany by a company that began with hang gliders and paragliders in the 1980s and ultralights in the early 1990s. Now part of LIFT Air Gmbh, Flight Design has faced financial woes over the years, having gone into receivership, and then challenges caused by the war in Ukraine where the aircraft were being built.
MOSAIC – A Different Perspective
- BasicMed would still be a twinkle in the eye of AOPA and others if the hard proof from Sport Pilots not dying en-masse and crashing into houses the moment their medicals expired had not provided the empirical evidence supporting the proposed relaxations.
- Angle of attack indicators, glass panels, digital autopilots and other aids to safe flight and situational awareness came from the experimental market into the Light Sport market and proved very quickly that compulsory FAA approvals only served to delay and make less affordable, potentially lifesaving technologies. Major changes to Part 23 certification for small aircraft to allow them to conform with ASTM consensus standards came directly from the (largely) positive experiences from Light Sport aircraft that were being made to a consensus standard.
- The number of pilots exercising Sport Pilot privileges far exceeds the number of Sport Pilot licenses issued because every expired medical creates a Light Sport eligible pilot. A very large percentage of pilots exercising Sport Pilot privileges fall into this category. Accident statistics clearly support the notion that expanding the range of potentially eligible planes would likely maintain Light Sport and Sport Pilot safety on the desired continuum of safety—between Experimental and fully certified.
- As soon as BasicMed came along and had proven to be a success, the medical justification for keeping Light Sport aircraft within a somewhat arbitrary weight, equipment and performance envelope were no longer justifiable or sustainable, but it took the FAA a while to reach that same conclusion.
Fate of Existing Light Sport-Eligible Aircraft
About Legacy Aircraft
Something else to consider: How might the expansion of Light Sport definitions affect existing legacy aircraft that will now fall within the Light Sport Eligible category?UND's training fleet is underwritten by school tuition, something that smaller flight schools can't bring to bear.
How Will MOSAIC Influence Flight Training?
The answer is probably in multiple parts. The first, and immediate, answer is that it will boost the attraction of holding a Sport Pilot license or exercising Sport Pilot privileges. The vast majority of flight schools and rental fleets do not offer any Light Sport aircraft for rent and do not see the benefits of having multiple training options just to cater for this audience. With existing aircraft in the fleet becoming Light Sport eligible, schools could well see a fast expansion in Sport Pilot training and rentals. Existing Sport Pilots who downgraded from full private and above certifications will get rapid check outs in legacy aircraft and owners who had previously needed to sell aircraft because they did not feel comfortable with full medical renewals or BasicMed, will likely keep them. The possible downside of this could be a further restriction on the supply of affordable used aircraft as owners choose to retain them plus more people looking to rent. Secondly, for others, the Sport Pilot license would become a more affordable and accessible option to get into flying as more airports would now have planes they could fly once they achieved their Sport Pilot Certification. However, there is a certain stigma still attached to both Light Sport Aircraft and Sport Pilots probably due to lack of understanding and some of the myths discussed above.A lot has been written about the contents of the MOSAIC NPRM and many people and organizations have been able to comment on it to the FAA. Much of the commentary has been around the extension, or in some cases, curtailing of existing privileges for Sport Pilots, aircraft that can fit into the Light Sport definition and Light Sport Repairman certifications. I don’t plan to re-hash any of that here. This article will focus on what some of these changes could mean, in practical terms, to the market for Light Sport Aircraft and its customers. As you will see, it has the potential to be highly disruptive which not everyone will be happy about but will do so in a way that also opens up opportunities to a wider audience. Before delving any deeper, let’s dispel the myth held by some in general aviation that Light Sport has been a “failure”.
“Icon in Flat Spin,” UK’s Flyer Reported — Here’s the Latest
"Icon In a Flat Spin as Bankruptcy Looms"
Earlier in the day on June 18th, 2024… Britain's Flyer magazine reported online that Icon found a buyer but not the one mentioned in the prior link.It Is Done
Later in the day, a headline said, "Icon's Chapter 11 Sale Cleared With Higher Price"Icon Aircraft, creator of the A5 LSA seaplane, is in the spotlight again as bankruptcy proceedings finally come to a close. Short story: Icon will continue making aircraft, after the bankruptcy heard from a new buyer — not the buyer mentioned before in this recent article. The court sought a change in ownership and an effort to grapple with a large amount of debt. From beginning (in April 2024) to an end in mid-June, this proceeding moved very swiftly. Here’s the final settlement. “Icon In a Flat Spin as Bankruptcy Looms” Earlier in the day on June 18th, 2024… Britain’s Flyer magazine reported online that Icon found a buyer but not the one mentioned in the prior link. “Buy an aircraft manufacturer with a certified product and also selling in the Light-Sport Aircraft class for, what? …£100 million? Try again and aim low: just over £12m ($15.3 million),” wrote Flyer staff.
Risen Completes Transatlantic Leg
On June 14, a Porto Aviation’s Risen completed the transatlantic leg of its journey from Milan, Italy, to Oshkosh, Wisconsin. The company posted on social media: “We made it!!! I have been reluctant to post anything here before accomplishing this epic flight , being Italian I guess makes me more superstitious.A page in aviation history has been written by Alberto Porto and Andrea Florence (Venturini). 1900 nautical miles, average speed [of] 165 kts, with just over 43 gallons of fuel!!! We left this morning early in rainy Scotland and landed in the afternoon at Goose Bay the same day without refueling.” The company announced its cross-the-pond plans this May to bring the newly re-engined Risen to the U.S. While many versions of the retractable-gear Risen use the Rotax 912, the company had been fitting the turbocharged 915 iS. But this example has the newer, more powerful Rotax 916 iS.
Grassroots Success Story — Dunnellon’s X35 Attracts New, Younger Aviation Businesses
Marion County Airport attracts a wide variety of aircraft.
Marion Main Men — X35 airport is managed by Mike Grawe (L), supported by industry experts Troy Townsend and Roy Beisswenger (R).
Dunnellon's X35 Marion County Airport
Have you ever heard of Ocala, Florida in the central-northwestern portion of the state? If you aren't into horses, maybe not. If you are, you probably know this area bills itself as the "Horse Capital of the World." Drive around Ocala, in town, or by handsome country estates and you'll notice this is quite the affluent area.Placid Lassie takes on fuel at X35.
Troy Townsend shows off his RV-10 project. His Icarus C42 is in the background.
Roy Beisswenger poses by his growing fleet of flight training aircraft housed at X35. He also occupies a corner office in the airport terminal building where he produces video and books.
At X35, Roy Beisswenger's EasyFlight consulted on testing for SkyRunner's PPC.
Welcome, Newbies …the Aircraft Producers
As I wrote earlier, Randy Dorsey has brought back to Florida an iconic aircraft sought after around the world for its very particular flight qualities. Randy purchased the rights and tooling to Dragonfly, an affordably priced LSA or kit specially built to tow hang gliders but which is enormously fun to fly around for low-and-slow aerial sightseeing.Screenshot
If I’ve heard one lament repeatedly over a long career, it is that current pilots don’t see enough new pilots coming into aviation. Are you one who worries a little or a lot about that? If not, you are a rare pilot. Is it any wonder, though? The price of aircraft is way, way up. This applies to used aircraft and new — just like it does with your groceries or gasoline. The cost of maintenance is high and rising. Insurance is very expensive (for airplanes as well as cars or houses). Hangars are unavailable with years-long waiting lists at many airports. More than ever it can seem, aviation is an activity for those with fairly thick wallets. The squeeze on modest budgets has rarely been this demanding. Yeah, all that, but this website nonetheless discovers the affordable end of aviation. In that pursuit, I was drawn to an airport with an encouraging twist on the affordability squeeze play.