Day 4 at AERO: A Few More Conventional Aircraft But Also a Few Surprises!

I’ll take the opportunity in this installment to take a look at some of the lighter aircraft to be seen at AERO Friedrichshafen this year.

ICP Ventura 2 and Ventura 4

Italian airframer ICP had several aircraft on display including the Ventura 2 ultralight powered by various permutations of Rotax, and also the Experimental, which as well as being fitted with a Rotax can also be powered by a Lycoming of up to 180 hp. The Venture 2 is a side-by-side two-seater, while the Ventura 4 is, as the name suggests, a four-seater specifically designed to meet the requirements of amateur construction and suitable for the Experimental category. ICP claims that a first time builder can reasonably expect to finish the aircraft in between 700 to 800 hours, while a more experienced builder with practical build experience can complete the aircraft in around 400 hours, excluding paint and upholstery. ICP also had the Savannah SR on show, and this machine bore quite a strong resemblance to the Zenith 701. Powered by Rotax 912 and 914 engines, Savannah SR has, according to the company, a cruise speed of 100 knots and an endurance of up to eight hours.

GoGetAir G750

Slovenian company GoGetAir was also offering a show deal on its very attractive G750. With optional 2+2 seating, a high-end car-like interior and a whole airframe parachute recovery system which is capable of saving the airframe up to the 152 knot VNE, the three-blade CS prop is turned by either the 100-hp Rotax 912 iS, the 114-hp 914 or the 141-hp 915 iS. The 915-powered model can cruise at 138 knots IAS, climb at 1450 fpm and reach almost 15,000 feet. Takeoff over a 50-foot obstacle is a very impressive 140m (460 feet). Priced at €249,900 ($267K) the show price included two years or 200 hours of free maintenance if the aircraft was ordered at AERO.

In common with many of the other aircraft at the show avionics options were primarily either Garmin or Dynon, while prop options were either Woodcomp or MT. Unusually in this class, it was also available with two extra seats in the baggage bay, although this configuration did look rather snug. A two-axis digital autopilot comes as standard, while both the exterior and interior could be individually designed at extra cost. They also had a turbine-powered prototype on display, again using the TurboTech engine.

JH Aircraft Corsair

Remaining at the very light end of the sport flying spectrum, German airframer JH aircraft had its electrically powered Corsair e-motion on show. Looking a little like the classic Vought F4U Corsair of World War II and Korean War fame, this machine has a span of 24 feet 6 inches. But just like a real Corsair the wings fold, reducing the span to only 9 feet—not un-trivial if hangarage at your airport is expensive. Powered by an electric motor that can produce a maximum of 30kW/40 hp (20kW/26 hp continuous) it can carry up to 136 pounds of batteries, which the company claims will provide a flight time of up to two-and-a half hours. Compliant with FAR Part 103, it stalls at 24 knots, cruises at 54 knots and climbs at 1200 fpm. Takeoff over a 50ft obstacle is less than 400 feet.

Atol Amphibian

Finnish company Atol Aviation had the cockpit section of its very attractive two-seat side-by-side amphibian on display. Powered by a Rotax 912iS mounted on a pylon in a pusher configuration, this fun looking seaplane features folding wings, a glass cockpit and claimed very low operating costs. It cruises at 86 knots, stalls at 40 and has a range of 450nm. As a seaplane pilot myself I must admit I was very keen to test this particular machine, and hope to visit the manufacturers in Finland later this year.

Avio SMA Stratos Sports

Two particularly unusual designs were the Avio SMA Stratos Sport 400 and AS993 Extreme. The Stratos 400 is powered by a 388cc two stroke engine of 50 hp and is configured as a taildragger. It has an empty weight of 110kg (243 pounds) and a maximum takeoff weight of 300kg (661 pounds). With the maximum speed of 54 knots it’s no speedster, but the massive wing means a very low wing loading and it stalls at only 18 knots! This very low wing-loading and excellent thrust-to-weight ratio (a claimed 1:2) means that the takeoff run is around 20, (60 feet).

The Extreme is a similar looking design but is powered by a 993cc two-stroke producing 135 hp. It is a slightly heavier empty weight (the max takeoff weight of both the Sport and Extreme is the same at 300kg) and has the same impressive takeoff and landing distances. This intriguing looking Italian design is very competitively priced with the basic Sport kit costing €35,000 $37K) and the basic Extreme kit €40,000 ($43K). Then factor in another €10,000 ($11K) for the 50 hp engine, and €20,000 ($21K) for the 135 hp motor.

Tomark Aero SD4 Viper and GT9 Skyper

Slovakian company Tomark Aero had two machines on display, the SD4 Viper, which is a low wing machine, and the Skyper GT9, which features a strut-braced high-wing. The Viper is available in several different types, including LSA, glider towplane and even a version aimed at training Air Force pilots, while the GT9 is claimed to have good STOL performance . Both are of all-metal construction and mostly powered by the 100 hp Rotax 912 engine, although the towplane SD4 is powered by a ULPower UL305iS. Avionics options include Dynon SkyView and Garmin.

JMB Parachute Training Program

Many, if not most, modern LSAs feature whole airframe parachute recovery systems, and JMB aviation were offering what they claimed to be the first ultralight parachute training programme. This consists of a three hour course, which they claim is essential for ultralight pilots operating aircraft equipped with a ballistic rescue system.