For just over $60,000 at the current Dollar/Euro exchange rate of 1.22:1, (around $63K and change) you may see an LSA version of this airplane in the U.S. market soon. *** The company Skyleader has been on the European aviation scene since 1996, and produces various aircraft for the overseas market, including the Skyleader 600 (formerly the Kappa KP-5) which is already an ASTM-certified LSA (the 9th one to earn the sticker). *** We got a sneak peak at the GP ONE, which is in development for the Euro market…with a possible LSA version in the future. *** Scant details yet, but you can glean a sense of the airplane from the pdf here. And look at those sculpted composite lines…impressive. *** The GP ONE just had it’s maiden flight on May 26 – congratulations to the company and its Sales Manager Miroslav Boubela, who affirms the carbon-fiber composite construction airplane will be offered in Europe in Sept. of this year for 52,000 Euro or $63,500. *** That’s an attractive number if they can pull it off: similarly-priced U.S. LSA like the Rans S-6ELS and X-Air are ultralight-style construction, whereas the GP ONE is all composite. *** Skyleader also intends to market the airplane with a Rotax 912 UL 80 hp engine, Galaxy ballistic parachute, 3-blade ground adjustable prop, and other features as standard equipment. *** Not sure how the company will meet such ambitious goals given production cost realities, but come September we’ll be looking for more news of this beautiful new LSA. *** —photos courtesy Skyleader
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