“Nynja lifts off after a ridiculously short ground roll and soars skyward at a precipitously steep angle. I can’t help but grin. You can have a lot of fun with something like this,” writes longtime aviation journalist, Dave Unwin.
Welcome to our favorite British writer providing in his distinctive style thoughts about flying Skyranger’s Nynja. Also thanks once again to talented photographer, Keith Wilson.
Why did I want this article even though Skyranger has no U.S. representation at present? With a base price in UK of $59,760, Nynja is affordable to many. Is it desirable? Dave helps you decide. —DJ
For far too long, the more bigoted aviators among us considered such an aircraft to be little more an overweight hang glider powered by a second-hand lawn mower engine and barely capable of flying fast enough to kill you. Noisy, slow, and smelly — they were considerably less than satisfactory.Skyranger Nynja: Economical, Proven, Agile, Tough, Simple — Now from UK
“Nynja lifts off after a ridiculously short ground roll and soars skyward at a precipitously steep angle. I can’t help but grin. You can have a lot of fun with something like this,” writes longtime aviation journalist, Dave Unwin.
Welcome to our favorite British writer providing in his distinctive style thoughts about flying Skyranger’s Nynja. Also thanks once again to talented photographer, Keith Wilson.
Why did I want this article even though Skyranger has no U.S. representation at present? With a base price in UK of $59,760, Nynja is affordable to many. Is it desirable? Dave helps you decide. —DJ
For far too long, the more bigoted aviators among us considered such an aircraft to be little more an overweight hang glider powered by a second-hand lawn mower engine and barely capable of flying fast enough to kill you. Noisy, slow, and smelly — they were considerably less than satisfactory. However, times change and this class of flying machine has changed more than most.
Designed by Frenchman Phillippe Prevot in the early ’90s, the original Skyranger was an object lesson in KISS (Keep It Simple, Stupid). Prevot’s intent was that anyone competent with basic tools could build it, as there was no bending, composites, or welding involved. It was to be covered in an equally simple material, Dacron sailcloth.
Easy to build, maintain and fly, more than 1,600 have been produced; nearly 300 are registered in England alone. Beside numerous minor improvements, fundamentally Skyranger has changed little: the ventral fin has been replaced by a taller fin and the wingspan has been reduced.
Now “Made in UK”
Since 2017, Britain’s Flylight Airsports Ltd., has had the sole design rights and is now rightly considered the manufacturer. Owning the design rights also puts Flylight firmly in the pilot’s seat regarding future developments. (It will also be helpful for FAA acceptance, if sought. —DJ)
Flylight’s main subcontractor is Aeros, based in Kiev, Ukraine. Aeros make some of the world’s best hang gliders; they are experts in tube and fabric work. They’ve built Skyrangers for many years. Today, Nynjas are assembled in the UK.
Nynja’s airframe is constructed primarily of straight, pin-jointed, aircraft-grade aluminum tubing, covered with a combination of non-structural composite sheets for the fuselage and pre-sewn polyester Xlam fabric for the wings and tailplane. An interesting feature (and one that flags up how speedy the Nynja is) is that the wings feature foam spacers that ensure the aerofoil retains its shape at higher speeds. All the primary controls are actuated by cables, as is the elevator trim. The tailplane is wire-braced and the strut-braced wings feature upswept winglets. An excellent option allows the wings to be folded back for ease of storage.
Earlier Skyrangers were powered by several different engines, including the Jabiru 2200, HKS and BMW R100, but these days the Rotax 912 is the engine of choice. Removing the cowling to inspect the engine requires the removal of a considerable number of screws, however, Flylight plans a new cowling that features generously-sized hinged doors.
The engine is fed from a pair of fuselage-mounted 8-gallon polyethylene fuel tanks behind the pilots’ seats and linked by a balance pipe, with the single filler cap on the starboard side. The two tanks feed the engine from one outlet controlled by a single fuel valve. The engine is quite closely cowled and turns a composite two-blade ground adjustable Kiev propeller. My demonstrator Nynja was loaded with about every option except a BRS (which is also an option).
All three wheels feature snug fitting wheel pants. Nynja’s main gear is supported by aluminium “half springs” bolted to a steel center tube and feature hydraulic Beringer disc brakes, while the nosewheel uses an oleo arrangement for shock absorption, and steers through the rudder pedals. Beringer wheels are another option.
Entry to the cockpit is excellent as the sills are low, although care must be taken not to bump the large throttles. The split doors are large but seemed overly complicated and I prefer the one-piece top-hinged doors (which I believe are an option). Up to 22 pounds can be carried in a small baggage bay behind the left seat.
Settling into the cockpit, the first thing that struck me was the width of the cabin. At 43 inches, Nynja is wider than a Cessna 172 and the extensive glazing actually made it feel even more spacious. Although there is no provision for adjusting the pedals, the seats can be moved.
Very simple structure with no bent tubing and no welding, Nynja is easy to build and repair. Note overhead skylight.
Pitch and roll control is via a single joystick mounted between the seats while each pilot has his own throttle on the side of the instrument binnacle.
Nynja’s trim lever and three-position flap lever are both located between the seats. The instrument panel has more than enough space built into a centrally-mounted structure with large stowage bins either side, an excellent feature. The panel has the flight instruments, tachometer and slip ball in front of the left seat and the oil pressure and temperature, coolant temperature and voltmeter on the panel’s right. In the center, a mount for an iPad and a row of switches.
The Rotax started readily and a quick test of the brakes with a squeeze on the control column-mounted bicycle-type brake lever revealed they not only work, but work well. A neat little catch on the control column locks the lever for use as a parking brake. Nynja’s nosewheel steering has a positive feel and a reasonably-small turning circle.
Rolling out onto the runway I opened the Rotax up to full power. With 13 gallons of fuel on board Nynja was right on the 992-pound gross weight. It was cool and I checked a slight crosswind from starboard.
With a power-to-weight ratio of less than ten pounds per horsepower, acceleration was excellent and after what seemed a ridiculously short ground roll, the Nynja literally leapt off the runway and clawed itself skyward at an impressively steep angle. With the VSI indicating in excess of 1,200 fpm and a relatively low forward speed of only 62 knots, we crossed the airfield boundary already at more than 1,000 feet. At such an aggressive climb, Nynja’s nose was quite pitched up, greatly reducing the field of view, but even lowering it to more a cruise-climb attitude still produced about 700 feet per minute of climb at 80 knots and 5,000 rpm.
With light weight, plenty of power, and crisp controls joining up with Al and Keith in the EuroFox cameraship was easy; collecting the pictures in this article didn’t take long.
Nynja Flight Qualities
Flying in close formation will show up any handling deficiencies from a qualitative perspective, but when I switch over to a more quantitative evaluation I soon discover the Nynja is nicely harmonized around all three axes. Expanding the envelope with some more energetic maneuvers confirms the controls are authoritative with agreeably light stick forces. Only small amounts of rudder are required to keep the slip-ball centred, and harmony of control is as it should be, with the ailerons being the lightest and the rudder the heaviest. Breakout forces are low.
For a high wing aircraft, the visibility is quite good, although as is a feature of practically all-high wing aircraft, it is a tiny bit blind in the turn. Another nice touch is the transparent panel in the roof, as if the aircraft is rolled into a very tight turn it is possible to look through the roof. The controls all seemed quite nicely harmonised and authoritative. The roll rate in particular is distinctly sprightly, while both pitch and yaw control were equally effective. Trim is effective.
Moving on to an exploration of the stick-free stability around all three axes, I get the impression the Nynja is strongly positive longitudinally, weakly positive directionally, and neutral laterally.
Slowing down to explore the low speed side of the flight envelope revealed no disagreeable mannerisms. Indeed, with flaps down and carrying a reasonable amount of power the Nynja showed no desire to stall at all, but a more vigorous approach to the stall with the engine off produced a more positive break at about 33 knots, combined with a slight wing drop which was easily controlled by the rudder. I increase power for a look at a departure stall and, as expected, this maneuver provoked a slightly more vigorous response, although the ensuing stall was easily recovered from with minimal height loss. Flaps up, the stall is still less than 40.
The claimed glide angle is a reasonable 9:1 at 55 knots, while minimum sink is modest at around 500 feet per minute at 45 knots.
Cruise is middle-of-the-range at 95 knots, achieved at 5,100 rpm, giving a true air speed of 101 knots at 3,000 feet with a fuel flow of about 4.75 gallons per hour, but the engine does sound somewhat frenetic. A much more comfortable cruise rpm is 4,000, which still gives an IAS of 70 knots (76 true) and a fuel flow of less than 2.6 gallons per hour and a still-air range of over 400 nautical miles, including Day-VFR reserves.
Touch Down!
Nynja is a fabulous machine for flying traffic patterns at your airport; Nynja’s strong climbs gets you back up quickly for the next. I flew several variations: full flap, half flap, no flap, glide approaches, powered approaches, steep sideslips… the whole gamut, and each one was great fun. For the last I sat up a little straighter in my seat, held the brakes on against full power and was airborne in less time than it takes to read this sentence.
On approach to landing, I nailed the ASI’s needle to 50 with just a smidgen of throttle and then chopped the power. After Nynja’s main wheels touched firmly I lowered the nose and applied maximum braking; I actually locked the wheels up and we skidded momentarily on the damp grass. All total I used a little over 300 feet.
Overall, I thought the Nynja a great little aircraft that offers outstanding value for money. It is a lot of aircraft for the money.
What a cracking little aircraft! Fast, frugal and fun, the latest iteration of the seminal Skyranger might just be the best one yet.
TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS
Skyranger Nynja
More about Nynja
- Length — 19.4 feet
- Height — 7.9 feet
- Wing Span — 29.2 feet
- Wing Area — 138 square feet
- Empty Weight — 573 pounds
- Gross Weight — 992 pounds (see “Coming Later” below)
- Useful Load — 419 pounds
- Payload (calculated at full fuel) — 324 pounds (see “Coming Later” below)
- Wing Loading — 7.2 pounds per square foot
- Fuel Capacity — 15.9 U.S. gallons
- Never-Exceed Speed — 132 knots
- Cruise Speed — 90 knots
- Stall Speed (flaps) — 32 knots
- Climb Rate — 1,200 feet per minute
- Takeoff over 50 foot obstacle — 920 feet
- Landing Roll over 50 foot obstacle — 930 feet
COMING LATER…
Flylight Airsports said that with the increase in the allowed weight to 600 kilograms (the 1,320 pound LSA maximum at present) the company is looking at increasing Nynja’s capabilities and feature set.
All indications are that the UK will transition during 2021 to a 600 kilogram microlight category, matching the global LSA standard. Details are still being worked out, but Flylight has been preparing for the change.
The LS model was initially approved at 500 kilograms (1,102 pounds), and work is ongoing for a higher gross weight. The wing has already been tested satisfactorily at 600 kilograms, and currently the last piece in the jigsaw for approval at the higher gross weight is a new main undercarriage.
Other future plans include a taildragger version, different engine options, and electric propulsion.
“Nynja lifts off after a ridiculously short ground roll and soars skyward at a precipitously steep angle. I can’t help but grin. You can have a lot of fun with something like this,” writes longtime aviation journalist, Dave Unwin.
Welcome to our favorite British writer providing in his distinctive style thoughts about flying Skyranger’s Nynja. Also thanks once again to talented photographer, Keith Wilson.
Why did I want this article even though Skyranger has no U.S. representation at present? With a base price in UK of $59,760, Nynja is affordable to many. Is it desirable? Dave helps you decide. —DJ
For far too long, the more bigoted aviators among us considered such an aircraft to be little more an overweight hang glider powered by a second-hand lawn mower engine and barely capable of flying fast enough to kill you. Noisy, slow, and smelly — they were considerably less than satisfactory.
While most light aircraft producers concentrate on either kits or fully-built, a few swing both ways. Some builders unwilling to experiment with two very distinct business models permitted others to contract build a fully-built version while they focus entirely on kit building. Few have managed to do well with both endeavors but Arion seems to have solved the challenges.
Yet aviation’s leading draw may be going fast as more is always better, right?
“Lightning LS-1 is designed and built around Jabiru’s powerful 3300 six-cylinder aircraft engine,” noted Arion. “With a displacement of over 200 cubic inches and a direct drive crank, this compact beauty outputs 120 horsepower to deliver performance rarely matched in a Light-Sport Aircraft.” Lightning has no trouble hitting the LSA speed limit of 120 knots (138 mph).
A Jabiru 3300 delivers solo climb in excess of 1,200 fpm and owners can expect 1,000 fpm at its 1,320 pounds gross weight. At cruise speeds of 120 knots, the Jabiru burns a miserly 5.5 gallons an hour. “These are real performance numbers a pilot can rely on; not on a perfect day at sea level or flying around solo, but all loaded up,” stated Nick.
Yet the allure of going fast is great, quickly chewing up the miles en route to your destination. When contemplating a cross country trip of a lengthy distance, fast cannot be too fast. In addition to a higher TAS, we all yearn for a tailwind that will raise our ground speed by another 20 mph.
Most buyers may elect more than the basics but the fully-built Light-Sport Aircraft version of Lightning, called LS-1, is base priced at the genuine bargain of $115,000. Yet if you have time, the interest, and enjoy constructing a kit, Lightning XS has a base kit price of $39,900 with the 
Welcome to Robert Baslee‘s amazing production of vintage early 20th Century airplanes that ordinary people can build and fly.
“But he’s just copying old designs and remaking them,” said one naysayer.
How short?
In a way, you already know this aircraft or at least its look-a-like predecessor, Paradise’s P1NG. As happens in every industry, a key engineer left a family airplane building business — Paradise, run by granddad, Noe de Oliveira — and started his own aircraft factory. The departure occurred eight years ago.
With his MC01, Bruno and Montaer are filling a void.
MC01 also continues with a very popular feature: a voluminous baggage area accessed by a third door. 
The very first U.S. delivery of MC01 is headed to Wisconsin where a pilot has ordered one with a very special extra: hand controls, a choice available to offer assistance to some pilots. That airplane is due to leave Brazil in March and may be seen at EAA’s big summer show.
Ed has known Bruno de Oliveira for eight years and will be in charge of sales in the USA. He is seeking dealers in certain states; if this interests you or if you want more details before Sun ‘n Fun, call Ed at 623-695-9040 or 
Now, Luscombe Aircraft Corporation (LAC) has gone cross country again, this time to Jamestown, New York in the western part of the Empire State. Here’s 
“Then, we will start assembling complete airplanes using LSA regulations,” confirmed Steve. “Built as a Light Sport Aircraft to ASTM industry consensus standards,” Steve said, “the Model-8 is … an all-metal airplane originally designed and still constructed to USA CAR 4a standard airworthiness requirements.” CAR standards preceded today’s Part 23 rules.
“We have also worked extensively with the professional aviation archivists at AirCorps Aviation in Bemidji, Minnesota to develop a digital archive of Luscombe’s large collection of historical records, engineering drawings, and production work orders. We have inspected and are refurbishing production jigs and tooling to resume production of those hard-to-find parts.
Those who attempted to copy and duplicate Quicksilvers have mostly faded away but some enterprises (see at bottom) built a business out of supplying parts and components that Quicksilver itself never offered.
“Now that I think I’ve got it perfected,” Andy expressed, “we’re going to start production on this in 2021.”
A standard single place Smithsilver by Tri-State Kite Sales assembled for fly away costs about $28,000, said Andy. A two-place with all the extras gets into the high $40,000s and Falcon with a 
Mark Smith founded the company in the late 1970s and formally organized in 1981. In those 40 years, Tri-State has delivered more than 200 complete aircraft and an uncounted number of aircraft served with replacement parts or Tri-State accessories from fiberglass nose pods to new wing covers and everything in between.
Falcon has a full enclosure, front to back, and even has cabin heat. “I tested this down to 17 degrees ambient temperature, and you can stay about 70 degrees inside the cockpit.” While the snow swirls around Tri-State and much of the country, that climate control sounds inviting.
As a nearby image shows, the Rotax 503 engine is nestled down in the aft wing center section because Andy wanted to lower the thrust line to a more neutral position. This means the dual-carb Rotax 503 and its 50 horses push the airplane forwards with less pitch influence, which is a significant part of how it can achieve higher speeds.
Unlike every Quicksilver or Smithsilver, Falcon has a control yoke as does Quicksilver’s GT500 and GT400 models. However, unlike those Quicksilver models, this yoke has been configured specially to make entry much easier.
Andy referred to the current one as a “nostalgia website” because it holds extensive commentaries written by Mark Smith, the patriarch of Tri-State. His words make a fun, and historic, read but what the vintage website does not do is provide clear navigation to the various aircraft models and component parts or assemblies that Tri-State builds. The new website will address these shortcomings while hopefully keeping all Mark’s original musings.
These systems cost real money (thousands), add “non-functioning” weight (16 to 50 pounds depending on the airplane’s weight and speed), and fill up space you might use otherwise (a BRS system for the Cessna 172 uses a substantial share of the baggage space in that model). All these things — cost, weight, and bulk — are negatives, yet pilots buy these emergency systems regularly. Companies like BRS, Magnum, and Galaxy have sold tens of thousands of these systems.
I’ve flown with airframe parachutes for years and I love having such a system on board.
It was a valid question. Touches a nerve, doesn’t it? Aren’t we trained for night flying? Don’t we practice engine-out procedures? Well, yes, Private Pilots can fly at night (they should be current) but the training concentrates on normal night operations. I’ve never known an instructor who guides students through engine-out-at-night procedures far from any airport.
Softpacks
VLS (Vertical Launch Systems)
To prevent down time during service Magnum has a great offer: “Loaner Canopy When Yours is Due for Repack. That’s right! A a loaner canopy, of the same size and style as the one you purchase from us, is available at no charge for installation in your aircraft while your system is being inspected and repacked (repack cycles are 6 years for most systems). This allows our customers to continue to fly with a complete ballistic recovery system in their aircraft while theirs is being repacked! No other parachute company offers their customers this peace of mind!”
For some “affordable” may include Special LSA selling for more than $200,000. After all, that’s a fraction of a loaded Cirrus SR22, for example. For others, even $20,000 is more than they wish to spend.
Naturally, this fact also highlights that the lightest, most affordable airplanes may often be flown in and out of places a Cirrus SR22 owner will never see. Many Part 103 ultralights seem invisible to much of conventional, legacy aviation. It’s their loss.
Regarding my market questions, Dave wrote, “I am not sure that I have accurate numbers, as there is no earthly way for me to know if someone has actually built one for Part 103.” I understand his message.
“To me, ultralights are the ultimate expression of freedom,” he expressed. “You don’t need a license to fly them, but you do need training.”
“Most of the materials to build the Affordaplane you can buy locally. Nowadays you can get all your metal locally, even the windscreen came from Home Depot,” observed Dave. “Aircraft bolts you buy from an aircraft supply house. Your motor can come from many places, like Ebay or Barnstormers.com. The fabric to cover the wings and tail comes from 
The Affordaplane Plans package now contains 173 information packed pages, and everything you need to build your own Affordaplane aircraft is included.
Technical Specifications
This report took a bit more time as the effort to begin counting Part 103 ultralights altered our view of the FAA aircraft registration data. Most of you may prefer this simpler report, but the data hounds among readers can drill all the way down to the last aircraft on 
Many may be surprised. Registrations grew? …in 2020!? Indeed, they did, and that’s without counting Part 103 ultralights that do not need to be registered with FAA. We’ll have lots more on Part 103s in a couple months (the 
Why is this true? Many reasons might explain but affordability is a key element and, no question about it, investing your labor reduces the cash outlay to have your own airplane. At the same time, the sophistication of Special LSA has risen over the years. Features such as bigger, more powerful engines, autopilot, big fancy panel displays, leather interiors, complex manufacturing with carbon fiber, and the cost of complying with ASTM standards has increased the cost of some SLSA beyond $200,000. At this price point, some readers note a recreational aircraft can cost more than your house (not in California or New England, perhaps, but in many U.S. regions this may be true).
“Look at the slope of the lines,” Steve advises. “The brown (kit) line is steeper, especially last year. That means two things: First, a lot of people finished their kit planes in 2020 – more than finished them in 2019 (so that’s how they spent their lockdown time). Secondly, people are buying more kits than factory-built aircraft. Of course, there’s a lag in the data
Whatever the explanation, Italy-based Magni surged from well behind the market leader to race ahead in the American gyroplane market for 2020.
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After nearly a year of precious few such events, trying to plan for airshows you wish to attend in 2021 remains complicated by a variety of factors.
As anyone can read everywhere you look, a new virus strain is already starting to upset things in 2021. A rescheduled Aero set its sights on April as usual. I was exceedingly pleased when leader Roland Bosch and his team placed the dates so those of us who wish could attend both Sun ‘n Fun and Aero. Yay!
However, times advance inexorably. Wood lead to metal which gave way to composite, a category now including carbon fiber. Through it all, Plant City, Florida-based Sensenich has managed to keep their products “right on the nose” (except for pusher configurations, of course).
Performance is not only measured in speed or rate of climb. Weight also matters.
We still have such models as the popular 
Composite parts in both Solo models are made by carbon, aramid and fiberglass in molds under vacuum and controlled temperature. “Using this technique, the central (front-to-back) beam and vertical stabilizer has been combined in one. Main landing gear is fiberglass built with a new two-stage vacuum process.”
TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS
My friends at 
As everyone knows by now, 
“We have a lot of confirmed exhibitors booked,” Roland continued. “We also have exhibitors still waiting with their decision till February.
As with Sun ‘n Fun, the one-week 
Another Covid dropout is the Copperstate/Buckeye event last held in February of 2020 before the sky fell on everyone. The Phoenix, Arizona-area event — a joint venture between the 48 year-old 
Further evidence:
As we met more than once in this millennium, and because I was working on the Part 103 List, I reached out to Marek following the advice of 
Marek remembered, “You and I met in Sebring in 2008. I was CEO of Interplane at that time.”
Viera is a monowheel Part 103 airplane that was also made in tricycle gear form, though I am unsure if the tri-gear version can comply with Part 103 weights and speeds. To familiarize readers, here are two short articles on Viera, one from 
Unseen by Americans (including me), Marek said Desire is also Part 103. While it is a one-off custom design, “we can deliver it within less than 12 months if there is demand,” he said. Marek referenced that capability due to the rules I’ve created for an aircraft to be included in the 
One of the most amazing discoveries of 2020 — the year Covid upset lives around the globe — is the particular and peculiar strength of 
Yet, four decades later, this segment is thriving beyond what many pilots are willing to believe.
Part 103 in Brazil
“I made the tail with NACA-008 profile, where in Flow Simulation trials, that shape gave more control power at low speeds. I continued with the design and in November 2019 the plane was ready, as well as all software and real load tests, and we were just waiting for our engine to arrive, a Polini Thor 250DS (Sector has become the Polini dealer in Brazil). In December 2019 we started the first tests on the ground, we had a very pleasant surprise with the results but we needed adjustments and improvements in the prototype.
“Coordination maneuvers went beautifully. Approaches to landings showed good stability even in crosswinds. Touchdown does not require exceptional effort; abrupt corrections are not needed as Quantum delivers a smooth and pleasant ride.” By late November 2020, André added, “We have logged 56 hours and the experience of more than 18 pilots.”
“In my adolescence, I studied mechanical manufacturing processes because in Campinas, I could not take an aeronautics course. In the early 2000s I started working with SolidWorks software and then I went to work as a project manager in a company called Inpaer in Campinas — today, Americans know this company as 
“I dedicated my life to studying manufacturing, engineering and design processes. I did little study to be a pilot. However, when Quantum … was ready [I prepared extensively] and did my solo flight on Quantum. What an immense pleasure to be able to design, build, and do my solo flight on this aircraft. Few people do this in life, like Wright Brothers in 1903 and Alberto Santos-Dumont in 1906. Of course, I don’t want to compare myself to those pioneers but I think I know what they felt.”
Then, life got more complicated for Ron and he chose to quietly bow out of representing Alto.
The 2020 version of Alto is equipped with the carbureted 100 horsepower Rotax 912 ULS engine. Standard equipment includes hydraulic brakes, electric flap control, and electric elevator trim. The exterior of the aircraft is painted with a single color plus accents as seen while the interior and the seats are upholstered with skin-friendly cloth.
The fine flying qualities of Alto 912 TG stem from the design of the wing. Its rectangular wing and a profile using a broad leading edge provide predictable stall characteristics and behavior. “The wing is a semi-monocoque structure and is equipped with built-in tanks with a capacity of 100 liters (26.4 U.S. gallons) of fuel,” Direct Fly said.
Flight control movements transmit pilot inputs through pushrods and cables. Directional steering of the nosewheel is via dual pedals in front of each occupant. Brakes are hydraulically controlled by a lever located on the center console, readily accessible to either occupant.
The overhead canopy slides forward smoothly on rails allowing plenty of ventilation during taxi. The canopy is secured for takeoff and cannot be opened in flight.
“For $7,500 you can confirm your kit reservations,” stated Top Rudder. OK, the deposit is not unreasonable but what’s the full price tag and when can you get one? Some readers note that it was promised a while back but other factors, such as building SuperSTOL aircraft kits as fast as they could, got in the way.
So, $25,000 for a fully equipped 103 Solo in kit form. “Yes, we plan to supply them as a ready-to-fly model,” noted Troy; this is perfectly OK within the very spare Part 103 regulation. No price for the RTF version was given because it is still a bit early in the production process.
What does Ruckus add?
Place the same deposit of $7,500 for a kit without engine, prop, or avionics to see an airframe price of $19,000. Add engine, prop and avionics for a final total of $30,500 yet you can add more if you wish.
This article goes outside our normal range but Whisper is represented by Deon Lombard of 
Whisper is a smooth side-by-side two-seater in tailwheel landing gear with a tricycle gear option for those uncomfortable with a taildragger. Photographs reveal a new carbon fiber wing loaded to 12 Gs positive; the wing is shown very heavily loaded to arrive at this discovery. For regular use, Whisper has a design load factor limit of +6 Gs –4 Gs. Despite the short wing’s obvious strength, the manufacturer said Whisper is not intended for aerobatics.
Whisper is designed to accommodate engines with as much as 200 horsepower but other evaluators have said Whisper can perform well on 160-180 horsepower. For reference, a cruise rpm of 2400 produces indicated airspeed of better than 140 knots or 160 miles an hour. Like many RVs, Whisper Aircraft recommends the Lycoming 180 horsepower engine.
Like many of you, I’ve been having airshow withdrawal. Even with a wide-open attitude about traveling to these events, I have only made three shows this year: 
“We will feature more than 80 exhibitors, 200 aircraft and 150 vehicles on display,” he said. “We want to raise some money, but [raising money is] not the end all, be all. We want to maintain our relevance in the community and let people know we are here for them.” To entertain the community, Sun ‘n Fun also put on two air shows including a night event on Friday.
A former Michigan resident, Michael Theeke (pronounced “Tiki”) relocated to an airport I know very well, the Jasper airport outside Chattanooga, Tennessee on the way to Nashville. The airport has a wonderful location near the Nickajack Recreational Area, part of the TVA.
1️⃣ 
To encourage all producers to tell me their delivery numbers, I will anonymize manufacturer data in reporting results and I will protect the data with my reputation. I will not share information provided in confidence but I will summarize results aiming to report a whole-industry production figure.
Because Part 103 ultralights are not required to be registered with FAA, I will ask each producer to tell me how many aircraft they delivered in 2019 and 2020. I will exercise my own judgement and do my own due diligence to make this information as accurate as possible. I will use my intimate knowledge of this sector to determine if numbers seem unlikely and then I will investigate further. At least over time, I believe this can provide reliable information but even in the first year, it will be the best information anyone has.