Editor’s Note: Correspondent Dave Unwin is at the AERO show in Friedrichshafen, Germany, this week and will be reporting on news from the show. Here’s his first report.
Europe’s top general aviation event, AERO at Friedrichshafen, Germany opened on Wednesday, April 17, and runs through Sunday. It is no exaggeration to say that AERO has grown to become one of the biggest and best GA events on the planet—and certainly the biggest outside of North America.
This year is the 30th time the event has been staged and the organizers claim that more than 680 exhibitors from 36 countries are attending, which may well make the 2024 AERO the biggest ever.
The amount and diversity of aircraft on display was truly breathtaking, from a full-scale Me163 replica, powered by a small jet engine typically fitted to self-sustaining sailplanes, to the very latest bizjets. Unsurprisingly, there were several electric aircraft on display, and Bristell—in partnership with H55—had flown its final prototype of the electric Bristell B23 Energic to the show.
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“Charming” and Affordable, Part-103 JK-2 Nano Now Propelled by 50-Horsepower Engine
“When I roll up to the terminal on any airport, it never ceases to amaze me how a small crowd will gather around the aircraft. Happens almost every time,” said Jeffrey Boyd, importer of the JK-2 Nano single-seat gyroplane. “They just think it looks cute and different. Then they find out it’s quite affordable.”
I reflected back that this cleanly executed Nano had the same effect on me when I first saw it at AirVenture Oshkosh 2021. A glance at this eye-catching design, beautiful in its simplicity and compact in its features (see on trailer or in shipping crate) suggested to me that JK-2 Nano could find a market.
For more than a decade, interest in gyroplanes has been strong. After European designers took earlier American simple gyros and transformed them into sleek aircraft, a wider range of pilots looked at them more positively. However, those more elegant and feature-laden designs steadily rose in price.
Midwest LSA Expo — Opening Day Highlights Strong Aircraft Turnout and Lots of Demo Flying
One sure way to know if a show works is to observe vendor participation over a number of years. As this is my 14th year attending the Midwest LSA Expo, I can tell you 2023 represents a strong turnout. Companies come back year after year because it works to connect them with interested customers. Both sides end up with smiles.
In this article, I will give you a glimpse of what you can see if you can attend on Friday and Saturday. For those that cannot come, this will provide some taste of what happens in Mount Vernon, Illinois in early September. Hopefully, you can come in 2024.
Every image you see below shows that vendors did not just bring one airplane to test the market. In every case, these companies brought two, three, or even four aircraft to show. That’s very rare even at AirVenture or Sun ‘n Fun.
What this illustrates is that the Midwest LSA Expo (about an hour’s drive east of St.
Top 50 — Beginning the Decade of Gyroplanes; Meet ArrowCopter and Those That Followed
A dozen years ago, fixed wing pilots thought very little about “gyrocopters” — as some people called them. Actually that word is a model name established by Igor Bensen, widely thought of as the father of this activity along with Juan de la Cierva of Spain, known for his pioneering autogyro work.
The preferred term these days is “gyroplane.” Names aside, what pilots care about is having fun in the air and being able to afford a flying machine. When an aircraft also looks terrific, heads turn.
From eleven years ago comes the #3 in our list of Top 50 Aircraft Videos. More than 450,000 views of this video show broad interest in ArrowCopter, quite the head turner in its day.
Gyroplane interest grew quickly after European designers took the lead from American manufacturers. Think back to the days of Ken Brock’s gyro or the former Air Command (now under new management).
Aero ’23 Day 1 — Superveloce = Superfast… Speed Propels Porto Aviation to Records & Sales
In the last couple years a rivalry erupted among companies in Europe aiming to be the fastest LSA-type aircraft*. I have previously reported on Porto Aviation and its fast-flying ways.
Setting aside the politics of FAI-recognized record flights, no question remains that designer Alberto Porto is determined to create a very fast-flying aircraft. Check this article with more about speed attempts and to see images of a fixed-gear version called Siren.
Gear up with an adjustable prop and flown at common cruise altitudes, it’s clear that Superveloce lives up to its name.
What could the typical pilot expect while flying Superveloce? Porto Aviation lists the cruise speed at 75% power from Rotax’s 915iS at 200 knots true airspeed at 9,000 feet. Compared to other LSA I have examined, this tops the list (although some other fast designs aren’t too far behind).
Porto Aviation, previously quartered in Switzerland, is now a bit further south in Italy.
George Jetson Flying Machine — Now a Reality and a Qualifying Part 103 Ultralight?
Air taxis — eVTOLs — UAVs — UASs — UAMs. I like “multicopters,” but the name game continues.
Maybe these new-fangled flying contraptions have numerous (indecipherable) names because they’re still deciding which way they’re headed?
I believe aircraft like these are nearly inevitable and I not only don’t resist, I’m rather enthusiastic about them. I’d love to get picked up from my driveway and whisked by air to an appointment across town in minutes, free of clogged roads. C’mon, UberAir!
However, that dream may be years in the future. Oh, the technology is nearly ready now. It hasn’t been proven to be in-the-field robust yet but engineers know today most of what they need to make air taxis viable. Their much bigger challenge? Gaining public acceptance and winning regulatory approval. That could take a long time. Meanwhile…
What’s Here TODAY?!
Air taxis may be fuzzy in the distance but another class of these machines is nearly ready for market.
Vickers LSA Seaplane Flew In Spring — By Fall, Wave Tested Its “Sea Legs”
One of the longest-awaited Light-Sport development projects has been Vickers Aircraft’s Wave, a sophisticated amphibious LSA seaplane. Following the media-drenched Icon A5, Vickers in New Zealand took their time to get Wave right.
Remember, seasons are reversed in the Southern Hemisphere. New Zealand is now emerging from winter (during our summer) and is beginning its warmer climate. The summer months in New Zealand are December, January, and February so the weather is getting nice down under.
One of the explanations for the longer development cycle was that Vickers Aircraft was making a massive effort to reduce part count to aid manufacturing and reduce cost. Wave first announced $189,000 but this will likely come in substantially higher …along with everything else you are buying these days. Similarly, A5 arrived on the market more than ten years ago at $139,000 but has risen to beyond $350,000. Some of that could be due to manufacturing challenges, exactly the reason Paul Vickers insisted on taking the time needed to control expenses.
Midwest LSA Expo; Day 3 — Flying Orlican’s M-8 Eagle… a Perfect Flight School LSA?
Problem: The fleet of aircraft trainers in the USA is getting old. The familiar, reliable standard is the Cessna 172. While these are being made brand new, their base cost has risen to half a million dollars. Meanwhile, much more affordable vintage 172s normally have dated instrument panels and the airframe often looks well-worn. Built in the last decade or so, nearly all LSA have fully digital cockpits among other modern features. [Update 9/15/22 — see new info regarding trim. —DJ]
With their goal of getting a good pilot job, flight students that visit schools today want to pursue their training in something more contemporary. They definitely need experience with digital avionics as that’s what they’ll encounter in a professional cockpit.
“LSA are the future of flight instruction [airplanes],” stated Chip Griewahn. Before he sold the business, he operated a very successful flight school in the Savannah, Georgia area called Fly Corps Aviation.
Oshkosh 2022 – Day 1… FAA Mosaic Regulation Update; No NPRM Announcement; Changes Underway
Many of you have been asking about FAA and their Mosaic regulation. Let’s jump right into it.
Following is what I’ve learned even before the “Meet the Administrator” session that has become a staple of AirVenture thanks to excellent coordination by EAA’s professional advocacy staff.
That Administrator session is on Thursday. I will attend and perhaps learn more, but here is info direct from FAA contacts, speaking about actions that are already on the public record.
We will hear no Mosaic NPRM announcement at Oshkosh.
We may hear about work on the new regulation but the rule will not yet be published in the Federal Register as an NPRM or Notice of Proposed Rule Making.
As regular readers (or YouTube viewers) know, Mosaic is not being created solely for Light-Sport Aircraft. The coming rule encompasses warbirds, homebuilts, LSA, and Unmanned Air Systems (UAS). The latter includes all manner of electric and/or hybrid aircraft.
Maiden Flight of Dingo — An Affordable Part 103 Biplane Honoring Hovey’s Whing Ding
When I look at Dingo from Future Vehicles, I see a fascinating blend of designs combining the looks of Aviad’s Zigolo Mg21 and Mike Loehle’s former Easy Riser. Yet Dingo isn’t some mashup of old designs. It’s been created by experienced engineers building with conventional construction but to Part 103 parameters.
Biplanes convey a vintage look but they also make for good hangar mates since their wingspan is usually shorter. Dingo is surprisingly compact with wings not even 22 feet wide.
Biplanes also fly slowly so complying with Part 103 speeds is not difficult.
Let’s learn more about this new entry from design engineer Marek Ivanov, a name alert readers may associate with a completely different design called Song (image below). Marek does engineering work for other aircraft producers as well. He leads “a team of experienced professionals with more than 20 years of experience in the aviation industry; they have participated in the development of more than 30 types of aircraft from ultralights to Part 23 (GA) aircraft.”
Maiden Flight of Dingo
On June 22nd 2022, Dingo took its maiden flight flown by test pilot Jan Jílek at the Jaroměř airport (LKJA).