Many pilots expect the first appearance of a new model at the biggest airshows, but here’s one of those times when the sector-specific shows win. It’s all about timing and the new Aeroprakt A32 just won it’s SLSA approval (#147 on our SLSA List). The Midwest LSA Expo is the first show after getting its documents, so here it is!
Videoman Dave and I spent the morning working on a Video Pilot Report. We captured all the video, spent an hour flying with multiple cameras mounted, and recorded what we call the “stand up.” This segment comes after the flight when I — can you guess? — stand by the the airplane and review it on the ground.
We loaded A32 Vixxen with six of our Garmin Virb cameras plus Dave’s new Garmin 360 cam. It was our first with the latter and, no promises, but that may hold some user-controllable footage so you can go along in an even more realistic way.Flying Aeroprakt’s New A32 Vixxen at Midwest LSA Expo in Mt. Vernon
Many pilots expect the first appearance of a new model at the biggest airshows, but here’s one of those times when the sector-specific shows win. It’s all about timing and the new Aeroprakt A32 just won it’s SLSA approval (#147 on our SLSA List). The Midwest LSA Expo is the first show after getting its documents, so here it is!
Videoman Dave and I spent the morning working on a Video Pilot Report. We captured all the video, spent an hour flying with multiple cameras mounted, and recorded what we call the “stand up.” This segment comes after the flight when I — can you guess? — stand by the the airplane and review it on the ground.
We loaded A32 Vixxen with six of our Garmin Virb cameras plus Dave’s new Garmin 360 cam. It was our first with the latter and, no promises, but that may hold some user-controllable footage so you can go along in an even more realistic way.
Here’s How A32 Looks and Feels
You’ll get the full treatment when Videoman Dave finishes production for his YouTube channel that so many of you love. Here’s I’ll hit the highlights of what I learned.
First blush: This is a great flying airplane, reflecting Aeroprakt’s experience producing more than 1,000 of the predecessor A22LS, once also known as the A22 Valor. In A32, engineers have incorporated many refinements. The general appearance is similar but the changes are many.
One measure of success is a widening of the flight envelope. Top speed increased to 130 mph, as we witnessed in a low-altitude upwind and downwind run with the carbureted Rotax 912 ULS at 5500 rpm. A-22 would max out at about 105 mph, so this was a pretty solid 20% bump. Yet A32 retains the earlier design’s low speed capabilities. We saw stall in the low 40 mph bracket and witnessed airspeed into the high 30s without loss of control.
Of course, these exercises were preparing for stall evaluations, which proved to be some of the most benign I’ve experienced in a Light-Sport Aircraft. Stall break was extremely mild with little fall-through and while a wing dipped, it recovered itself. I never added power for recovery to normal flight and altitude loss was minimal. Excellent!
When deploying or retracting flaps, the pitch change is very minor. True, two notches is only 20° of flaps but deploying them made quite an aerodynamic change, just not a pitch change. On one landing I made with no flaps, I had to raise the nose significantly high to put A32 on the ground.
A32 uses a full flying stabilator, a change from A22 and it was more responsive than the former. It will take a bit longer to get used to but it is a powerful surface. On takeoff, importer Dennis Long demonstrated how immediate the stabilator will lift the nose off the ground. In fact, that’s his preferred takeoff technique: power to full, almost immediately pull aft on the Y-stick, control the nose so it sits a few inches off the runway, and let A32 then fly herself into the air. I followed his method and it worked wonderfully well.
A32 uses the identical wing from A22 from the fuselage root out. However, the many clean-ups of the fuselage — and they are many, which you will see more fully in the Video Pilot Report to follow after editing — make the new model more efficient. A pilot literally has to work at getting it back on the ground …and that’s a good thing.
I reduced power to 3000 rpm abeam my touchdown target and then began to retard speed, lowering one notch of flaps after we got in flap speed range (<93 mph). On base leg I had both notches in and was monitoring my speed carefully. Using 60-65 mph was fine on base turning final but I moved it to 55-60 on short final and was ideally at 50-55 over the numbers.
With two notches of flaps and with a modest headwind, A32 landed very short. You have excellent visibility on landing as you do in flight in A32 Vixxen. It lacks a skylight but otherwise offers a wide view all around. I could even watch as the main gear touched down (when Dennis was controlling the aircraft).
Takeoff and landing has been quoted at “under 100 meters” (300 feet) and I believe it. No question it was short, assuming, of course, decent technique.
A32 Vixxen was easy to fly with a joystick that provided enough feedback yet offered crisp response. In flight, I found the aircraft very well behaved and suitable for less experienced flyers, naturally assuming proper instruction and transition training.
In all, I think Aeroprakt has a winner. Dennis Long equipped this particular example with most available options, including the Magnum airframe parachute system and Dynon HDX digital instrument plus autopilot. The still-available A22 starts at around $85,000 and even this deluxe A32 is a reasonably modest $135,000 — lower cost A32s are possible if you don’t need all the fancy gear.
You might like the short video as a taste of the bigger, better ones to come…
Many pilots expect the first appearance of a new model at the biggest airshows, but here’s one of those times when the sector-specific shows win. It’s all about timing and the new Aeroprakt A32 just won it’s SLSA approval (#147 on our SLSA List). The Midwest LSA Expo is the first show after getting its documents, so here it is!
Videoman Dave and I spent the morning working on a Video Pilot Report. We captured all the video, spent an hour flying with multiple cameras mounted, and recorded what we call the “stand up.” This segment comes after the flight when I — can you guess? — stand by the the airplane and review it on the ground.
We loaded A32 Vixxen with six of our Garmin Virb cameras plus Dave’s new Garmin 360 cam. It was our first with the latter and, no promises, but that may hold some user-controllable footage so you can go along in an even more realistic way.
The biggest airshows in recreational aviation are history for 2018. I refer to 
The sector specific shows are much smaller. That’s a good thing.
In between and up next: 
We start in September, pop up two months later in Florida, kick off the new year two months later in central Florida, and anticipate spring a month later in Arizona. In all, I’d call this an active schedule serving much of the recreational flying community. I’d hope you could make at least a couple of these if not all four.
American producers were the kings of kits, an effort that calls for good assembly instructions and technical support plus groups that can help each other. These two activities represent night and day differences.
As many readers know, nearby Synergy Air was Van’s assembly partner for several years. “[They have] done a tremendous job for Van’s and our customers,” stated Van’s. Synergy Air will continue to work with Van’s but will return to concentrate on builder-assist activities.
The natural evolution and success of both businesses has brought us to where we are today. Synergy has become even more focused on the business of assisting Van’s Aircraft’s customers in building their RV airplanes. As the SLSA program has matured, Van’s has expanded its workforce and capabilities to include marketing and aircraft construction. This change represents the next logical step in both companies’ successful business growth.
You can and should expect excellent quality from a business that continuously strives to improve its products and services. Van’s approach is to delivering the highest quality products. Our aircraft assembly and delivery department — a dedicated team focused on just that portion of our business — is staffed by experts with years of RV-12 building experience. Van’s will, as always, strive to adopt and leverage new, innovative processes and technology to drive its ongoing quality program.
No, not at all. This change is the result of mutual successes, and represents a natural and positive evolution of both businesses. It will enable both companies to deliver even more, both in partnership and separately.
In this article, I am writing about one of most affordable aircraft you can build. Legal Eagle is not available either fully built or in a full kit.
How low can the price go?
You buy a set of plans for $50 and invest six to nine months of your time. Other packages offer a series of videos and more details. Some builders will choose the welded fuselage and a materials kit though these will increase costs beyond the bare minimum.
One essential visit at 
Quad City’s partner, National Ultralight, said “[Our new] EL-65 is a long wing, two seat, high power, high lift aircraft well suited for amphibious floats, heavy loads and high density altitudes. The new ES-65 is a clip wing derivative of the EL-65 optimized for speed with a wing four feet shorter.
“Affordable” is a variable term that depends on an individual’s budget. What one pilot might afford another cannot. Yet how about this offer from Quad City? “Quick-build packages including airframe, instruments, engine, prop, […everything you need] start at $29,975.” I have to judge that a remarkable bargain in light aviation.
While this space is usually dedicated to cool new airplanes — not boring government policy reviews …yawn! — this article will provide some rays of light to an industry approaching its 15th birthday (in September 2019). I think some of this may surprise you.
After many meetings with high-level FAA executives and project managers, we are pleased to report that ALL these objectives and one more — increasing the gross weight of LSA — are included in FAA’s present actions regarding rule making. Note that gross weight will probably be determined by a new system other than a fixed-weight number but the exact formula is pending while FAA finalizes their regulation plans.
We are proud of what we’ve been able to accomplish on the skinniest of budgets but we did not fly solo.
So, following a direct request from top FAA executives, we submitted a comprehensive business case for a program that we hope will much sooner allow manufacturers, dealers, owners, operators, and pilots to exercise the core-four-plus-one privileges.
We simply had to do a video interview with the developer of the 1930s-era Ryan ST because of its fascinating history and its handsome good looks. If you love vintage aviation, this should grab your attention as it did mine.
The project is not merely a personal fascination for Nick. He will be selling a builder’s kit and specifically chose the 95% scale to make it enough lighter to use modern engines. Nick explains this further in the video. He expects first flight fairly early in 2019.
Thanks to Nick’s effort, you won’t have to spend nearly that much; he has established a price for his kit: $31,890, not including considerable effort to polish the aluminum as you see in the nearby photos. A quick-build option for $3,000 will likely be popular.
The first Ryan ST flew for the first time on June 8th, 1934 and production began the following year, when nine aircraft were delivered. Production rates remained low — about one aircraft every two weeks — but this changed in 1940 when deliveries to military forces began in earnest to support the war effort. Total production of civil and military aircraft before WWII numbered 315. Another 1,253 military versions were produced in ’42-’43 totaling 1,568 aircraft of all models.
The company now known as SeaMax Aircraft reports manufacturing 152 of its amphibious aircraft. SeaMax M-22, a design by Miguel Rosario, has been delivered to more than 20 countries. In the last year the company established a presence in the U.S. market.
Gilberto, 56, is a prominent and well known Brazilian engineer, holder of a PhD in Space Technology and has expertise in systems engineering, management systems, and risk management. He’s been in executive positions in both civil and defense industries in his country, including 18 years at high-level positions at Embraer. He has also work at Mectron (avionics sensors for defense), and held a graduate-level professorship at National Institute of Space Research (INPE).
Seamax won aeronautical awards, such as the prestigious “Outstanding Commercial SLSA” at Sun ‘n Fun in the United States and the Schneider Cup in Italy. It has been featured in more than 40 specialized magazines around the world.
That’s quite admirable for a fresh-out-of-the-gate design entering a marketplace with more than 140 Special Light-Sport Aircraft appearing on 
“Our team has been extremely busy since we’ve been back from Oshkosh,” added Amy. “Traveling to the show in four of our Ranger R7s was an awesome experience and we had an easy arrival into Wittman Airport Saturday morning.” Arriving two days before the show began proved wise when heavy arrival traffic delayed many inbound aircraft as the show was starting.
Even more recently, another Vashon LSA was delivered. “We delivered our second Ranger to a local flight school right at our home airport at Paine Field,” boasted Amy! 
For your enjoyment, here is arguably the most unique airplane I found on the grounds of EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2018 …and with around 3,000 show planes, that is truly saying something.
What you are seeing in the nearby photos and videos below is Peter Sripol‘s man-carrying scratch-built aircraft project.
The fuel source is a series of nine batteries driving dual model-airplane engines. Peter built a first ultralight that EAA reported “was minimally planned, in contrast to [this] design, which [he] took time to design in CAD.” The first video explains why the motors have the wood constructions holding them along with other design considerations. The second video, Peter’s, shows some of the other building effort.
“As promised, 
Events like the one AeroJones hosted may be critically important to introduce literally billions of people in the Asian-Pacific region to the idea of flying for fun.
In addition to China and Taiwan, AeroJones Aviation is able to ship fully manufactured CTLS aircraft to other Asia-Pacific countries including Australia, New Zealand, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Japan, Korea, and Thailand.
You have more privileges than you may know with your Light-Sport Aircraft.
“I deliver on wheels but for $300, an owner can add the float option, which provides mounting brackets attached to specially-reinforced fuselage points.”
Maybe you never flew a floatplane or seaplane (the latter implying a hull). If that’s true you are missing one of the singular pleasures of flying. Landing on water is almost unreal. It seems unlikely but when you find yourself about to touchdown on a lake, you know you have arrived in a way few people in history have ever considered much less achieved.
If you must have two seats, FireFly loses out, being designed expressly to be a single seater. Nonetheless, if budget is a primary driver for your airplane purchase, as it is for most people, the FireFly on floats looks to be a highly attractive option.
A new-to-Americans Light-Sport Aircraft made its debut showing at AirVenture 2018. Here is the Magnus Aircraft Fusion 212.
Snyder and Foldesi exhibited their brightly painted low wing that uses mostly carbon fiber construction and a dual taper wing. Full dual controls are available at both seats. Toe brakes on each side guide a castoring nose wheel via differential braking. Rudder pedals are adjustable to accommodate pilot height differences. Leather upholstery is used throughout and cabin heat is provided.
“This low-wing monoplane [has a] symmetrical wing profile that provides it with superb aerobatic capabilities,” said Magnus Aircraft. However, the company advised, “While the aircraft has aerobatic capabilities … as a Normal Category SLSA aircraft, Fusion 212 is presently limited to a maximum of 60 degrees of bank and a maximum pitch up or down of 30 degrees when operating in the United States.”
The Santoms will take over production and sales of the single place Hawk models including the Part 103 model and the Ultra, a somewhat beefier model that is built as an Experimental Amateur Built (EAB). My discussion with Bob and LB was encouraging. I was impressed to hear the enthusiasm from father and son for keeping this series of Hawks available.
On my first day on Wittman Field here in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, we took the privilege to drive around the grounds and capture video scenes as hundreds of exhibitors arrive and set up their displays.
We will have lots more to report and will capture many videos for you, but here’s a little five-minute glimpse of what it looks like as the show unfolds before our eyes.
This article has been 
The KRT2 VHF transceiver has already been installed in over 10,000 aircraft across Europe. It features an integrated intercom, a dual watch mode (the pilot can monitor two frequencies at the same time) and it has 100 memory slots for preferred frequencies that tie in with airport identifiers. The radio can be updated with new software at any time. Like the transponder, the KRT2 features digital electronics which make it light, compact and reliable.
Infotech in Part 103 ultralight vehicles means far more than GPS or even synthetic vision digital screens (imagine an iPad mated to a 
Developers probably use Part 103 because they can do what they want sooner, easier, and not require a pilot’s license — or much FAA oversight. Conversely, any aircraft with two or more seats must use another FAR section inviting much more regulation.
In a CBS News article, Leng was reported saying, “When you press the thumb-stick to climb, you have absolute full control. When you stop in the middle of the air and go off the joystick, the aircraft freezes.” These phrases are hardly the way a pilot would say it; perhaps he stated it this way because he was speaking to a non-pilot reporter.
Tested by Eskil Amdal, Equator reportedly accelerated to 70 knots before leaving the ground and flying down the runway at 100 knots at nine meters (about 30 feet, at the edge of ground effect), before landing smoothly. Amdal reported stable flight with good controllability in all axes. Two more flights were performed the following day, further establishing confidence in the flying characteristics.
“Speaking at a press conference in Rovaniemi, Finland on Tuesday afternoon, Markku Koivurova, CEO 
The report continued, “Koivurova said that the accident would not pose a major setback for the small plane manufacturing firm,” while adding that the company will suffer additional loss by taking one customer plane out of the production queue for further testing.
In the world of Light-Sport Aircraft, we have more than 90 manufacturers and 145 Special LSA (
In Virus (yes, I’ve heard most the jokes about the name) Michael refers to the best seller of the comprehensive Pipistrel line. The reference here is to Virus SW. While the company has succeeded with a number of their other models, Virus SW — the shorter wing span and higher cruise speed variation — is the clear front runner among their production.
This particular airplane — nicknamed “Mahi” by its owners — is part of the WE! Expedition project, in which two female pilots, a mother and daughter, intend to fly around the world. Pipistrel will no doubt promote that voyage as they’ve done other global circumnavigation flights.
“We will also have 10,000 copies of the new Pipistrel Magazine available for giveaway,” said Coates. “This magazine features the full history of Pipistrel along with the different projects we have been involved with in the past 30 years.” Such company magazines used to be called “house organs” and Pipistrel’s features information about the whole aircraft line.