While Phantoms have always been a source of satisfaction to its owners the design has suffered through numerous owners… but not any more! These days Phantom Aircraft, based in Kalamazoo, Michigan is operated by Pat Schulthies who lends his steady hand to the long established brand.
Dating to the beginning of the ultralight movement in the early 1980s the new X1-E model also advances the design into the new millennium. In those young days of ultralight flying Phantom was considered a high performing aircraft with snappy handling. Today such a description may fit other brands but Phantom hasn’t lost its edge.
For those that may be hesitant about building their own aircraft Phantom may set you at ease. Formally a teacher, Shulthies had his entire school participate in building the now famous “Child’s Play” Phantom. In the end 130 kids had actually worked on building this ultralight and while they did a better job than I could, you should be able to meet the challenge.
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Quicksilver Manufacturing — Sport IIS
The Quicksilver Sport IIS has been transformed from a cable braced ultralight to a strut braced model. Although this simple flying machine is one of the most successful aircraft ever built, the California company managed to make the new model even more appealing as it heads into a third decade of production.
The most noticeable change to the new ultralight are the wing struts that completely replace the wing’s upper surface cable rigging. Now the upper surface is free of obstructions to a smooth airflow and has a cleaner appearance. Other changes are more subtle but even with extensive tubular reinforcement the IIS weighs 430 pounds empty, well under the exemption weight limit. With its large 170 square foot wing the newest Quicksilver feels like the ultralight the public expects. This image and its comfortable flying charactertistics jointly account for it being the most popular training ultralight in the world.
Experienced pilots from all segments of aviation in many countries have come to love the Quicksilver.
Aeros/Sabre Aircraft — Venture 500
Richard Helms has been one of the stalwarts in the trike development among American companies. Enjoying a positive change in market share (by many expert opinions), trikes are finding customers all over the country. It may be news to you but Helms has been facing this demand for years. With some 300 machines in the field, Sabre may be the leading American brand.
The Sabre stacks up well against the more elaborate machines from Europe. Across the Atlantic, trikes got expensive and complex as they searched for more buyers. Helms learned that Americans often admire simplicity and he built to this goal.
However, some buyers want more feature laden aircraft. Realizing the potential for the growing light aircraft industry in the eastern European countries, Helms went overseas to cut a deal with Aeros of the Ukraine. In the summer of 1999, Sabre introduced the new Venture trike. With an airframe that makes extensive use of Titanium and a sleek fiberglass fairing, the two-place Venture is a veritable showplace for numerous beautifully hand machined parts.
New Kolb Aircraft — Mk III + 912 Engine
The New Aircraft Kolb Company gets the new name for a good reason: it has new owners, Bruce Chesnut and Brian Blackwood. These successful businessmen from Kentucky bought the company that produced the ultralights they’ve flown for years. Under its third owner, Kolb appears well poised to remain the prolific supplier it has long been. Following Homer Kolb and Dennis Sounder, Chesnut and Blackwood have a hard act to follow, but they seem well suited to the task.
After acquiring the prestigious name, the new owners didn’t alter the aircraft or their characteristics. Why mess with success? However, to maintain the Kolb tradition they’ll have to keep innovating. Dennis Souder did very well at this after he took over from Homer and he remains a consultant so the new owners benefit from his long insight to the ultralight community.
However, Brian Blackwood created his own personal Mark III. He installed the Rotax 912 (80 horsepower engine), and didn’t skimp on the good stuff.
ASAP — Chinook Plus 2
Long one of Canada’s best loved ultralights, the Chinook – formerly designed and built by Birdman – is another of the country’s designs saved by the Holomis family when they went acquiring ultralight aircraft companies to complement their successful machining enterprise in British Columbia.
A simple design with lines unlike any other ultralight I’ve flown, the aircraft has pleasing characteristics that most pilot will enjoy. Larger aviators especially will like the enormous cabin of the Chinook. And like other Canadian designs, the Chinook’s sturdy triangulated construction allows it to operate as a bush plane from almost any open space. Consequently, ASAP likes to show Chinooks with tundra tires or floats, both of which add to the rugged good looks.
The wide open cabin is surrounded by well supported clear Lexan giving you a panoramic view from either seat. Tandem aircraft often cramp the aft seat and don’t give it the best visibility, but Chinook sets a new standard.
Quicksilver Manufacturing — GT400
One of the best regarded light aircraft on the market is the GT400 from newly reorganized and revitalized Quicksilver. The longtime manufacturer of ultralights has new ownership and good things are happening. Fortunately, the Southern California leader stuck with their successful models.
According to many who have flown it, the GT400 is one of the best flying single seat aircraft you can buy. To beginners, it is predictable and stable with qualities that allow a new pilot to progress with confidence. To old timers, the GT400 has such refined characteristics that it can please those with many hours logged.
Using a control yoke rather than a joystick, GT400 emulates certified aircraft yet for all its sophistication, the design does not lose any of the fun side that makes ultralights so enjoyable. Handling is smooth but responsive. Performance is substantial but not scary. And its stability profile sets a standard for light aircraft.
Buckeye trikes — B2K Endeavor
You have to hand it to Buckeye. These guys and gals work exceptionally hard to refine their line of ultralight aircraft to a trend-setting state of the art. Complementing their award-winning series of powered parachutes, Buckeye has now added their new Endeavor trike.
A couple years back, it was Buckeye’s single place Brat that grabbed attention for the Indiana operation. The purple airframe Brat represented a first among powered parachute producers to apply their experience to a related but different form of ultralight flight. Brat resembled the Cosmos Samba trike and offered a simple switch to powered parachute so owners could go both ways.
Last year they refined the Brat to a two seat, more extensive aircraft. In the process, the quick switch to powered parachute became more elaborate. Now the Endeavor appears as a fully developed two seat aircraft that focuses on being a trike ultralight. Fortunately it shares the extreme attention to detail that characterizes the entire Buckeye line of ultralight flying machines.
Flightstar Inc. — Flightstar II SL Tailback
“New & Improved” boasts the advertising for the Flightstar IISL as it was introduced at the start of the 1999 season. Indeed, the statement proved to be more than a catchy advertising slogan. The already-popular ultralight from the Connecticut company managed to go one better than earlier models.
A series of changes subtly advanced the state of the art for one of America’s best ultralights. A new cabin fairing was cunningly reshaped to combine smoothly with a new, curvier windscreen. The aft-cabin fabric fairing was made leaner and smaller yet more efficient. And a new engine cowling improved cooling for the Rotax 503 engine installation.
The combination of front and rear fairing harmonized to bring smoother touchdowns eliminating the one nagging challenge I’d found in the older IISL. Making consistently smooth landing roundouts is now child’s play. Builders will also appreciate the easier fit of the new fiberglass parts and shipping is more compact (therefore cheaper) than ever due to the change.
Flightstar Inc. — Flightstar II + HKS Engine
Daring to take on deeply entrenched Rotax, Flightstar/H-Power has introduced the first light aviation four-stroke engine to see broad acceptance. Joined with their smoothly contoured Flightstar II, you can have a deluxe ultralight or lightplane that will provide years of flying enjoyment.
While two strokes do the job for most ultralight enthusiasts, the four stroke 700E engine from HKS of Japan offer assurances some pilots demand. With its particular strength of mid-range torque, the HKS engine brings interesting differences. Pull up the nose while revolutions are set in the 4000s and the HKS will haul the Flightstar II aloft with no evidence of prop loading common among two stroke engines.
Flightstar still sells lots of their very popular IISL models, but on this lighter aircraft, they recommend the Rotax 503. However, now that the same company has adapted the stronger HKS engine, sales are soaring for their Flightstar II with its beautifully formed all-fiberglass cockpit enclosure.
Para-Ski International — Para-Ski
You get four vehicles in one when you choose the powered parachute called Para-Ski. The name comes from the fact that you can swap wheels for skiis. With the correct selection this will permit zooming around – without a wing – on either water or snow, giving Para-Ski year ’round thrills.
What interests pilots, of course, is the ability to install a powered parachute and go aloft. But even in this airborne environment, Para-Ski offers more versatility. You can exchange the bag wing for a rag wing and, using some changed mount hardware, the Para-Ski become a trike ultralight as well.
Para-Ski is just full of differences, for example, its use of four wheels versus the more typical tri-gear favored by most other power parachute builders. Para-Ski feels this gives the machine more stability during takeoffs and landings and sure enough, when the canopy pulls to one side, I’ve seen company pilots keep the machine tracking straight on only two wheels (a tough maneuver with a three-wheeled model).
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