Many excellent aircraft may be headed our way
Parlez-vous Française? Sprechen Sie Deutsche? Parlate Italiano? Fortunately, to understand European recreational aircraft you don’t need to speak French, German, or Italian. Yet the light-sport aircraft (LSA) that may interest you could come from countries where the mother tongue isn’t English.
Welcome to the globalized
world of light-sport
aircraft where the workers
who built your plane may speak
Polish, Russian, Hungarian, or
Latvian in addition to French,
German, or Italian.
Though many intriguing
ultralights come from Europe and
Americans have seen a few of these,
many are a complete surprise to
Yankee pilots. That will change.
Last year after EAA AirVenture
Oshkosh 2002 ended, I traveled to
Blois (pronounced Blwah), France, a
town about 200 kilometers south of
Paris. There I attended the 22nd
salon (or air show) that organizers
present at this location each year in
late summer. Let’s take a walk
around the salon at Blois.
Search Results for : flight design
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First to Achieve Light-Sport Aircraft Status?
Discounting coordination qualities, steep turns, well, all turns went very well in the GT 500; it is very precise in handling. You can always point the plane where you wish.
Many pilots, especially those trained in general aviation aircraft, love the yoke. I much prefer a joystick. This is personal preference, but you can’t fault the execution of the yoke arrangement in the GT 500. Like all components, it’s very well done.
Since I’d just flown the Flight Design CT before the
GT 500, comparisons were easy. Handling in the composite CT aircraft was much more fluid (though that may not suit everyone). The CT could also fly nearly as slowly over the fields as the GT 500, showing the possibilities in new aircraft designs.
The GT 500 behaved very properly at speed. Cruising at 90 mph indicated, the design felt very solid and gave every assurance. However, at 4,200 rpm and 50 to 55 mph, I experienced almost a continuous shudder that seemed to come from the tail.
Chuck’s Patented Reduction Drive?
Chuck’s Patented Reduction Drive?
Back when ultralights were new, most engine/prop combinations were direct drive. General aviation aircraft engines are direct drive. Of course, these run at slower revolutions so the prop speed isn’t excessive. On a high-revving 2-stroke engine, direct-drive props (commonly 36-inch diameters) are spinning so fast the prop tips create a lot of noise.
When I owned and flew a Flight Designs Jet Wing trike back in 1982, that direct-drive Kawasaki 440 engine and prop were so loud my neighbors complained and I had to cease flying except during certain hours.
To the rescue came Chuck Slusarczyk and his invention. The funny thing is, his patent is not for the reduction drive as many think and as this sidebar’s title suggests.
Even before he designed his groundbreaking Hawk, Chuck developed and was the first to use an “ultralight” reduction drive. His early experience was during the days of experimentation of powered hang gliders.
Product Lines from July 2002
ST. PAUL, MINN. — The big Florida aerotow meets are now history. Oleg Bondarchuk performed well taking his Aeros Combat 2 to the top of both meets, an impressive accomplishment when flying against Manfred Ruhmer and a large field of talented pilots.
Yankee Paris Williams and his Icaro MR700WRE has also confirmed his position at the top of Team USA, adding a fine Second Place to his Third Place finish at Wallaby the week prior. Other great finishes by Americans included Glen Volk in 3rd on his Litespeed and Curt Warren in 5th also on a Litespeed.
*** In fact, Moyes had itself a terrific representation at Quest. The Australian manufacturer mustered an even greater field at Quest (35% of flex wings) after holding the top position at Wallaby with 29%. Competition has always been a strong suit for Moyes and it seems to have a firm grip on that mantle as the 2002 season starts out.
Fixed -Wing or Flex-Wing
This month I wrote a pilot’s report about two widely different aircraft, both of which are imported by Rollison Airplane Company. Here’s how I handled it.
Every “Ultralight Flying! Pilot’s Report” has common elements: a main article, photos and photo legends, specifications, and our exclusive “Report Card.” Because the two subject flying machines are so different this month, I’ve prepared a “Report Card” for each aircraft. I did the same for specifications as the standard and optional features obviously differ too much for grouping.
In the main article, I take alternate looks at the two flying machines as a way to observe their differences, but further how they each have their benefits.
I also selected more photos – even though Ultralight Flying! reports regularly present many photos of ultralights being reviewed as readers often say that photos are a key informative element.
Because reviewing two different craft makes for a longer pilot report, I’ve somewhat abbreviated both the main article and the twin “Report Cards.”
Quite a few general aviation pilots recognize that ultralights offer a different way to fly| and that’s precisely what they like about them.
Flex-Wing or Fixed Wing
This month I wrote a pilot’s report about two widely different aircraft, both of which are imported by Rollison Airplane Company. Here’s how I handled it.
Every “Ultralight Flying! Pilot’s Report” has common elements: a main article, photos and photo legends, specifications, and our exclusive “Report Card.” Because the two subject flying machines are so different this month, I’ve prepared a “Report Card” for each aircraft. I did the same for specifications as the standard and optional features obviously differ too much for grouping.
In the main article, I take alternate looks at the two flying machines as a way to observe their differences, but further how they each have their benefits.
I also selected more photos – even though Ultralight Flying! reports regularly present many photos of ultralights being reviewed as readers often say that photos are a key informative element.
Because reviewing two different craft makes for a longer pilot report, I’ve somewhat abbreviated both the main article and the twin “Report Cards.”
Quite a few general aviation pilots recognize that ultralights offer a different way to fly| and that’s precisely what they like about them.
Buying Used — Zenith STOL CH 750, Backcountry on a Budget
Purchasing a used airplane can be risky because it’s sometimes difficult to determine whether the aircraft has been taken care of properly. Buying a used kit aircraft? Even riskier. Not only do you have to worry about wear and tear, but also whether the builder knew what they were doing. But that doesn’t mean buying one is foolish. It might allow you to find an aircraft that truly fits your needs, and possibly save you money because its home-built origin will likely reduce the price.
If you feel comfortable going this direction, then a used Zenith is worth looking at—and if you don’t, remember that Zenith has also made the CH 750 as a factory-built SLSA, of which there are currently 42 registered in the U.S. Anyway, the company has been making kits for three decades and it has a great reputation in the Light Sport world. Its STOL CH 750 model is especially popular among builders, and you can find used ones up for sale fairly often.
See This — Radiant’s Low-Coast Angle of Attack
Sometimes the simpler the better. At least that’s the philosophy James Weibe has always seemed to follow. He’s definitely embraced that approach with the new visual angle of attack (AoA) indicator. No electronics. No special pitot tube.
The Radiant AoA is a simple vane-style pointer you mount to the wing nearest you—well, because you want to see it. According to Radiant, “Our new Visual AOA provides direct visual feedback of the aircraft’s Angle Of Attack. Any pitch change or power change is immediately reflected in the indication. It is designed to mount on the leading edge of an experimental aircraft. It is available with a generic mount for the leading edge of aircraft. A top side mount for Sonex (low wing) aircraft is also available.” The instrument is easily removable to prevent skewering your next Young Eagles ride. (Mom says thanks.)
Weibe includes a demo video for your consideration.
Go Solo! Atec’s Solo 212 Let’s You Fly Yourself in Style, Yet It’s Affordable
Was this aircraft the star of MAX, the airshow? Maybe. “It drew a lot of attention,” said a company representative, “a sleek taildragger single seater with a 912 up front.” That it was accented with red inside and out helped, as proven by big auto companies that spend millions to advertise red cars when they want to catch your eye. (Updated 2/27/24: new images at bottom)
Atec Solo 212 is the name of the airplane. It will not be their top seller but for plenty of pilots (me included) this was a charmer. Plus, let me spill the beans on its affordability. I don’t know your budget but this beauty could be had, in America, for $100-110,000 reported RT Aviation partner Todd Livingston a couple weeks after MAX ’24 concluded. That price won’t work for everyone, I know, but it’s half the cost of many “reasonably” priced SLSA in fall 2024.
Flying Dynon’s Emergency Glide Feature — Go Down Easy
I probably shouldn’t admit this, but some features that come with the latest electronic flight instruments have left me a little, um, disinterested. Until I try them, that is. A good example is the concept of “safe glide” or even autoland. Garmin introduced both concepts a few years ago, though the full-autoland idea is more recent and limited to high-end aircraft where the system can control the engine directly. That’s not at my pay grade.
The more common version is what Garmin calls Smart Glide and, more recently, Dynon rolled out what it calls Emergency Glide. They work similarly: When commanded, they set up a controlled descent to the nearest viable airport and let the pilot concentrate on other things. To be honest, I was a bit meh about them as safety features. After all, you’re trained to set the airplane up for best-glide speed as soon as you recognize a power failure and all good pilots fly along considering which airports beneath them are reachable.
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