Top Rudder Aircraft, maker of the new Solo (Part 103) and Ruckus (LSA) aircraft, has one of the hottest booths at this year’s Sun ‘n Fun.
The company sold six of 10 available slots it had for planes in 2024 before the show opened on Friday. Both planes are based on a Troy Woodard design that had been around for a while, but it was only three months ago that Bryce Angel started Top Rudder to make these ultralight and light sport variants.
“It’s designed like a 1300-pound aircraft that’s we’ve modified for two entirely different kinds of flying,” explains Top Rudder’s Chief Engineer George Boney. “It can handle up to 200 hp, but our standard Polini 303 allows for stall speeds under 20 mph and a cruise of 50 for ultralight flying. Or, you can add another fuel tank, a slightly larger engine and tires and have an inexpensive backcountry sport plane that has real STOL capabilities.”
In its sport configuration with the Polini, the plane weighs about 350 pounds and is capable of limited acrobatics.Top Rudder — Have It Your Way
Top Rudder Aircraft, maker of the new Solo (Part 103) and Ruckus (LSA) aircraft, has one of the hottest booths at this year’s Sun ‘n Fun.
The company sold six of 10 available slots it had for planes in 2024 before the show opened on Friday. Both planes are based on a Troy Woodard design that had been around for a while, but it was only three months ago that Bryce Angel started Top Rudder to make these ultralight and light sport variants.
“It’s designed like a 1300-pound aircraft that’s we’ve modified for two entirely different kinds of flying,” explains Top Rudder’s Chief Engineer George Boney. “It can handle up to 200 hp, but our standard Polini 303 allows for stall speeds under 20 mph and a cruise of 50 for ultralight flying. Or, you can add another fuel tank, a slightly larger engine and tires and have an inexpensive backcountry sport plane that has real STOL capabilities.”
In its sport configuration with the Polini, the plane weighs about 350 pounds and is capable of limited acrobatics. All of the specifications for the planes are available on the company’s website, but what initially stands out for both models are the quick-fold wings, carbon fiber leading edge slats and tail surfaces, five-position seat, and aluminum wing skins and flaperons. “These first ten planes are a partnership between us and the buyers because we really want people to try different options as we help them build the plane they want,” said Boney. The base model starts at $40,000 and that price includes the builder assist.
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Top Rudder Aircraft, maker of the new Solo (Part 103) and Ruckus (LSA) aircraft, has one of the hottest booths at this year’s Sun ‘n Fun.
The company sold six of 10 available slots it had for planes in 2024 before the show opened on Friday. Both planes are based on a Troy Woodard design that had been around for a while, but it was only three months ago that Bryce Angel started Top Rudder to make these ultralight and light sport variants.
“It’s designed like a 1300-pound aircraft that’s we’ve modified for two entirely different kinds of flying,” explains Top Rudder’s Chief Engineer George Boney. “It can handle up to 200 hp, but our standard Polini 303 allows for stall speeds under 20 mph and a cruise of 50 for ultralight flying. Or, you can add another fuel tank, a slightly larger engine and tires and have an inexpensive backcountry sport plane that has real STOL capabilities.”
In its sport configuration with the Polini, the plane weighs about 350 pounds and is capable of limited acrobatics.
It isn’t only that seaplanes can offer “triphibian” capabilities (a term once promoted by 
Now from 
“In 2007 we displayed the airplane with a rollout in the local concert hall, Tonhallen in Sundsvall,” he continued. “We flew for the first time in 2008.” He observed that they are still flying that same aircraft and the team believes they have this well sorted out and are ready for market.
“We made a lot of modifications and have flown with three different engines,” related Staffan. “Early in the process we replaced the strutted wing with a cantilever wing to offer easy mounting and dismounting of the wings. We made a trailer for ease of moving the airplane to and from the airfield.”
“All modifications were made to the original aircraft… [but we have now] finalized the design of the production airplane in 3D-CAD environment,” Staffan clarified. We have made most of the molds (image) and will start producing kit airplanes in summer 2024. This start of production is a great milestone for us and, of course, is very exciting!”
The airplane is equipped with conventional ailerons controlled with the stick via push-pull rods. The flap is of slotted type with a maximum extension of 45 degrees. A horizontal stabilizer and the elevator are controlled with the stick via push-pull rods. The rudder is controlled with pedals via cables and it extends to become a water rudder controlled with the pedals. Hinges on all control surfaces are of ball bearing type and the elevator is fully balanced.
The fuselage consists of a hull built from aramid fibre and the rest of the fuselage is carbon fiber. Fuselage panels are of sandwich construction and behind the aft seat a main bulkhead with a metal truss distribute the loads from the fuselage to the wings. The cockpit floor is constructed to permit the hull to flex somewhat when landing on water.
The fuel tank is placed in the fuselage and the filler neck is positioned under a lid on the left side. “This is an advantage compared to having wing tanks, especially when taxiing on water,” noted Staffan. “The engine will have good fuel supply without the pilot having to monitor which tank is chosen.”
“We plan to continue to produce and sell aircraft and provide first-rate service, training, and support to our customers,” stated Jerry Meyer, CEO of Icon.
Speaking of KITPLANES, that’s where I come from. In fact, Dan and I have history—the good kind—as he wrote about the then-nascent LSA category for KP back when all this got started. We felt it was important to get smart about the segment since it would intersect with Experimental aircraft. How, exactly, we weren’t sure but it did seem that many existing makers of kits would jump at the chance to series-build airplanes (and they did) and that we might just get some coming the other way (not as much). In any case, even though my recent activities haven’t been so directly involved with production SLSAs, I’ve kept a keen interest in them. So taking over for Dan here represents a comfortable and exciting expansion to my duties over at KITPLANES.
Eventually, career opportunities led me back to motorcycling, then back to airplanes again in 2004 when I was offered the big seat at KITPLANES. I got spooked by the economic issues at the end of the decade and swiveled to playing with two wheels before being lured back in 2018. I’ve been editor in chief of KITPLANES since then, and now add this website to my list of responsibilities. 
Harley Davidson or Rotax — Sounds can be unique and associated with a certain brand. Harley motorcycles have made their sound a trademark, defending it vigorously against wannabe knock-offs.
(SPA) at the 
Although SPA worked hard at community outreach, noting in part that it already used aircraft that operated well under the airport’s noise limits and burned relatively little unleaded autogas (thanks to the Rotax 912 iS engines), complaints continued. At one point last year, SPA management had to fight being kicked off the airport entirely. They needed to do something to go “above and beyond” in order to keep the school running and, indeed, growing.
“We started by changing our procedures,” says Liknaitzky. “We then started reminding people that we had the quietest airplanes on the field. We never busted the noise monitor. But in multiple meetings with the community, we started to listen to what they were saying. They started describing the sound of our airplanes. They said it’s not that our airplanes are loud but the nature of the sound was annoying. This was a turning point for us. We told ourselves that we have to look at the sound quality, not just the quantity.”
After significant study, Sling realized that it wasn’t just the higher frequency sound the combination produces but that it wavered as well, likely the result of acoustics and the Rotax’s high-rpm nature. And they had to get on with a solution because “we’re adding 30 airplanes this year, and we already have 40 in the fleet,” says Liknaitzky.
Surprisingly, the system appears to actually improve the Sling’s performance. The company assumes that the stock Sling-built exhaust actually had too little backpressure and so the new, quieter system gives the Rotax more of what it needs.
So, it is already certain that I will conclude my full-time activities with ByDanJohnson.com on a very high note and I am grateful beyond what I can convey. I had hoped to “go out at the top of my game” and this strong response from visitors is a wonderful send-off.
Please believe me, though, the genuine thanks are from me to you, not the other way around.
Firecrown boss Craig Fuller acquired ByDanJohnson.com (and my alternate domain name of AffordableAviation.com) because he recognized the content’s value. This was reinforced because he owns and flies two LSA (an Icon A5 and a Tecnam Astore). He knows and likes the same kind of aircraft that you do.
Development happens fast in light aviation; Mosaic will further quicken the pace.
This distinctive seaplane in biplane configuration earlier announced their 
With great efficiency, the two aircraft were unpacked from container (nearby images), assembled, and had their approval inspection done. This happened in days, thanks to advanced planning and full preparation.
New Zealand’s Wave has completed its air trials after a lengthy development period. Deliveries have yet to begin.
XP suggests more power and the Rotax 915iS does not disappoint. A boost from 100 to 141 horsepower spinning a 5-blade e-Prop propeller is certain to make Super Petrel XP a hot performer off water or land.
Since the U.S. team is ready and raring to go, you can make your way to 
Don’t even think about affording a real P-51 unless you win the lottery. Warbirds may be the biggest attraction at AirVenture Oshkosh year after year but only a few pilots have sufficiently deep pockets to own and fly one of these historic machines.
Nearby images supplied by CEO Christian von Kessel of Scalewings Aircraft reflect the first deliveries of this oh-so handsome ’51 replica. He reported…
It appears that after signing the contract, new owners personalize or memorialize their SW-51. Distinctive paint jobs may explain their intent better than words. Enjoy these professionally-shot images.
“Our team has grown from 25 people in early 2022 to 72 full-time employees today,” Christian said. “As a consequence of the increased staff, production ramped up to one ready-to-fly SW-51 every four to six weeks.”
“While SW-51 is extremely true to the original look, ScaleWings’ trailing edge is modified from the Original P-51 shape to allow for safe stall behavior, even in accelerated stalls,” Christian stated. A special “polished aluminum“ paint finish has been developed for an even more realistic original look.
A Garmin avionics suite features the big 10-inch G3X Touch EFIS with G5 in the front panel. The aft panel has a 7-inch G3X Touch.
A bigger 4-blade prop in the works via a collaboration with MT-Propeller. Planned for the 916iS, it can use a larger diameter that will more closely resemble the large prop on a North American Mustang.
Okay, let’s grapple with the cost of a SW-51. At better than $400,000, it’s expensive, yes. Look very closely at this aircraft and you might appreciate why it requires such a price. “A ready-to-fly version of our SW-51 is available at about 10% of the acquisition cost and only 2% of the operational cost of an Original P-51,” said Christian.
European aviation journalist Marino Boric writing for this website stated, “Italian ultralight manufacturer Promecc, with deep roots in manufacturing of commercial aviation subassemblies, brought to Aero Friedrichshafen their Pegaso all-composite, sleek, high-wing aircraft, which derives from the low-wing Freccia.
The well-established, fast, retractable-gear, low-wing aircraft Freccia, which successfully passed the static load tests for the 600-kilogram (1,320 pound) certification in Germany, was also showcased together with Promecc’s best-priced fixed-gear low-wing (nearby image).
Promecc informed Marino that they contemplated bringing their aircraft to EAA AirVenture Oshkosh. If they do, I can imagine a warm response to this handsome airplane. Of course, pilots always want to know the price and Marino believed Promecc’s were enticing.
Kit prices in Europe: Sparviero €40.000 ($43,500 at posting), Pegaso €65.000 ($70,800) and Freccia €69.000 ($75,000). The full configuration of these kits was not known as this article went online. However, that much detail is moot until someone offers to represent the aircraft here because builder support from Italy would be challenging.
As Promecc is a producer of professional aviation components, they may be able to manage efficient manufacturing processes and use their size for economies of scale in the purchase of raw materials. Their work with other large producers may give them connections to create American representation.
As most readers now know, Mosaic LSA can be larger and therefore they can carry more. While these airplanes remain more than a year from first deliveries current LSA models are expanding their capacities in preparation.
This change comes from a gross weight increase to 1,570 pounds. How can they do that before Mosaic arrives? Aren’t they limited to 1,430 pounds as permitted on LSA seaplanes or floatplanes? No, they’re not.
As A5’s Rotax 912iS burns less than five gallons of fuel per hour, the company said, “This equates to an additional two hours of endurance or the ability to carry more baggage or heavier passengers.”
“In response to feedback from our owners and prospective customers, we elected to undertake further research and development to test the airframe and fully understand what we needed to do to increase the useful load,” said Jerry Meyer, Icon’s CEO. “The solution is a reinforcement of our commitment to innovation, and a 60-pound increase is significant, especially in the LSA category.”
“The 4-blade propeller is a huge upgrade to my Icon A5,” said Santiago Masdeau, an A5 owner based in South Florida. “I’ve flown more than 100 hours with the original 3-blade and now I have around 20 hours on the new carbon fiber 4-blade. Immediately, I noticed less vibration and noise, better acceleration, and improved takeoff distances. I’ve also experienced an increase on my cruise speed at 5,000 rpm and lower fuel burn. The entire experience is better, and it looks amazing, too!”
Icon’s announcement of these improvements to the 2024 Icon A5 LSA comes on the heels of the FAA granting a Type Certificate for the A5 in Primary category. The company believes that type certification will allow Icon to expand its market potential around the world, especially in countries that have not yet adopted ASTM standards. The type certified version of the 2024 Icon A5 starts at $434,000.