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News & Video on Light-Sport Aircraft, Sport Pilot Kits, and Ultralight Aircraft

World Aircraft’s New/Old Open Cockpit LSA

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World Aircraft is not shortchanging Surveyor. The company is using the state-of-the-art electronic circuit breaker system from Vertical Power (red box). Watch for a video on their products soon.

As we scoured the sprawling acreage of AirVenture 2014 for aircraft we had not seen before, one flying machine confused my eye. Surveyor looked approximately like a Lockwood Drifter or maybe a single engine version of Drifter’s big brother, the twin engine AirCam. Since I like both Drifter and AirCam a great deal, taking that view of Surveyor is a form of high compliment. My video partner and I spoke to World Aircraft director Eric Giles and shot a video that will soon be available. Surveyor has no relationship to Drifter or AirCam but it does have a long heritage. The designer of all World Aircraft models — Spirit, Vision, Surveyor, and low-wing Freedom in development — is Max Tedesco, a talented engineer from Columbia. Many years ago, he created the open cockpit Surveyor and ten aircraft were sold to Cuba to provide aerial sightseeing for that island’s tourists. “They never bought any more,” noted Eric, and while a few more were sold, this machine took a back seat to other, fully enclosed designs.

“I’d like to introduce you to Surveyor,” said Eric, “an aircraft that is both a fun machine and a utility workhorse.” Surveyor is an all-metal, high-wing, tandem pusher with open cockpit frame by several robust steel components. While we reviewed the aircraft in preparation for shooting the video, several passers by remarked at how solid the structure appeared. As originally designed for tour companies operating off beaches in Cuba, Surveyor (as it is now known) carried three people. A tourist couple could sit alongside one another in the back, a more comfortable, enjoyable, and reassuring arrangement for people not familiar with flying a light aircraft. A single pilot sat in the front seat. For the U.S. market, Surveyor may have only two seats but both occupants will get a wind-in-their-hair feeling that understandably worked well in a resort setting. Eric observed that in other countries Surveyor can be outfitted for banner and glider towing and an ultra low volume or microspray system would allow Surveyor to be used for agricultural or insect control. (In the latter case, a homebuilder farmer can use such a machine on his own property.) Because Surveyor, like all Max Tedesco designs, has a 1,653 pound gross weight, the back seat can be converted to carry a 53-gallon hopper to hold crop treatments.

Surveyor is proceeding through ASTM standards compliance and should be available in the last half of 2014, said Giles. Also in the latter half of 2014, World Aircraft plans to offer all models available in kit form; ELSA and Experimental Amateur-Built. Thinking about the agriculture use potential, it is worth noting that EAB kits have no gross weight allows 51%-built kits to be registered at their design gross weight of 1,653 pounds, yielding a useful load of more than 900 pounds, according to World Aircraft. A recreational pilot certificate or better with a medical is required to fly an EAB aircraft. The “Sport Edition” of World Aircraft’s Spirit lists for $87,9950, a number that qualifies as quite a bargain in today’s fleet of Light-Sport Aircraft. (That’s less than $70,000 in 2004 dollars after adjusting for inflation since LSA burst on the scene ten years ago.) Surveyor has not been priced yet but logically it should be less given less material cost. “WAC builds ready-to-fly aircraft that are significantly less costly than any comparably-equipped light-sport aircraft on the market today. They are built in our new 23,000 square foot facility at Henry County Airport (KPHT) in Paris, Tennessee. Airframe painting involves a twice baked process in WAC’s double-downdraft, triple-airflow paint booth. You can watch some short video animations of World Aircraft structure here. Further Surveyor specification follow:

Wing span — 29.6 feet
Wing Chord — 55.9 inches
Wing Area — 137.6 square feet
Length — 22.4 feet
Design Gross Weight — 1,653 pounds; this weight permitted on EAB models
U.S. LSA Gross Weight — 1,320 pounds
Average Empty Weight — 675 pounds
Fuel Capacity — 28 gallons

While updating you about World Aircraft’s new Surveyor, I went back to update an earlier article. Please click the link to see a clarification of my description of a Serbian Light-Sport candidate.

Nearby you see how Surveyor looks on floats as used at beach-side resorts. The structure is well designed for this application. Note that this aircraft is fitted with two aft seats as described above.

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As we scoured the sprawling acreage of AirVenture 2014 for aircraft we had not seen before, one flying machine confused my eye. Surveyor looked approximately like a Lockwood Drifter or maybe a single engine version of Drifter’s big brother, the twin engine AirCam. Since I like both Drifter and AirCam a great deal, taking that view of Surveyor is a form of high compliment. My video partner and I spoke to World Aircraft director Eric Giles and shot a video that will soon be available. Surveyor has no relationship to Drifter or AirCam but it does have a long heritage. The designer of all World Aircraft models — Spirit, Vision, Surveyor, and low-wing Freedom in development — is Max Tedesco, a talented engineer from Columbia. Many years ago, he created the open cockpit Surveyor and ten aircraft were sold to Cuba to provide aerial sightseeing for that island’s tourists.

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Affordable Bearhawk LSA Quick-Build Kit at Oshkosh

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Are you lusting after a Cub lookalike but can’t afford the steep price tags these popular flying machines carry? How about something much more affordable? A taildragger called Bearhawk has picked up accolades from AirVenture judges and owners appear very loyal. Sometimes those of us close to factory built Light-Sport Aircraft tend to forget about the homebuilt community. However, more pilots exercising the privileges of Sport Pilot are flying kit-built airplanes than ready-to-fly models, a trend that is likely to continue because a kit represents a lower cost option and one where the owner can more easily do all repair work. Let me clarify, though. Bearhawk is Sport Pilot eligible (using a term my longtime EAA friend, Ron Wagner, coined); it is technically not a Light-Sport. Bearhawk LSA made its debut at AirVenture two years ago as a prototype constructed by its designer, Bob Barrows. Recently a customer flew the first completed kit.

Bearhawk Aircraft owner/builder Mark Goldberg completed the first Bearhawk LSA quick-build kit, N514AK, and flew it to AirVenture last month. The trip from Texas took 9.7 hours cruising at just under 100 mph while burning 4.5 gallons per hour. Portions of the flight were done at up to 118 mph consuming 6 gph Mark said. Goldberg’s Bearhawk uses a Barrows-engineered 105-horsepower Continental Motors O-200 engine under the cowl. Following a four seat model, Bearhawk LSA is “a clean-sheet design with an all-new airfoil, developed by Harry Riblett,” said Barrows. Construction is similar to other Bearhawk aircraft, with fuselage and tail surfaces of welded 4130 chromoly frames covered in fabric. The all aluminum, flush riveted wings are supported by a single strut. Bearhawk designs are popular for their solid performance and pleasant flight qualities. The designs are known for short field capability, gentle slow speed manners, yet manage reasonably high cruise speeds. The legions of folks buying Cubalike designs can consider Bearhawk and save a bundle while flying faster, not a bad combination. Bearhawk is available as a quick-build kit from the Austin, Texas company.

Empty weight of Bearhawk LSA is 750+ pounds, depending on equipment an owner installs, yielding a useful load of 570 pounds. With 30-gallon tanks full of fuel, payload calculates to 390 pounds. Of course local flying can be done with less than that large amount of fuel; the 31-inch-wide cockpit will accommodate a couple big fellows in tandem seating (photo).
As the airplane is designed for a maximum weight of 1,500 pounds, Bearhawk boasts an additional margin at the 1,320-pound LSA limit. A quick-build Bearhawk LSA with no welding required and wings completed to a significant extent — including full riveting of the top skin, fuel tanks, and ailerons — costs $36,000. The welded steel frame has all tabs in place and is primed and painted. Even with exterior paint, avionics, and a new O-200 engine, a completed airplane may cost less than $80,000 or about half of a basic model CubCrafters. Other engine choices (65 to 120 horsepower is supported) can further hold down the expense, especially if you find a good used powerplant. Here are additional specifications of Bearhawk LSA:

Cruise Speed — 115-125 mph (100-110 knots)
Landing Speed — 30 mph (26 knots)
Range (with tanks full at 30 gallons) — 650 pounds
Wing Span — 34 feet
Wing Area — 171 square feet
Length — 22 feet, 3 inches
Height (in three point position) — 75 inches
Cabin Width — 31 inches
Cabin Length — 97 inches

Bearhawk LSA nearly achieves the design holy grail of 4:1 top speed to stall speed (118 to 30 mph) but most importantly, here’s an unpretentious aircraft you can probably afford. If you want to study first, plans-only are available at just $275. For more information on Bearhawk Aircraft visit the company’s website, contact Bearhawk by email, or call 877-528-4776 (Central time).

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Are you lusting after a Cub lookalike but can’t afford the steep price tags these popular flying machines carry? How about something much more affordable? A taildragger called Bearhawk has picked up accolades from AirVenture judges and owners appear very loyal. Sometimes those of us close to factory built Light-Sport Aircraft tend to forget about the homebuilt community. However, more pilots exercising the privileges of Sport Pilot are flying kit-built airplanes than ready-to-fly models, a trend that is likely to continue because a kit represents a lower cost option and one where the owner can more easily do all repair work. Let me clarify, though. Bearhawk is Sport Pilot eligible (using a term my longtime EAA friend, Ron Wagner, coined); it is technically not a Light-Sport. Bearhawk LSA made its debut at AirVenture two years ago as a prototype constructed by its designer, Bob Barrows. Recently a customer flew the first completed kit.

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Van’s Aircraft Authorizes US Aviation of Texas

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An RV-12 owner departed from US Sport Planes after his first 25-hour service check. photo courtesy US Sport Planes

photo by Ed Hicks

Van’s Aircraft has been creating highly successful designs for decades; more than 8,750 RV kits have been completed and are flying. Over 20,000 kits have been sold, cementing this Oregon company as the most successful kit aircraft company in history. In the last couple years, Van’s has enlisted Synergy Air to fully build and deliver their RV-12 Light-Sport Entry. Before the ready-to-fly project began Van’s had delivered more than 250 kit versions; the fleet of both kit and factory built RV-12s keeps growing. When that happens, many buyers — especially those who elected to purchase a factory-built ’12 — need quality places to obtain services for their airplane. Recently a Texas aviation powerhouse, US Aviation and their US Sport Planes division, was approved as a Factory Authorized service center for the RV-12. Company executive Scott Severen, a longtime recreational aircraft enthusiast and businessman, has been very successful at securing similar approvals from many of the top LSA manufacturers. US Sport Planes has also been a Rotax Service Center for several years and has more than 20 A&P mechanics on staff.

“Van’s Aircraft has recognized US Sport Planes of Denton, Texas,” reported the company. “We received good comments from our customers about US Aviation. We are pleased to have them assist our customers in the central U.S.,” commented Scott Risan, President and General Manager of Van’s Aircraft. RV-12 owners can expect services such as oil changes, conditional inspections, plus major structural repairs. US Sport Planes avionics shop is approved as a Dynon installation and service center.

“This is a natural flow for us as we service the bigger RVs already, and have a depth of knowledge of the LSA world. We are fortunate to assist RV owners and we strive to make it very convenient to have reliable work performed,” reported Severen who serves as Director of Business Development. US Aviation is based at the Denton Airport north of Dallas/Ft. Worth, Texas. The business provides a full range for Light-Sport services as well as certified single, multiengine, and turboprop maintenance as FAA 145 Repair Station U9FR750K. Sport Pilots will appreciate that US Sport Planes is a LSA-friendly, full service FBO that offers exceptional amenities at Denton Airport (KDTO). The operation is open every day and sits outside the DFW Class B airspace. “We often provide return flights for customers bringing their aircraft in for service and your plane enjoys a complimentary wash with service,” assured US Sport Planes.

For more information on Van’s Aircraft services (or many other LSA), contact Scott Severen by email, call 940-297-6446, or visit US Sport Planes’ website.

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Van’s Aircraft has been creating highly successful designs for decades; more than 8,750 RV kits have been completed and are flying. Over 20,000 kits have been sold, cementing this Oregon company as the most successful kit aircraft company in history. In the last couple years, Van’s has enlisted Synergy Air to fully build and deliver their RV-12 Light-Sport Entry. Before the ready-to-fly project began Van’s had delivered more than 250 kit versions; the fleet of both kit and factory built RV-12s keeps growing. When that happens, many buyers — especially those who elected to purchase a factory-built ’12 — need quality places to obtain services for their airplane. Recently a Texas aviation powerhouse, US Aviation and their US Sport Planes division, was approved as a Factory Authorized service center for the RV-12. Company executive Scott Severen, a longtime recreational aircraft enthusiast and businessman, has been very successful at securing similar approvals from many of the top LSA manufacturers.

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Sonex Roars, Purrs, & Glides; Factory-Built Van’s

By Dan Johnson || Leave a Comment

The Sonex airplane and company is based in Oshkosh Wisconsin near EAA.

Want something different? Sonex probably has a model you’ll like and they all have remarkably low prices.

Sonex Aircraft’s AeroVee engine.

Dick VanGrusven created the extensive RV line with more than 8,000 flying. Read my flight review of the RV-12.

Two key members of AKIA stopped by the LSA Mall at the new & improved Paradise City last week. AKIA? The Aircraft Kit Industry Association is a new group formed in July last year seeking cooperation between kit aircraft builders. Leaders include Van’s Aircraft and Sonex. Both have been making Light-Sport models, or what more correctly might be called “Sport Pilot eligible” or “Light-Sport-compliant aircraft.” Experimental Amateur Built (EAB) aircraft are technically not LSA even if they meet all parameters. Sonex and Van’s are upstanding producers of very popular aircraft and they have their eyes clearly on the light aircraft sector that is showing great resilience in a perpetually sluggish economy. Each company has too much info to fully cover here but a birds-eye view may encourage you to seek more.

Sonex Aircraft is based in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, right across the field from EAA’s headquarters. The company is so active on so many fronts that I will only provide a general view. However, their nicely-designed website is chock-full of information. One cool story involves a fellow, Michael Jackson, who is ambitiously building his Xenos Motorglider fuselage and wings in a Jersey City townhouse; I loved the photos of him hauling an aircraft out the front door. It takes considerable effort to keep a website up-to-date and the Sonex staff obviously takes great pride with their’s. SonexAircraft.com is easy to navigate and I suspect you could spend hours viewing all that is available. Their aircraft (photos) include Sonex, Waiex, Xenos, or Onex. Every one can be built for remarkably little money, no doubt a major reason for their ongoing success in the kit aircraft business. I’ve gotten to know several of their staff and find them to be smart, honest folks, which adds to the appeal of doing business with them.

Sonex has it all: a single place, folding wing machine called Onex (“one-ex”); two place models bearing the company name Sonex, a Y-tailed variation called Waiex, and a long winged motorglider called Xenos. They’ve experimented with electric-powered models along with a jet powered version — cleverly named SubSonex — and if that wasn’t enough, they have their own engine line called AeroVee, which by the way, you also build as a kit. For all their kits, the Sonex team regular does builder workshops; they’ve trained more than 2,000 people this way. Sheesh! Have these Oshfolks left any stone unturned? It sure doesn’t seem so. I’ve flown a couple of these models over the years though I profess to liking the Xenos motorglider as I love the ever-changing challenge of catching and riding thermals aloft.

Van’s Switches Gears — Leading the kit industry is Van’s Aircraft with a remarkable 8,100+ RVs flying. Now the top dog is moving slowly into what they call a “trial production” phase of fully-built RV-12s. “We’re kind of taking it gradually into this new arena,” Dick VanGrunsven told our friends over at AVweb (listen to their podcast). Van’s announced a deal to build ready-to-fly RV-12s at last year’s AOPA Summit. AVweb reported Van’s “almost instantly got the support … needed to start its trial production run” in concert with partner Synergy Air of Eugene, Oregon. AVweb went on to observe the first dozen aircraft were sold the first day and several others were put on a waiting list. Now I understand the initial run is almost finished; deliveries are expected by summer 2013. I’m excited by Van’s entry to fully build and their way to do it shows one of the many ways the LSA rule is unique.

You can watch videos about the RV-12 here and here. • See a video
with Sonex CEO Jeremy Monnett where we look at their AeroVee engine plus several of their aircraft models. • Also check out more than 250 videos, all about light aircraft and every one free.

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Two key members of AKIA stopped by the LSA Mall at the new & improved Paradise City last week. AKIA? The Aircraft Kit Industry Association is a new group formed in July last year seeking cooperation between kit aircraft builders. Leaders include Van’s Aircraft and Sonex. Both have been making Light-Sport models, or what more correctly might be called “Sport Pilot eligible” or “Light-Sport-compliant aircraft.” Experimental Amateur Built (EAB) aircraft are technically not LSA even if they meet all parameters. Sonex and Van’s are upstanding producers of very popular aircraft and they have their eyes clearly on the light aircraft sector that is showing great resilience in a perpetually sluggish economy. Each company has too much info to fully cover here but a birds-eye view may encourage you to seek more. Sonex Aircraft is based in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, right across the field from EAA’s headquarters. The company is so active on so many fronts that I will only provide a general view.

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Post-Oshkosh 2013 Quick Review

By Dan Johnson || Leave a Comment

At the big show EAA likes to call the Summer Celebration of Flight, we rove the grounds seeking new airplanes, new engines or propulsion systems, new panel gear, updated models and more. In this very fast tour, we’ll zoom around AirVenture for a glance at some airplanes and components that caught our attention. In subsequent posts we’ll delve a bit more deeply into certain ideas we thought were novel. All photos accompanying this article are courtesy of Light Sport and Ultralight Flyer, producer of the 300+ videos you can find on this website.

Rans showed off their new S-20 Raven. Those who thought designer and company boss Randy Schlitter got stuck on S-19 were wrong (it’s never wise to think he’s done designing). His new Raven combines elements of the S-6 and S-7, namely the side-by-side seating of the S-6, with the welded spaceframe and superwide door of the S-7. It also has the S-7’s wings and that’s great as this is one of their sweetest flying aircraft. However, for those who didn’t like the S-7’s tandem seating, well … problem fixed. The S-20 also has easily removed, reclining seats that could make this quite a camping aircraft. A huge luggage area also helps. Here’s more info.

SkyReach showed off two of their still-very-modestly priced BushCats. You already know these airplanes but under the name Rainbow (former company) and Cheetah (former model name). SkyReach and their new U.S. distributors, Aero Sport Planes, unveiled a new taildragger version for the many that like “standard” gear, all decked out as a “Police” airplane though that was merely decoration not actual function. They also showed a model on some clean-looking composite amphibious floats. These are LSA you can afford, priced in the $50-60,000 range depending on equipment. Yes, you can obtain them in somewhat less attention-getting coloration. Here’s more info.

Quicksilver charged on the Oshkosh 2013 scene with three announcements: (1) a partnership with a company doing public-use aircraft. Ident LLC will employ the GT500 in a variation they call Mosquito; (2) the new EMG for Electric Motor Glider, a partnership with Brian and Carol Carpenter and their company Tangent Aviation; and (3) Quicksilver’s Sport 2S that is nearly done with ASTM approval. It’s taken this industry leader a long time to join the Special LSA sector, but new owners a year and half ago set out on the mission which will conclude with an FAA audit in September. Soon, you can buy a factory built Sport 2S for $39,995. The Temecula, California company will continue offering kits and will add ELSA after they win SLSA approval. Here’s more info.

Another company that did very well with kits over the last 20 years is Progressive Aerodyne, famous for their SeaRey flying boat that boats more than 500 kits flying. These owners compose an intensely loyal group of seaplane pilots but all had to push through the effort of kit building. For some, this is highly satisfying, but for lots of folks, building a fairly complex airplane kit is too much work or they don’t have the time. Fear not, you can now buy a factory built SeaReay and you’ll spend far less money than most other seaplanes. Plus you can have it soon, rather than waiting for your distant delivery slot to come to the top of the list. SeaRey gave demo rides daily at Oshkosh’s Seaplane Base. Here’s more info.

It was here — you knew it as the Kappa KP-5 — and then it disappeared … for several years. Now, welcome back to the renamed SkyLeader 600. More deluxe than before and with a high-fashion interior, SkyLeader uses the sliding bubble canopy and the excellent handling of the KP-5. Yet, the 600 upgraded the staggered seating that effectively gave more room in the older model by seating the two occupants unevenly to one another; not everyone loved it and the new SkyLeader 600 is bigger so side-by-side seats are still roomy for hamburger-loving Americans. SkyLeader is officially still Jihlavan Airplanes but you don’t need to twist your tongue around the more challenging Czech brand name. Just say “SkyLeader” and call rep, Randell Dutton, based near Jacksonville, Florida (904-677-2408). Here’s more info.

CubCrafters continues to shine brightly in the LSA universe and the western company is maintaing their delivery pace (they’ll likely exceed 50 units in 2013). One reason for their success is a potent 180-horsepower engine that lifts the CarbonCub SS (video) like a homesick angel. Now Czech-based Zlin has a related machine. The iCub and Savage used Rotax power, but a Titan engine gives Zlin’s new Cub-S 180 horses to bring great vigor to a vintage design. American Legend is also having an improved year with the Cub-like concept so why not a third entry … especially at a lower price point? U.S. distributor SportairUSA hosted visitors at a huge tent display with two Zlin airplanes inside, the other being the open sided Bobber that you can customize like a Harley motorcycle. Here’s more info.

Tecnam is a very active company with more LSA models than any other LSA supplier and more variations of those models than, well … any company. Only Pipistrel comes close. One model we were eager to look over was SeaSky, an obvious name when you see the P92 model set atop amphibious floats. We shot a video with Florida-based representative Tristan Raab and how appropriate given his location at Winter Haven, home to world famous Jack Brown Seaplane Base where so many have earned their seaplane rating. Tecnam developed their own composite floats and Oshkosh visitors saw the first one in the USA. As summer gives way to fall and winter, you may want to contact Tristan about a flight in this newest Tecnam variant (518-428-0804). Here’s more info.

Tecnam’s SeaSky is a recreational aircraft with its water capabilities but for those who want a smooth sleek speedster, how about one of the prettiest LSA on the market, P2008. A fine credit to Italian design, the P2008 is now more muscular, with the first ever installation of the powerful Rotax 914 turbocharged engine. If you live in one of the high elevation western states, this might be your bird of choice given it offers another 15 horses over the Rotax 912’s 100-hp. However, you can only use 115-hp for a few minutes, so an important fact we learned was that the 914 can produce a higher percentage of the continuously available 100 horses to a much higher altitude, thanks to turbo boost that operates full time. Another worthy point: installing the 914 may take more engineering but operating the potent engine is simple. Here’s more info.

Sporty’s Pilot Shop took some time to give up a preference for the Recreational Pilot certificate. However, as their annual sweepstakes shows, they’ve made the shift to Light-Sport now, giving away an American Legend this year and planning to award this (photo) sweet-looking RV-12 for next year. Plus, the lucky winning owner won’t have to build it because Van’s Aircraft partnered with local business Synergy Air to make dozen-lot runs of fully built RV-12s. The first ones bear a special marking, that of company founder and legendary designer, Dick VanGrunsven. The first 12 aircraft Synergy built includes this one that has Van’s signature on the pilot’s side. You can win this handsome, well-equipped aircraft just for buying something from Sportys and they’ve got a lot to offer so you ought to be able to find something you need or like. Here’s more info.

It appears the time for aerobatic Light-Sport Aircraft has arrived. First, we did a video about Tecnam’s Snap single place aerobatic aircraft and at Oshkosh 2013, we found the Panther from Panther Sport Aircraft. Using a 100-horsepower Corvair engine, company boss and designer Dan Weseman says the also-single-place Panther can do “mild aerobatics, like an RV-4 can.” The new aircraft offers a number of features, which you can catch on our video. Sold as an Experimental Amateur Built aircraft, Panther meets LSA parameters allowing use by a Sport Pilot certificate holder. Since it’s a kit, the Florida-based company will support several different engine installations. Here’s more info.

Shown to the public for the first time at AirVenture 2012 (before they even had a name for it), Just Aircraft amazed last year’s crowd with the takeoff and landing performance of their now-named SuperSTOL. I’ve flown this airplane (video) to find it has some of the most docile handling you can imagine from an airplane that looks rather extreme or radical. Yet it’s the way it leaves the ground and perhaps even more so the way it returns to the runway that drops watcher’s jaws to the ground. Flying with factory demo pilot and lead designer Troy Woodland, we made seven landings with the stick full aft from half way out in the airport pattern all the way to surface yet we had full control and the touchdown was pillow soft, every time. Even after experiencing it, the results are hard to accept. The nearby photo catches the wing in full operation with flaps deployed and leading edge slats out. You can also see the major shock absorbers on the main gear and another on the tailwheel. Here’s more info.

I’ve done some other writing about SkyCraft (see here) but we haven’t shown you the engine installation. SkyCraft reported at Oshkosh that they are ready for the FAA to visit seeking the agency’s acceptance as a new fully-built Special LSA (last year they were planning to offer a kit, but chose to go forward with factory building the Czech design). SkyCraft will use the Hirth F-23 two stroke engine. Helping to permit their very attractive price ($55,000), the company will install the dual ignition, fuel-injected 50-horsepower Hirth that operates at the refreshingly low fuel burn of just 1.8 gph. The lightweight engine gives a 1,000 hour time before overhaul but SkyCraft offers a free top-end overhaul at 500 hours. Likewise, their prop has a 600 hour overhaul point but when those hours are reached, SkyCraft is offering to replace the prop … for free. This young company has some consumer-friendly ideas and, if it turns out as they expected at Oshkosh, they’ll be the first single seater approved as a SLSA. Here’s more info.

Renegade Light Sport Aircraft worked for many months on installing the Lycoming O-233 LSA engine into a pair of FK-12 Comets. The now-Florida-based company cited difficulties working with the Poland-based FK Lightplane manufacturer as a reason to stop that effort, but they immediately turned their attention to an aircraft modeled after of the Pitts S1S. Another biplane the Pitts has quite a reputation as a high performing small aircraft that is not burdensome to own and operate. Renegade plans to enlarge the cockpit and make significant use of carbon fiber to keep the single seater light and agile. At Oshkosh, they showed the Lil’ Rascal (they can’t use the Pitts name, of course) in nearly full clothing. We’ll keep an eye on this development. Here’s more info.

We already reported and lots of other media have offered plenty of media to GreenWing International, the producer of the now-on-sale eSpyder pure electric aircraft. The company was featured in EAA’s Innovations pavilion and flew a two-aircraft airshow routine, which you could hardly hear as the electric motor is quieter at full power than two people having a conversation. Another thing we didn’t hear much about was charging the batteries. Our nearby photo show a buttoned-up eSpyder taking on juice for another hour-long flight. The smart charger talks via Bluetooth technology to each battery cell, assessing the health and needs of each segment of the battery set. Note the big power plug kept out of morning moisture (arrow). Such “fueling” is a new requirement for aircraft flying at Oshkosh, but the volunteers in the Ultralight Area handled it like old pros. Here’s more info.

eSpdyer wasn’t the only electric aircraft regularly flying at Oshkosh. Mark Bierle flew his eGull as he has for the last few years. This soft-spoken but brilliant designer has been hard at work on electric power for several years and may be one of the most innovative in trying new ideas. This year he had a particularly potent motor in the usual pusher configuration. reportedly delivering the equivalent of 55 horsepower, Mark’s lightweight, single place eGull zoomed into the sky with great enthusiasm. Since pilots seem to always vote for more rather than less power, I can imagine this could be a trend started by Bierle that might play out among other electric aircraft producers. One downside is that a bigger motor empties batteries quicker, but the same can be said about bigger gasoline engines burning more fuel yet that doesn’t appear to have reduced demand for bigger engines. Here’s more info.

As I wind up this quick tour of interesting stuff at Oshkosh, I have to pay a bit of tribute to one of our longtime aircraft suppliers, Quad City Ultralight Aircraft. This company has delivered more than 3,500 aircraft, every one of them very reasonably priced. They’re also all kit aircraft but it’s clear the building proposition hasn’t discouraged many from taking to the skies. Now, the company was able to trumpet its 30th anniversary and all the while the company has had the same leader, Dave Goulet. Congratulations to Dave and his team for a job well done over a long, long time. As if in honor of the company’s birthday, three of four AirVenture 2013 awards in the Ultralight category went to Challenger builders including LSA Grand Champion, Gold Lindy winner Mike Riley. Here’s more info.

Last but certainly not least in my mind was a salute to an old friend who sadly won’t be joining us anymore. Frank Beagle was for years the announcer for the Ultralight Area. His powerful bass voice could be heard throughout the public address system pretty much all day every day and he knew his light aircraft. So, it seems enormously fitting that the leaders and volunteers of this part of Oshkosh named the announcer’s stand “The Beagles Nest” complete with a large plaque to commemorate Frank’s decades of volunteer effort on behalf of light, recreational aviation. A dedicated ‘Dac (Pterodactyl ultralight) pilot, Frank was also a friend to me and many others so we can all take pleasure at seeing his name emblazoned on the side of the announcer’s stand. A tribute was also held for Frank during Oshkosh 2013.

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At the big show EAA likes to call the Summer Celebration of Flight, we rove the grounds seeking new airplanes, new engines or propulsion systems, new panel gear, updated models and more. In this very fast tour, we’ll zoom around AirVenture for a glance at some airplanes and components that caught our attention. In subsequent posts we’ll delve a bit more deeply into certain ideas we thought were novel. All photos accompanying this article are courtesy of Light Sport and Ultralight Flyer, producer of the 300+ videos you can find on this website. Rans showed off their new S-20 Raven. Those who thought designer and company boss Randy Schlitter got stuck on S-19 were wrong (it’s never wise to think he’s done designing). His new Raven combines elements of the S-6 and S-7, namely the side-by-side seating of the S-6, with the welded spaceframe and superwide door of the S-7.

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Final Newsbits Before AirVenture 2014 Starts

By Dan Johnson || Leave a Comment

Garmin’s new 7-inch G3X Touch paired with their 10.6-inch display.

Wheel and brake developer Beringer introduced this 4-inch wheel for smaller aircraft along with other new products.

Van’s Aircraft along with fully-built partner Synergy offers this new dual large screen Dynon panel.

Sam Aircraft is bringing this “X-ray view” Sam LS to AirVenture 2014 wherei it is sure to appear in many photos.

Garmin has a new smaller version of their very impressive G3X Touch. I examined this at Sun ‘n Fun when it was debuted in the 10-inch screen and came away highly impressed after two reviews on videos. For a billion-dollar company Garmin remains passionately inventive and surprisingly nimble. They keep the heat on now introducing a 7-inch G3X Touch display, described as “a high-resolution infrared touchscreen display designed for experimental amateur-built and Light-Sport Aircraft to compliments their existing 10.6-inch G3X Touch system.” Pilots and homebuilders concerned about instrument panel height and width constraints should be pleased to have the 7-inch option. All G3X Touch displays support Connext that allows wireless flight plan transfer between the company’s Garmin Pilot app on an iOS or select Android mobile device. “A well-equipped 7-inch G3X Touch system, which includes SVX, video input, a built-in WAAS GPS receiver, ADAHRS, magnetometer, OAT probe, interactive mapping and more, starts at $4,599,” said Garmin officials.

Beringer is another company that simply won’t slow down. Or, is that right? Honestly, Beringer people go to work every day literally trying to slow down, specifically to slow down your aircraft. The French wheel and brake maker with operations in the USA keeps its engineers working hard and has several new products ready for AirVenture 2014. One that caught my eye as it could work so well for smaller, lighter aircraft is their new 4-inch wheel. These small wheels that ought to work well for ultralights or in light LSA weigh only 39 ounces. Beringer said these are “powerful brakes with a single-piston caliper with sintered metal pads and floating disc.” They say maintenance is easier thanks to sealed ball bearing and no tire tube. The 4-inch wheel is appropriate for aircraft weighing 330 to 770 pounds. All Beringer products carry higher price tags to cover the advanced state of their technology and their finely finished hardware. The new wheels are $459 each for wheel, brake, and disc. • The company also offers a new 6-inch wheel for STOL and Light-Sport Aircraft that use a robust 1.5-inch axle that supports tundra tires. Of course, this is the same company with the excellent anti-groundloop tailwheel as discussed here.

Van’s Aircraft, their SLSA-building partner Synergy Air, and Dynon Avionics announced availability for a dual screen SkyView Touch option for the factory-built RV-12, available starting September 1st this year. “An option for twin large screens of Dynon’s touch-based system provides a larger view of mapping and the ability to share information across screens,” said Van’s Aircraft. “[This also offers] redundancy in the rare event that one of the screens fail.” Van’s added that the second large screen on the right side of the panel gives better access to flight information for passengers and copilots while improving the airplane as a platform for flight training. Van’s advises the second large screen costs only $4,545. “The base price of an RV-12 S-LSA remains at $115,000 [and] the fully equipped model with all available options, including dual screens, is now $128,845. See more at one of the two RV-12 exhibits at Oshkosh. Van’s and Synergy have aircraft at both the Van’s booth and the 10th Year Anniversary LSA Exhibit at show center. For more, visit the official RV-12 SLSA website. Dynon also announced availability of their new SkyView 11 software with more than “60 new features and improvements.” Video appearing on screen is one of these new upgrades.

Sam Aircraft’s Thierry Zibi seems to prepare well for airshows. He first used airshows to collect information from potential buyers so that he created an airplane with customer interest already developed. The result was a distinctive retro look that is unlike anything else in the LSA space, a sort of 1950s fighter appearance but with all the modern features. After getting Sam LS in the air this French Canadian entrepreneur made the rounds at all the top shows and succeeded at securing several good pilot reports including my article. To Oshkosh, he will bring a very distinctively decorated Sam LS that may remind alert observers of the similarly fetching exterior finish shown by the folks at Icon Aircraft at last year’s AirVenture.
Come see this unusual treatment at North Aircraft Display 626 where all the kit companies tend to cluster. Those not attending AirVenture (too bad, so sad) will surely see this airplane in many pictures taken by media people and passers by.

AirVenture 2014 is “Disneyland for Airplanes” and we can hardy wait for the event to start. Stay tuned for more … !

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Garmin has a new smaller version of their very impressive G3X Touch. I examined this at Sun ‘n Fun when it was debuted in the 10-inch screen and came away highly impressed after two reviews on videos. For a billion-dollar company Garmin remains passionately inventive and surprisingly nimble. They keep the heat on now introducing a 7-inch G3X Touch display, described as “a high-resolution infrared touchscreen display designed for experimental amateur-built and Light-Sport Aircraft to compliments their existing 10.6-inch G3X Touch system.” Pilots and homebuilders concerned about instrument panel height and width constraints should be pleased to have the 7-inch option. All G3X Touch displays support Connext that allows wireless flight plan transfer between the company’s Garmin Pilot app on an iOS or select Android mobile device. “A well-equipped 7-inch G3X Touch system, which includes SVX, video input, a built-in WAAS GPS receiver, ADAHRS, magnetometer, OAT probe, interactive mapping and more, starts at $4,599,” said Garmin officials.

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First Factory-Built Van’s RV-12 Delivered

By Dan Johnson || Leave a Comment

Note the Dick VansGrunsven “Signature Series” (arrow).

Forty years and more than 8,000 airplanes flying easily makes Van’s Aircraft the most prolific kit aircraft supplier in the history of aviation. Does anyone in flying not know about the RV-series? What everyone may not know (or remember) is that Van’s entered into a deal with Synergy Air to fully build an initial run of a dozen ready-to-fly RV-12s as they enter into the new and quite different realm of manufactured aircraft under the Light-Sport Aircraft rule. “We’re kind of taking it gradually into this new arena,” admitted company founder, Dick VanGrunsven as reported by our friends over at AVweb. Synergy Air is a well-established company providing instructional seminars, videos, and builder assistance to complete kit airplanes and is located at the Eugene, Oregon airport. Van’s noted that, “A total of twelve Signature Series airplanes have been completed or are under construction. All have been sold and are expected to be delivered to their new owners before the end of the year.”

On May 31st 2013 the first fly-away RV-12 went to customer George Longino. He traveled to Van’s Aircraft’s Aurora, Oregon, facility and accepted the key to his new Signature Series RV-12 Special LSA from VanGrunsven (photo). George will receive training from RV expert Mike Seager. Van’s provides training as part of the purchase price and Mike helped George get comfortable and proficient in his new airplane. Afterward the pair flew the airplane to its new home near Dallas, Texas. I flew with Mike three years ago and can attest to this man being at one with any RV. If you like, read my mini report on the Light-Sport RV. You can also check out a couple videos we’ve done on the RV-12 but it is genuinely exciting to see the SLSA version come to market. Another of the videos said Van’s didn’t expect to fully build but eventually they found a way. Of course, EAB or ELSA kit versions will also continue to be offered; Van’s reported earlier that more than 200 kit RV-12s were flying.

In another coup for Van’s Aircraft, Sporty’s Pilot Shop announced that they’ll give away an RV-12 in their next year’s Sweepstakes. The big mail order house announced that on May 17, 2014, a Sporty’s customer will win an RV-12 equipped with two-axis autopilot, Dynon Skyview glass panel including ADS-B, custom interior lighting, and wheel fairings. So, if you need some pilot gear and don’t want to buy your own SLSA, you can get more info about a chance to win a free RV-12 in the company’s Sweepstakes contest. Although Sporty’s warmed up slowly to the Light-Sport Aircraft category, they’ve taken quite a shine to them for prizes. In 2013, the Batavia, Ohio outfit gave away a Legend Cub and in 2010 Sporty’s awarded a Skycatcher to a lucky customer. In addition EAA and AOPA have used LSA as sweepstakes airplanes.

When the RV-12 was announced at AOPA in Palm Springs last year, Van’s offered a base introductory price of $105,000 including a carbureted Rotax 912ULS engine, Dynon Skyview, Garmin SL-40 radio, Flightcom stereo intercom, 406Mhz ELT, Flightline interior, and LED lighting for night flight. The first 12 RV-12s are all “Signature Edition” models and include a fuller option set including wheelpants, ADS-B equipment, a two-axis autopilot, premium paint finishes, and Oregon Aero seats and interior for an introductory price of $115,000.

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Forty years and more than 8,000 airplanes flying easily makes Van’s Aircraft the most prolific kit aircraft supplier in the history of aviation. Does anyone in flying not know about the RV-series? What everyone may not know (or remember) is that Van’s entered into a deal with Synergy Air to fully build an initial run of a dozen ready-to-fly RV-12s as they enter into the new and quite different realm of manufactured aircraft under the Light-Sport Aircraft rule. “We’re kind of taking it gradually into this new arena,” admitted company founder, Dick VanGrunsven as reported by our friends over at AVweb. Synergy Air is a well-established company providing instructional seminars, videos, and builder assistance to complete kit airplanes and is located at the Eugene, Oregon airport. Van’s noted that, “A total of twelve Signature Series airplanes have been completed or are under construction. All have been sold and are expected to be delivered to their new owners before the end of the year.” On May 31st 2013 the first fly-away RV-12 went to customer George Longino.

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RV-12s, Hot Off The Griddle!

By James Lawrence || Leave a Comment

The lovely Vans RV-12. photo courtesy Vans Aircraft

Imagine one of these in your hangar.

Clean, tidy panel, a mainstay of RV designs.

Dawn patrol!

Put on them bibs, pardners, if you’ve got an appetite for one of the tastiest SLSA out there. Last year, Van’s Aircraft came out with its Signature Series, an even dozen fully built SLSA. They were assembled by Van’s kit builder support company Synergy Air of Eugene, Oregon. Now I’m not trying to set you up for a fall, but even though the company did just announce another 12 RV-12 batch, priced at $123,000 each (loaded), the odds are reasonable that by the time you read this, they’ll be gone too. My apologies for bringing good, then potentially bad news.

My pessimism derives from the last batch. See, they were snapped up so quick that the next 50 or so eager customers on the list — with checks in hand — were turned away. By the way, that $123,000 sticker includes ADS-B, two-axis autopilot, wheel pants, and premium paint schemes with pinstripe. The base model goes for $115,000. Don’t mope around just yet though: just in case there are some left, and you want one of the most spiffy, beautifully handling, comfortable low wing sport planes out there, don’t hesitate to contact Van’s … and have a $5,000 deposit ready to go just in case so nobody cuts ahead of you in line.

The Signature models came with all the available options Van’s carries installed, and in only one paint scheme. The new batch has seven paint schemes and buyers can choose whatever options they want, including Dynon SkyView avionics, LED lighting, and more. Van’s says its small batch approach is their plan for maintaining good service and providing accurate — and short — delivery dates — a major challenge of just about every aviation company that’s ever existed. Synergy Air meanwhile is a powerhouse company in its own right. The RV kit builder training center was formed by a band of successful previous builders and offers all kinds of video help online too, along with personal hands-on support for kit buyers who can come to Eugene. I used to live in Eugene, a fun college town.

Synergy Air-built aircraft have won a lot of major awards at airshows. Sounds like a good time for builders. If I had the bucks I’d be there in a hot second. I started an early Kitfox kit in 1984. But while I had help from friends old and new who would drop by the hangar intermittently, I had my fair share of problems, chief of which was my out-of-control perfectionism! A couple parts were out of spec too, which needed factory help to correct. End of story: that 400-hour kit became a 1,750-hour experience. Of course, those first kits back in the mid-80s have come a long, long way. I hasten to add in the intervening 25 years, Kitfox in particular has really gotten its act together. I hear the kits today are fabulous and a lot easier to build than mine was. If I’d had a place like Synergy to go to, I’m sure I would’ve whipped that puppy out in six months or less. Nonetheless, building an airplane is an unforgettable experience. I recommend it to anyone who likes to work with their hands.

Synergy Air is quick to let people know that builders who go there shouldn’t expect to have a kit built for them. Their operating philosophy is “to help builders learn strategies, techniques and skills” so they can build their own aircraft with confidence while having a lot of fun, and of course avoiding a lot of the pitfalls to which first-timers inevitably fall prey.

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Put on them bibs, pardners, if you’ve got an appetite for one of the tastiest SLSA out there. Last year, Van’s Aircraft came out with its Signature Series, an even dozen fully built SLSA. They were assembled by Van’s kit builder support company Synergy Air of Eugene, Oregon. Now I’m not trying to set you up for a fall, but even though the company did just announce another 12 RV-12 batch, priced at $123,000 each (loaded), the odds are reasonable that by the time you read this, they’ll be gone too. My apologies for bringing good, then potentially bad news. My pessimism derives from the last batch. See, they were snapped up so quick that the next 50 or so eager customers on the list — with checks in hand — were turned away. By the way, that $123,000 sticker includes ADS-B, two-axis autopilot, wheel pants, and premium paint schemes with pinstripe.

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Crumple Zones Coming to Light Aircraft

By Dan Johnson || Leave a Comment

Flight Design’s coming C4 four seater; it will fly in fall 2014.

More LSA producers are getting involved with what might be called LSA 4.0.

For more than 100 years, cars have had accidents and if they were severe enough, the results were poor (photo). This was long before seat belts, airbags, breakaway steering columns, padded dashboards, and many other features we take for granted today. It was also before the concept of crumple zones. Typically, crumple zones are located in the front part of the vehicle to absorb the impact of a head-on collision because 65% of crashes are frontal impacts, according to a British study. Crumple zones accomplish two safety goals: They reduce the initial force of the crash; and they redistribute the force before it reaches the vehicle’s occupants.This idea has been around more than 60 years and has become standard in the modern era of passenger car design. One of the first examples of crumple zone research is coming from Mercedes-Benz in the mid-1950s, so perhaps it is fitting that some of the first crumple zone technology to be applied to light aircraft has the sponsorship of the German government along with German industry players.

German aircraft producer Flight Design, which most readers recognize as one of the leading companies in manufacturing Light-Sport Aircraft, is deep into development of their new four seater, called the C4. This is one of a flock of what I’ve called the “New GA,” and what my journalist friend Marino Boric calls “LSA 4.0.” (I like his phrase and will probably adopt it as this website delves deeper into such emerging aircraft.) Flight Design has teamed up with a group of German companies and government entities in creating the first edition of crumple zone methods for light planes. “We are pioneering a new safety technology,” noted company technical director Oliver Reinhardt at a press conference at AirVenture 2014. Flight Design USA, the German producer’s importer for North America, has long supported safety technologies, for example, choosing to install BRS airframe parachutes as standard equipment in their CT line of LSA. Oliver stated that the C4 is the “Lead User” as they strive to create what Flight Design calls the “Occupant Protective Safety Box.” The company will enter into full-scale testing this year. Their C4 will fly in a month or so and expects to arrive on the market in the next couple years.

Crumple zones are areas of a vehicle that are designed to deform and crumple in a collision. This absorbs some of the energy of the impact, preventing it from being transmitted to the occupants. According to HowStuffWorks, “Simple designs can include frame segments built to bend in certain areas or collapse onto themselves. More advanced designs can utilize a variety of metals and other materials carefully engineered to absorb as much kinetic energy as possible. High-performance cars often use a honeycomb design, which offers stiffness under normal conditions, but can collapse and crumple in a crash.” In airplanes, the ideas are similar but airplane designs do not have the luxury of adding much weight to meet the crash forces. While cars also strive for lightness — consider Ford’s new aluminum body F150 — airplanes must stay on a strict weight diet. Most pilots will be interested to know this will not be proprietary to Flight Design, as Mercedes Benz attempted with patents back in the ’50s.

Flight Design has worked in concert with the German government and many leading technical groups to create a “Safety Box” system to protect occupants. While Flight Design is the lead airframe provider for the concept, the methods discovered will be made available to all brands. Once techniques have been evaluated and proven to add safety values, all LSA and LSA 4.0 producers will have access to the study and testing. Flight Design may have it first due to their industry collaboration but company officials agreed with design team members this is too important to try to keep private. • I wish to observe that other aircraft currently use elements of impact design. Even the ultralight CGS Hawk and lightplanes such as Belite have well conceived structures that helped pilots survive crashes yet to my knowledge no comprehensive study has been undertaken. As Flight Design and their partners move forward, I will look to update this introduction to crumple zones for airplanes.

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For more than 100 years, cars have had accidents and if they were severe enough, the results were poor (photo). This was long before seat belts, airbags, breakaway steering columns, padded dashboards, and many other features we take for granted today. It was also before the concept of crumple zones. Typically, crumple zones are located in the front part of the vehicle to absorb the impact of a head-on collision because 65% of crashes are frontal impacts, according to a British study. Crumple zones accomplish two safety goals: They reduce the initial force of the crash; and they redistribute the force before it reaches the vehicle’s occupants.This idea has been around more than 60 years and has become standard in the modern era of passenger car design. One of the first examples of crumple zone research is coming from Mercedes-Benz in the mid-1950s, so perhaps it is fitting that some of the first crumple zone technology to be applied to light aircraft has the sponsorship of the German government along with German industry players.

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Is This the “New GA?” … LSA Four Seaters

By Dan Johnson || 2 Comments

The Airplane Factory is flying the Sling 4.

Flight Design will fly its C4 this summer.

Tecnam is progressing fast with the P2010; it has been flying for months.

Alpi Aviation offered their Century 400 with retractable gear at Aero 2014.

Slovenia’sC2P company showed their handsome One Aircraft creation at Aero.

Something of a stealth invasion is beginning. I refer to an emerging flock of four seat Light-Sport Aircraft. Of course, most readers are aware that no such birds exist as LSA (in the FAA’s code, anyway). By U.S. regulation Light-Sport are two seat aircraft. Other nations have some different ideas. For now, suffice it to say the “LSA 4s” — as I choose to call them for this article — are on final. In the past I’ve written about Evektor’s Cobra, one of the first in this group, arriving so early that you probably would not call it a “LSA-like” airplane. The southern Czech company enjoyed success with their SportStar and Harmony, smaller siblings to a four seater they flew several years ago. After Evektor (coincidentally also the very first LSA to be approved), we began to hear about Flight Design’s C4 modeled on their LSA market-leading CT series. Another was the Tecnam P2010 that looks like their gorgeous P2008 LSA grew up a bit. Tecnam is flying their P2010 and Flight Design expects to fly their C4 before AirVenture 2014. Similarly, Pipistrel is flying their Panthera.

Those four well known LSA producers are not alone. Another you know is the Sling LSA, a sharp two seater from South African producer The Airplane Factory. However, this fairly new company (whose principals have a long history under other names) has also flown their four seat Sling 4 not just around the test area but around the entire globe (see video at end). Recently The Airplane Factory USA announced the arrival of the first Sling 4 kits, earning them the cover of Kitplanes magazine. “That’s likely not the end of this developing story. Among American builders, one wonders with the success of the RV-12 (hundreds of kits already underway and a growing number of fully-built SLSA versions following), could Van’s Aircraft consider making the RV-10 four seater under the new industry consensus method? They certainly could; it seems only a question of will and financing.

The emergence of these four seaters may be made enormously more practical by the creation of industry consensus standards for FAA Type Certified airplanes. The effort is aimed at reducing the cost of complying with government certification. This topic is pretty dull reading, I realize, but the pocketbook implications are immense. Do you wonder why the one-time $130,000 Cirrus SR20 four seater now can run well over $800,000 (albeit as a sophisticated, turbocharged five-seater in deluxe form)? To understand, you need look no further than the “$8,000 angle of attack indicator.” This poster child instrument was held up by GAMA as the reason Part 23 aircraft development is so ponderous; any change to a Type Certified aircraft means lots of new expense … so the aircraft improve slower than technology evolves. GAMA’s pushing highlighted the problem to FAA and the agency responding by adopting a new mantra: “Twice the safety at half the cost.” An AoA cost $8 grand in a GA aircraft while it is only $800 in an Experimental, said GAMA. They may not have known an AoA costs only about $200 in a Light-Sport. New ideas about upgraded instrument panels were part of Flight Design‘s C4 announcements: they’ll use a mix of TSO-approved instruments and non-TSO. This and more is possible under the new ASTM F44 industry consensus standards being prepared. This work is well underway; aircraft could be flying under these new rules in a few years.

Behind the regulatory or consensus standards curtain more important things are happening. Some of these four seaters will be built in the USA. It’s true. The light aviation industry may be “importing” (more accurately, preserving U.S.) jobs in contrast to what the media yelps about all the time … “We’re exporting jobs overseas!” is a common lament of journalists and politicians. So, Tecnam made a splash at Sun ‘n Fun 2014 with their announcement of a large new facility at the Sebring, Florida airport. They stated plans to be considering manufacturing at this facility. Flight Design told journalists at press conferences that they plan to assemble and eventually fully build their C4 (and CTLS Light-Sport) in Vermont. Recently I learned that The Airplane Factory is studying possible U.S. production, although at present the Sling 4 is available only as a kit. I am also aware of a couple other LSA designs that have four seat potential as an essential design element. That’s nothing new as the Jabiru J230 LSA is essentially a four seat model with the rear seats removed and the Paradise P1 is presently a four seater in Brazil formerly sold in the USA as a roomy two seat LSA. While we wait on the FAA-certifiable four seaters, Europe is already building some 2+2 models with compact rear seats (photos).

Does this article mean ByDanJohnson.com is going to start covering four seat aircraft? Well, no and yes. No, in the sense that we remain fully focused on Light-Sport, light kits, and ultralights. Yet as these “LSA 4s” begin to hit the market, yes, I fully intend to keep a close eye on them. One good reason is that companies like Evektor, Flight Design, Tecnam, Pipistrel, and The Airplane Factory can become more solid businesses with a full line of aircraft. All have confirmed they plan to continue making LSA but their enterprise will be better able to support LSA buyers if their overall business is on more solid footing. At the ten year anniversary of LSA, with a building wave of some very impressive LSA seaplanes and more land planes, yet while single seat ultralight vehicles are also finding a more secure niche, we have still another front headed our way. We’ll work to keep you informed about LSA 4s as they develop.

TAF main man Mike Blythe and his partners are exemplary long distance pilots and entertaining film makers. You may enjoying watching this report on their circumnavigation flight.

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Something of a stealth invasion is beginning. I refer to an emerging flock of four seat Light-Sport Aircraft. Of course, most readers are aware that no such birds exist as LSA (in the FAA’s code, anyway). By U.S. regulation Light-Sport are two seat aircraft. Other nations have some different ideas. For now, suffice it to say the “LSA 4s” — as I choose to call them for this article — are on final. In the past I’ve written about Evektor’s Cobra, one of the first in this group, arriving so early that you probably would not call it a “LSA-like” airplane. The southern Czech company enjoyed success with their SportStar and Harmony, smaller siblings to a four seater they flew several years ago. After Evektor (coincidentally also the very first LSA to be approved), we began to hear about Flight Design’s C4 modeled on their LSA market-leading CT series.

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Carbon Composite Part 103 Glider / Motorglider

By Dan Johnson || 3 Comments

all photos courtesy of Radek Hucik

Sailplanes line up for launch in the usual pattern of such events. The tidy assembly permits the fastest towing of gliders so that all gain the benefit of good soaring conditions. Saggita appears closest to the camera.

For your weekend enjoyment — and because I am a soaring enthusiast … plus I was sent some interesting photos — consider this slick Part 103 glider, or motorglider (photo). Radek Hucik sent photos of the aircraft performing at a Czech soaring content, where it placed 12th out of 34 competitors. Considering most of the others appear to be conventional sailplanes, one that meets Part 103 at much less weight did well. A high end sailplane can hit or exceed a 50:1 glide angle. This is an amazing performance mark, which translates to flying nearly ten miles from only 1,000 feet of altitude. The XS-12 Saggita manages 35:1 (more specs below) and that is a noteworthy achievement for such a light aircraft. Radek wrote, “[This is] a powered glider that my colleagues and I have developed over the past 20 months. The glider is designed so that it meets Federal Aviation Regulations Part 103 [for] Ultralight Vehicles. As the photos show, Saggita can be powered or unpowered. A self-launching sailplane has some independence that an unpowered glider does not have. Normally they are air towed in the USA and often winch towed in Europe.

Radek continued, “I have been involved in designing and building composite fuselages and other parts for various ultralight aircraft for over 20 years. I have built the motorized glider Sagitta with my colleague Vadimir Duchacek. Static and flight tests were performed by LAA inspector Milos Dedera, one of the best glider pilots in the Czech Republic. The glider exhibits stable behavior even at a stall speed of 45 km/h (28 mph), and the rudder is effective at this speed.” Radek later added, “To safely meet the stall speed of 24 knots (45 km/h or 28 mph) at maximum takeoff weight of 230 kilograms (507 pounds) span will be increased to 12 meters (39 feet), wing area to 9 square meters (97 square feet).” Landing speed is 50 km/h (31 mph) without flaps reports Radek and descent speed at 90 km/h 56 mph) is 0.6 m/s (a 140 foot per minute sink rate). To learn more about this Part 103 glider / motorglider, contact Radek by email.

Saggita’s tail wheel is built into the rudder. With a mounted wheel near the winglet, the aircraft will be able to taxi around an airfield from hangar to runway and execute turns with a radius of six meters (less than 20 feet). “The engine can be fastened in front of the vertical tail area and aerodynamically shielded to achieve the least resistance,” said Radek. Alternatively an engine can be configured to emerge or be hidden in the fuselage. “Our effort to build a clean aerodynamic aircraft is also motivated by the possibility to adopt electric power,” he added. “This aircraft should reach its maximum flying performance with low energy consumption” … the holy grail of the electric aircraft movement today. Following are additional specifications for Saggita:

Wing span — 11 meters / 35.75 feet (See change above to 12 meters)
Length — 5.8 meters / 18.85 feet
Wing Area — 8 square meters / 86 square feet (Changing to 97 square meters)
Empty Weight — 115 kilograms / 253.5 pounds
Gross Weight — 230 kilograms / 507 pounds
Max Speed — 150 km/h / 94 mph
Stall Speed — 45 km/h / 28 mph
Glide Angle — 35:1
Minimum Sink Rate — 0.6 meters/second / 140 fpm
Powered Climb — 2.0 meters/second / 390 fpm
Fuel (in wings) — 19 liters / 5 gallons

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For your weekend enjoyment — and because I am a soaring enthusiast … plus I was sent some interesting photos — consider this slick Part 103 glider, or motorglider (photo). Radek Hucik sent photos of the aircraft performing at a Czech soaring content, where it placed 12th out of 34 competitors. Considering most of the others appear to be conventional sailplanes, one that meets Part 103 at much less weight did well. A high end sailplane can hit or exceed a 50:1 glide angle. This is an amazing performance mark, which translates to flying nearly ten miles from only 1,000 feet of altitude. The XS-12 Saggita manages 35:1 (more specs below) and that is a noteworthy achievement for such a light aircraft. Radek wrote, “[This is] a powered glider that my colleagues and I have developed over the past 20 months. The glider is designed so that it meets Federal Aviation Regulations Part 103 [for] Ultralight Vehicles.

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Post-AirVenture 2014 News Review

By Dan Johnson || Leave a Comment

MVP.aero‘s new LSA seaplane was a great draw to EAA’s 10th Year Celebration of Sport Pilot & Light-Sport Aircraft. Watch for more details and a video on MVP soon.

More than 2,500 people had some hand in building this Zenith CH-750 in a single week of AirVenture 2014. The aircraft flew shortly after the show ended. photo courtesy EAA

Tecnam enjoyed a strong show of sales as did several other vendors in what appears to be a much-improved 2014 market.

SuperSTOL pilot and designer, Troy Woodland, was honored at AirVenture 2014. photo courtesy Just Aircraft

The largest directory of all the world’s light aircraft is out with a fresh edition.

Summer’s big show is over and most aviation business folks are back home having that love/hate affair with email that piled up while we worked the event. On whole, the success story is strong. Airplanes sold, crowds were good, accidents were few, and the weather was not smoking hot like it has been in years past (though brief rain showers kept folks dashing for cover on occasion). EAA says attendance was up from last year, that the numbers of airplanes was higher, and that campgrounds reached capacity by midweek. EAA’s special 10th Anniversary of Sport Pilot/Light-Sport Aircraft Exhibit drew well all week with 17 aircraft representing all sectors within the SP/LSA space. Visitors could hardly miss the wonderfully central space AirVenture planners offered for this one-year display. With the front corners presenting a bright green Van’s RV-12 plus the freshly debuted MVP seaplane attendees were practically compelled to wander the space and see all the flying machines.

Big Light-Sport and general aviation aircraft producer Tecnam reported good sales success at AirVenture Oshkosh following on their strong performance at Sun ‘n Fun when they also announced their U.S. base at the Sebring, Florida airport. Tecnam said they processed three orders for their Twin multiengine trainer and sold two P2008 and one G5 Eaglet Light-Sport aircraft. Officials from the Italian company noted especially strong interest in their new P2010 four seater in development under EASA and U.S. Part 23 rules. They forecast a product debut for the American market in the “near future.” Twenty Ten’s large cabin, front and rear passenger doors and comfortable interior along with Garmin avionic packages should interest many GA pilots thinking of something newer than their aging legacy models. ••• We didn’t survey vendors about sales at the show but generally heard 2014 is a markedly improved year and we conducted about 40 new video interviews with many company leaders. One of those regarded the Bushcat on floats. Their folks reported two ready-to-fly LSA models and a kit sold at the event.

Just Aircraft continued to turn heads and drop jaws with their impressive SuperSTOL’s amazing performance. The company reported that partner and key designer Troy Woodland (photo) was selected by the EAA for the prestigious August Raspet Award in 2014. This honor is given annually to an individual who has made a significant contribution to the field of light aircraft design. “Woodland began designing in the 1990s, but it was his SuperSTOL that set him apart as he explored new technology in the design,” said Just. SuperSTOL features self-adjusting slats on the leading edge of the wings, Fowler flaps, hydraulic strut landing gear with more than 20 inches of stroke, and a locking, shock-absorbing tail wheel. Troy is currently in the process of refining spoilers that deploy with the ailerons to increase roll response, especially at very slow speeds. The SuperSTOL also include tundra tires to cushion landings at very high angles of attack. Woodland follows earlier winners such as Curtiss Pitts, Burt Rutan, Dick VanGrunsven, and Pipistrel. “It took a while for the meaning of the award to sink in,” said Woodland, “but then I realized that I’m joining a very exclusive club and it is truly a humbling experience.” Troy refers to the tough, bush-capable SuperSTOL as his “creative effort toward making airports optional.” Congratulations, Troy!

Plenty of Light-Sport enthusiasts who attend airshows have come to know a man in a blur of motion: Willi Tacke. A German with a quick smile and seemingly boundless energy is a magazine impresario for the light aircraft set. He publishes several magazines and does so for English-speaking markets along with editions for French, German, and Chinese enthusiasts. At AirVenture 2014, some of us saw the first copy of the World Directory of Light Aviation 2014/2015 (WDLA). This thick publication with 268 full-color pages provides images, descriptions and technical data for more than 1,000 aircraft including ultralights, microlights, LSA, gyrocopter, ultralight helicopters, certified aircraft, kit aircraft, weight shift trikes, gliders, motor-gliders, instruments, engines, propellers, and accessories. Readers can find addresses of manufacturers, importers, associations, flight schools, and more; several indexes help you sift through the mass of information. WDLA is published in four languages: English, French, German and Chinese. You can buy it through shops in many countries and by mail order; find out more at Flying Pages shop.

Stay tuned for more AirVenture 2014 news …

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Summer’s big show is over and most aviation business folks are back home having that love/hate affair with email that piled up while we worked the event. On whole, the success story is strong. Airplanes sold, crowds were good, accidents were few, and the weather was not smoking hot like it has been in years past (though brief rain showers kept folks dashing for cover on occasion). EAA says attendance was up from last year, that the numbers of airplanes was higher, and that campgrounds reached capacity by midweek. EAA’s special 10th Anniversary of Sport Pilot/Light-Sport Aircraft Exhibit drew well all week with 17 aircraft representing all sectors within the SP/LSA space. Visitors could hardly miss the wonderfully central space AirVenture planners offered for this one-year display. With the front corners presenting a bright green Van’s RV-12 plus the freshly debuted MVP seaplane attendees were practically compelled to wander the space and see all the flying machines.

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Affordable EMG … Electric Motor Glider

By Dan Johnson || 4 Comments

Electric Motor Glider in prototype form with its “sustainer” motor showing at the rear of the cockpit enclosure (detail photo below).

EMG prototype’s “sustainer” electric motor is used after tow launch from a ground vehicle.

EMG is a mix of customer fabricated aluminum box-and-truss plus part from kitbuilder, Quicksilver Aeronautics.

Carol Carpenter sits in the front of Adventure Aircraft’s two seat Experimental Amateur Built model in development. It will use two electric motors (details in article).

Update 8/8/14 — See our video interview about EMG at the end. An unpowered EMG — or Electric Motor Glider — from Adventure Aircraft has already taken 400 flights; it has also been fitted with a small electric motor … complete with carbon folding prop. A new Experimental Amateur Built (EAB) two seater is now taking shape and both variations were on exhibit at AirVenture 2014 in the newly named Fun Fly Zone (formerly Ultralight Area). EMG’s spark is provided by the dynamic duo of Brian and Carol Carpenter of Rainbow Aviation, well known for their LSA maintenance courses including the LSR-M (Light-Sport Repairman Maintenance) credential that has prepared many mechanics to do serious work on the growing fleet of LSA. EMG builder Adventure Aircraft is a subsidiary of Rainbow. Evidently this hard working pair aren’t fond of wasting many hours with something so mundane as sleep because the project is unfolding quite swiftly. Their vigorous pace to propel EMG’s future success depends to a significant degree on parallel development of new technologies, primarily battery development.

EMG development has become more visible in the last year after taking its first flight in December 2013. Early flights were conducted as a glider towed up by a Honda Quad Runner. EMG’s gross weight is designed at 750 pounds to allow for several variations on the theme. For example, EMG can be built as a compliant Part 103 ultralight vehicle and later converted to an EAB, creator Brian Carpenter explained. Both Part 103 and EAB versions can be operated with multiple electric motors — a much less complex proposition than using multiple liquid fuel engines. A glider pilot can fly EMG solo as an EAB with multiple electric motors without needing a multiengine rating or a medical, according to Adventure Aircraft. EMG offers folding wings and tail and has a single large shock-absorbing centerline wheel. The removable “training wheels” use three quick-release pins that need only 30 seconds to remove. Such standard gear is useful for training and when maneuvering the aircraft with its wings folded. EMG is equipped with full-span flaperons that extend 30 degrees down and 8 degrees upward in what’s known in the sailplane world as “reflex.” Manual elevator trim helps the pilot adjust stick pressures though Brian reports EMG exhibits very stable and forgiving flight qualities.

If parts of the EMG look vaguely familiar to you, good eye! Adventure Aircraft is collaborating with Quicksilver Aeronautics on the manufacturing of EMG. “Wing covers are built by Quicksilver and we are obtaining many parts from them,” said Brian. He explained that his enterprise has been representatives for the iconic Southern California company for many years and the new management of the company led by President Will Escutia has become a willing partner as Adventure gets ever closer to production of the EMG. Quicksilver is rapidly strengthening and serious player with a new SLSA model, growing U.S. and international distribution, and diversity represented by the connection with Adventure Aircraft and EMG. Quicksilver supplies numerous hardware components to Adventure, with tubing in their signature blue anodizing and the longtime kit producer builds wing coverings using sewn Dacron similar to that used on their powered aircraft line.

“Theoretical flight of three hours are possible with current technology,” forecast Brian (emphasis ours). The next, two seat prototype will be flown with two 20-horsepower Predator 37 motors from Plettenburg of Germany while the original proof-of-concept prototype seen at AirVenture 2014 had a single “sustainer” motor emerging at the rear (photo). Video on Adventure Aircraft shows this aircraft in operation. “Motors, controllers, batteries, and props are all off-the-shelf components of the giant-scale RC aircraft industry,” said Brian. The airframe is a unique, new creation. Keep up with the development by following Brian’s often updated progress blog.

If you are as enthusiastic as I’ve become and want to consider purchase, what will an EMG set you back? Adventure Aircraft lists a Part 103 or Experimental Amateur Built Fast Build Kit for $16,000 before the electric propulsion system. If you can do “some welding,” EMG is even more affordable at $12,000. As Brian explained in our video interview, “While you build the kit in preparation for electric power, the state of technology will continue to advance.” Components like batteries are going through intense development and as with computer technology, the longer you wait the better — and cheaper — it gets, so why buy those elements until you are ready for them? If you want to check out the kit effort before diving in, Adventure will sell plans for $300 and you can upgrade from that point.

Watch our video with Brian Carpenter, developer of EMG Electric Motor Glider:

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Update 8/8/14 — See our video interview about EMG at the end. An unpowered EMG — or Electric Motor Glider — from Adventure Aircraft has already taken 400 flights; it has also been fitted with a small electric motor … complete with carbon folding prop. A new Experimental Amateur Built (EAB) two seater is now taking shape and both variations were on exhibit at AirVenture 2014 in the newly named Fun Fly Zone (formerly Ultralight Area). EMG’s spark is provided by the dynamic duo of Brian and Carol Carpenter of Rainbow Aviation, well known for their LSA maintenance courses including the LSR-M (Light-Sport Repairman Maintenance) credential that has prepared many mechanics to do serious work on the growing fleet of LSA. EMG builder Adventure Aircraft is a subsidiary of Rainbow. Evidently this hard working pair aren’t fond of wasting many hours with something so mundane as sleep because the project is unfolding quite swiftly.

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Glasair Shows Merlin Mockup; Will Build MVP

By Dan Johnson || Leave a Comment

Although not previously known for any involvement in the Light-Sport space, longtime kit aircraft producer Glasair Aviation is jumping in assertively for 2014. At Sun ‘n Fun, the Arlington, Washington company debuted their Merlin and to AirVenture 2014 they brought a full-size mockup. They also participated in the standing-room-only press briefing for the new MVP.aero seaplane. Why? Because Glasair will be one of two initial build locations, handling the Western states while Port Orange, Florida-based Fibercraft will produce for Eastern states. I’ll offer more on the MVP arrangements in another report on that header-turner design unveiled at AirVenture. Yet this association means Glasair will go from no presence in LSA to taking a significant position in short order. MVP production won’t start for more than a year, but Glasair’s Merlin project is ambitiously aiming to hit the market in 2014, according president Nigel Moll. Glasair is famous for the their flagship Glasair II and III, speedsters of the sky in the Experimental Amateur Built category and for their well regarded Sportsmen two seater. Besides the Merlin, Glasair has other new projects such as offering the Centurion diesel engine in their Sportsman and all this flurry of activity is a benefit of their new Chinese owners, Jilin Hanxing Group.

The mockup at AirVenture 2014 didn’t have any installed but Glasair is planning upward swinging gull-wing doors. It already sports a control stick that significantly resembles a similar system employed in Cessna’s now retired SkyCatcher. This design choice keeps a stick from arising out of the floor, which makes entry easier for occupants and a 46.5-inch cabin nearly matches the widest cockpits among LSA. Merlin’s panel setup was beautifully done as were its seats and general interior finish. The panel can hold dual Dynon 10-inch SKyView Touch screens (a single screen is standard) and is angled inward on facets on each side to make switches or instruments more accessible and readable to the pilot or passenger. Glasair will install the new Rotax 912 iS, said Moll. He stated that Merlin will sell for around $150,000 to include many items that are optional on many LSA. Indeed, Nigel said that the only options are a second SkyView Touch screen with an autopilot for an additional $10,000 and a parachute, which would also add approximately $10,000 to the purchase price. While other LSA are similarly equipped for about the same price, Glasair can benefit from its established position in the homebuilt community where it is well known. Merlin will be offered ready-to-fly, for the first time in its history broadening the company’s product line beyond kit aircraft.

Leading specifications promoted by Glasair for the Merlin include stall speed 39 knots, cruise speed 105 knots, and useful load 530 pounds. The company forecasts a top speed of 120 knots, maximum takeoff weight of 1320 pounds, empty weight of 790 pounds, wing span of 31 feet 9 inches, wing area of 132 square feet, length 21 feet 8 inches, height 8 feet 8 inches, baggage capacity of 50 pounds, and fuel on board of 24 gallons. With the Rotax 912 iS, that much fuel could give endurance of six hours with no reserve or a range of close to 650 nautical miles. I think it may be somewhat challenging to get to market in 2014 since the model has not flown yet and still needs to go through the ASTM standards plus successfully complete an FAA audit likely required as Merlin is a new model yet Glasair has a lot of experience to bring to bear and has adequate funding thanks to its Chinese ownership. While it shares a familiar name, Glasair’s Merlin does not resemble an earlier Merlin offered out of Canada. Nigel confirmed this Merlin has nothing to do with the long gone entry from our neighbors to the north. As Glasair continues their entry to the LSA space with Merlin first and MVP later, I’ll keep a close eye on this western company. We shot a video with Nigel at AirVenture; watch for it in the next couple months as our video partner is able to complete the editing for this and dozens of new videos we are capturing at AirVenture 2014.

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Although not previously known for any involvement in the Light-Sport space, longtime kit aircraft producer Glasair Aviation is jumping in assertively for 2014. At Sun ‘n Fun, the Arlington, Washington company debuted their Merlin and to AirVenture 2014 they brought a full-size mockup. They also participated in the standing-room-only press briefing for the new MVP.aero seaplane. Why? Because Glasair will be one of two initial build locations, handling the Western states while Port Orange, Florida-based Fibercraft will produce for Eastern states. I’ll offer more on the MVP arrangements in another report on that header-turner design unveiled at AirVenture. Yet this association means Glasair will go from no presence in LSA to taking a significant position in short order. MVP production won’t start for more than a year, but Glasair’s Merlin project is ambitiously aiming to hit the market in 2014, according president Nigel Moll. Glasair is famous for the their flagship Glasair II and III, speedsters of the sky in the Experimental Amateur Built category and for their well regarded Sportsmen two seater.

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MVP.aero…Photos and Art of a Versatile New LSA

By Dan Johnson || Leave a Comment

MVP.Aero’s main men (before they had a chance to change into their press conference logowear): Mike Van Staaggen (L), Darrell Lynds, Mike Lynds, and Steve Pugh.

A standing room only crowd just walked out of the pre-opening Sunday press conference held by the MVP.aero folks. This airplane has been in the works for many months but principals have done a masterful job of what might be called the “Apple approach.” The giant iDevice maker jealously guards their press announcements and does well considering how many folks would love to blow their cover and tell the world what Apple plans before the company does. Kudos to MVP.aero (yes, that’s the name of their company) … it was founded by a father and son team of software experts and they clearly know how to play that game; they kept their secret very well. To bring you the fastest breaking news, what follows is a series of photos. I look forward to fleshing out the story as time moves forward, but for this post, the pictures are worth more than thousands of words. So look and enjoy; stay tuned for more as Oshkosh kicks off. • Oh, one more thought about MVP.aero at AirVenture 2014. While waiting for the press briefing to start, I overheard some journalists talking. These were folks who report on the heavy iron, King Airs, Embraer bizjets, and such. Yet they agreed between themselves and declared, “That aircraft outside, that new LSA seaplane, is probably the hit of the show.” They gave the emphasis and again, these were folks who don’t usually cover light aircraft. Of course, their view is subjective, but I found it interesting, and well … you judge for yourself and see if the Most Versatile Plane meets qualifies as a hit.

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A standing room only crowd just walked out of the pre-opening Sunday press conference held by the MVP.aero folks. This airplane has been in the works for many months but principals have done a masterful job of what might be called the “Apple approach.” The giant iDevice maker jealously guards their press announcements and does well considering how many folks would love to blow their cover and tell the world what Apple plans before the company does. Kudos to MVP.aero (yes, that’s the name of their company) … it was founded by a father and son team of software experts and they clearly know how to play that game; they kept their secret very well. To bring you the fastest breaking news, what follows is a series of photos. I look forward to fleshing out the story as time moves forward, but for this post, the pictures are worth more than thousands of words.

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First Searey Amphib Flight School & Design News

By Dan Johnson || Leave a Comment

It’s summertime and the flying is easy … especially when it’s on the water. That’s fine for everybody who is already qualified. What if you’re new to seaplanes (or LSA in general)? How could you obtain instruction if you want to buy a new Searey? Training is optimal when done in a very similar airplane if not the same exact model you have in mind. Insurance companies may require aircraft-specific preparation. “With the addition of a [factory-built] Searey to its fleet, Chesapeake Sport Pilot flight school has become the first flight school in the world to offer flight training on the popular amphibious light sport seaplane,” said spokesperson Helen Woods of the Stevensville, Maryland company. Chesapeake also teaches in other LSA models. Chief Flight Instructor Woods reports 300 Seareys flying in the U.S. and over 500 flying world wide. “Until now, it was often difficult to obtain quality training to fly a Searey,” said Helen, “since a pilot had to own his own Searey before receiving training.” Chesapeake supplies a Searey as part of their training course.

Chesapeake’s Searey is well equipped for training: Rotax 912 engine; Advanced Flight Systems EFIS; Garmin GPS with XM weather and TFRs; and a carbon fiber hull. “It has all of the equipment we need plus a good useful load,” explained Woods. Helen and fellow Chesapeake instructor Dan Wroe are both accredited as Searey flight instructors through the Searey Flight Instructors Association. This assures quality and standardization of training as well as offering better insurance rates from certain insurance companies for students who train under accredited Searey instructors. Chesapeake offers a variety of training options for Searey students including seaplane ratings, tailwheel endorsements, flight reviews, and insurance checkouts. Find out more at 410-604-1717, via email or Chesapeake’s website.

Progressive Aerodyne, the Tavares, Florida-based designer and manufacturer of the Searey has been busy lately. While the marketing efforts have been establishing a base camp in China), engineers lead by founding designer, Kerry Richter have upgraded the well-established aircraft. The company announced a new Frise aileron design that can be fitted to all new factory-built and Searey kit airplanes. According to Progressive Aerodyne engineers, the freer airflow aileron “provides Searey airplanes with more balanced and responsive control, especially in severe conditions and wind gusts.” The company reported that it conducted extensive static load and flight testing on the new aileron and the results exceeded design standards and expectations. Implementing such improvements is far less costly and time consuming for LSA under ASTM standards airplanes compared to Type Certified aircraft under FAR Part 23. Progressive Aerodyne said, “The new aileron can be retrofitted for experimental LSX and SLSA models and owners interested in retrofitting them may contact the manufacturer. • Engineers also created a new sliding canopy design that can be open in any position during flight and now offers an additional three inches in height. The prototype canopy will make its debut at AirVenture 2015 where you can take a seat and see for yourself. • Finally, Progressive Aerodyne will be previewing their 2015 look with a stylish new paint scheme. Seaplane and aviation enthusiasts are invited to space #12 at the Oshkosh Seaplane Base (free bus transportation is available from AirVenture). A Searey will also be on display at the EAA 10th Year Celebration of SP/LSA.

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It’s summertime and the flying is easy … especially when it’s on the water. That’s fine for everybody who is already qualified. What if you’re new to seaplanes (or LSA in general)? How could you obtain instruction if you want to buy a new Searey? Training is optimal when done in a very similar airplane if not the same exact model you have in mind. Insurance companies may require aircraft-specific preparation. “With the addition of a [factory-built] Searey to its fleet, Chesapeake Sport Pilot flight school has become the first flight school in the world to offer flight training on the popular amphibious light sport seaplane,” said spokesperson Helen Woods of the Stevensville, Maryland company. Chesapeake also teaches in other LSA models. Chief Flight Instructor Woods reports 300 Seareys flying in the U.S. and over 500 flying world wide. “Until now, it was often difficult to obtain quality training to fly a Searey,” said Helen, “since a pilot had to own his own Searey before receiving training.” Chesapeake supplies a Searey as part of their training course.

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Zigolo Cracks the China Market as Part 103!

By Dan Johnson || Leave a Comment

Chip Erwin flies Zigolo at Sun ‘n Fun 2014 using electric power. Read our pilot report article by British writer Dave Unwin.

Zigolo on display at the Jingmen airshow in China.

Here’s the gasoline engine; the electric-powered version is shown at top.

I didn’t see this one coming. Maybe you didn’t either? In the new millennia gold rush represented by companies either being bought by Chinese businesses or gaining investment from wealthy Chinese business people or by setting up shop to sell in China (or even Cessna’s ill-fated effort to have their Skycatcher manufactured in China), one element I’ve never heard of is Part 103 in China. This least-regulated-of-all aviation category is solely an American thing, isn’t it? Well … yes and no. Germany has opened the door to a Part 103-like development in that country under the 120-kilogram class (using a number that is 264 pounds or very similar to Part 103’s 254-pound empty weight limit). England has their SSDR class (SSDR being the abbreviation for Single Seat De-Regulated). Despite following those developments, I’ve never heard a word about China and any less-regulated sector.

“The first Zigolo in China was introduced to the public in that nation on July 17th at the Jingmen Airshow,” reported representative Chip W. Erwin. The example was supplied in kit form by Aeromarine-LSA of Lakeland, Florida and Chip assembled it in just three weeks. Erwin, many will recall, was the main man behind the SportCruiser that ranks high in the U.S. market. After getting pushed out of the company he founded by an aggressive investor, he established a new enterprise in China. So, the following announcement might be expected, “Concurrently [to the aircraft’s debut], a Zigolo assembly facility was established in the AVIC R&D center in Jingmen to supply the Chinese market with Ready-to-Fly (RTF) Zigolos.” Now, here’s the part of their announcement that caught me by surprise. “The Chinese CAAC recognizes the FAA Part 103 rule,” Chip related, “which means that Chinese customers can actually fly legally and fly now in China, something that has not been so easy in LSA or other GA aircraft to date.” No kidding! Virtually everyone agrees the China market for aircraft is potentially enormous, but the key word is “potentially.” It is developing but seems in well in the future. Maybe not.

If Chinese authorities permit Part 103 aircraft now, Zigolo could have a near-term impact on that market. Given its extremely low price, many Chinese flying enthusiasts could climb aboard. “The Chinese have been shipping thousands of RTF radio-controlled (RC) model aircraft to the USA,” notes Erwin. “Now they will have the capability to build a man-carrying light aircraft for their own market. Chip noted that the technology and design gap between large RC aircraft and this ultralight motorglider is small; with the coming electric-powered version of the Zigolo, the gap narrows further. Want to know more? Zigolo is presently available to Americans in kit form with typical build time estimated at about 150 hours. Delivery positions are now available for the RTF version and first deliveries are planned for later in 2014. Come get a closer look at both electric- and gas-powered Zigolo ultralights at Airventure Oshkosh 2014. Watch how each flies in the ultralight area — now referred to as the “Fun Fly Zone” by area organizers. Oshkosh attendees can find Zigolo at booth 939. Aeromarine-LSA plans to offer an Oshkosh show special for new orders. I love the tagline Chip invented as it sums up the well-priced, simple aircraft — Zigolo: everything you need, and not much else.

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I didn’t see this one coming. Maybe you didn’t either? In the new millennia gold rush represented by companies either being bought by Chinese businesses or gaining investment from wealthy Chinese business people or by setting up shop to sell in China (or even Cessna’s ill-fated effort to have their Skycatcher manufactured in China), one element I’ve never heard of is Part 103 in China. This least-regulated-of-all aviation category is solely an American thing, isn’t it? Well … yes and no. Germany has opened the door to a Part 103-like development in that country under the 120-kilogram class (using a number that is 264 pounds or very similar to Part 103’s 254-pound empty weight limit). England has their SSDR class (SSDR being the abbreviation for Single Seat De-Regulated). Despite following those developments, I’ve never heard a word about China and any less-regulated sector. “The first Zigolo in China was introduced to the public in that nation on July 17th at the Jingmen Airshow,” reported representative Chip W.

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Evektor with Dynon Earns EASA Type Certificate

By Dan Johnson || Leave a Comment

This older SportStar (with Canadian registration) features LAMA founder Larry Burke in the Pilot-in-Command seat.

The very first aircraft ever to receive approval in the USA as a Light-Sport Aircraft is Evektor-Aerotechnik’s SportStar. No challenger can ever take away that title yet the company has continually developed this pioneeering airplane and recently achieved a new level of approval … one that alters the landscape in a way I predict we’ll see more as FAA’s Part 23 rewrite project progresses. “Following several months of certification process EASA has approved glass cockpit Dynon SkyView [as] SportStar RTC,” Evektor announced. RTC stands for Restricted Type Certificate. It is not identical the U.S. Part 23 Type Certificate — representing a somewhat lower level of government oversight — but a company earning this has to jump through many regulatory hoops. “SportStar RTC has become the first EASA certified aircraft approved with the SkyView glass cockpit [by proving] compliance with certification requirements of the EASA CS-LSA regulations. Dynon’s SkyView, recently upgraded to permit touch functionality, is widely known and used on Light-Sport Aircraft.

The first SportStar RTC with Dynon‘s SkyView will be delivered to France [and put into service by] Air Club Les Alcyons, one of the biggest clubs in the Paris area. Along with gear from Dynon and Garmin, Evektor said, “The aircraft will have also Apple’s i-Pad Mini installed, bringing extended convenience and functionality in the cockpit.” All these components from LSA stalwarts Dynon and Garmin are increasingly paired with Apple’s ubiquitous tablet computer used in many industries and widely employed throughout all levels of aviation from airliners to ultralights. “With the advanced SkyView glass cockpit, ballistic recovery system, low operating costs and excellent training platform the SportStar RTC represents the most innovative solution for air clubs and pilot training organizations on the global market today,” added Evektor. A top-ranked supplier to the U.S. market Evektor also does well overseas, reporting more than 1,300 aircraft have been delivered. Evektor has solid American representation through Dreams Come True and AB Flight.

As everyone headed to Oshkosh for AirVenture 2014 finalizes their packing and preparations, one historically significant Light-Sport Aircraft is doing likewise and may, just possibly, appear at the space EAA has provided for the 10th Anniversary Celebration of SP/LSA. Evektor owner, E. W. Rogers wrote to offer this: “I am flying a SportStar to Oshkosh this year … it is the first one sold in USA, and has about 800 maintenance-free hours on it.” At the EAA space near the newly renamed Boeing Plaza, look for the special EAA space, which will have at least 17 aircraft on display, including most leading brands of Special LSA plus weight shift, powered parachute, gyroplanes, and some “vintage” aircraft that Sport Pilots may fly. ••• Those going to Oshkosh may also want to attend a forum about the decade-old sector on Tuesday July 29th from 1:00 to 2:15 PM in Honda Forum Pavilion 7. The presentation will feature EAA boss Jack Pelton; FAA honcho Earl Lawrence; original FAA rule writer Ron Wojnar; industry leader Tom Peghiny of Flight Design USA; Rotax engine expert Eric Tucker; FAA Sport Pilot specialist Mark Giron; and … yours truly.

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The very first aircraft ever to receive approval in the USA as a Light-Sport Aircraft is Evektor-Aerotechnik’s SportStar. No challenger can ever take away that title yet the company has continually developed this pioneeering airplane and recently achieved a new level of approval … one that alters the landscape in a way I predict we’ll see more as FAA’s Part 23 rewrite project progresses. “Following several months of certification process EASA has approved glass cockpit Dynon SkyView [as] SportStar RTC,” Evektor announced. RTC stands for Restricted Type Certificate. It is not identical the U.S. Part 23 Type Certificate — representing a somewhat lower level of government oversight — but a company earning this has to jump through many regulatory hoops. “SportStar RTC has become the first EASA certified aircraft approved with the SkyView glass cockpit [by proving] compliance with certification requirements of the EASA CS-LSA regulations. Dynon’s SkyView, recently upgraded to permit touch functionality, is widely known and used on Light-Sport Aircraft.

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Airbus Goes Electric and Small (with Big Ideas)

By Dan Johnson || Leave a Comment

Airbus recently showed their all-electric E-Fan at the Farnborough airshow. photo from Inside EVs

E-Fan uses tandem, retractable gear with outrigger wheels. photo by Franklin Polanco

“Even electric commercial airliners are in the works. In Europe EADS, Airbus’ parent company, has proposed the VoltAir ducted fan engine that would power commercial airliners,” writes Low-Powerdesign.

As we all get packing for Oshkosh where we’ll see all manner of aircraft, one of the biggest manufacturers revealed one of the smallest airplanes at another airshow: Farnborough in England, an event dominated by military and airline producers. More surprisingly, Airbus announced at Farnborough that it would put into production their all-electric-powered E-Fan. Big aircraft, the buses of the sky, are good at moving people to their destination. However, they are very noisy and consume oceans of fuel leading to more pollution. Can this situation improve? Is it even reasonable to consider an electric-powered airliners? Some experts scoff at the idea but Airbus’ E-Fan made a powerful, if relatively quiet, statement.

Airbus’ E-fan made its first flight at a French airport near Bordeaux on March 11th this year. The project reportedly evolved from work with the tiniest airplane most AirVenture visitors have seen. Airbus used an electric-powered Cri-Cri as a test bed to develop their battery and energy management technology. E-fan is presently a tandem two seater though Airbus said a production version will have side-by-side seats. The small plane is 22 feet long and has a wingspan of 31 feet and the prototype weighs 1,100 pounds; this sounds rather heavy for a two seater but remember it’s carrying plenty of weight in batteries (Airbus did not specify how much). Two electric motors drive two ducted fans mated to variable-pitch propellers. With a 120-cell lithium polymer battery, E-Fan can fly for one hour with a 15-minute reserve. Powering the motors are a series of 250 volt lithium-ion polymer batteries made by the Korean company, Kokam. Batteries are mounted in the inboard section of the wings (see second video) and can be recharged in one hour, said Airbus. Engineers also installed a backup battery onboard for emergency landings if the main battery power has been consumed.

As the photos show E-Fan has tandem, retractable undercarriage made up of a nosewheel and a larger main gear, something like the original Europa that used a massive single wheel. Airbus engineers designed E-Fan to taxi using electric power. The main wheel is driven via chain from a 6 kW (8 hp) electric motor. The big company said this results in more noise reduction and the powered drive wheel can silently accelerate the plane up to 37 mph. Doing so reduces power drain versus employing the propellers to move around on the ground. E-Fan’s twin electric motors are enough to propel the small airplane to a top speed of 136 mph and a cruise speed, with two people aboard, of about 100 mph.

Airbus plans both two and four-seat versions of E-Fan, called 2.0 and 4.0, which could arrive by 2017. The company said it believes its E-Fan 2.0 can find a market in pilot training. Airbus reportedly plans to build 100 E-Fan test aircraft to gather data for the program. Going even further, Airbus believes electric aircraft will become important in coming years as a way to cut greenhouse-gas emissions from conventional aircraft exhaust and to offer quieter planes. Noise isn’t just an issue for people living near airports; quieter planes could be flown at hours that would unacceptable for noisier conventional airlines so companies could schedule more flights, Airbus noted. They hinted at plans for an all-electric or hybrid 90-seat passenger plane. The European company also thinks it is possible to build an all-electric helicopter.

E-Fan uses ducted fans, which places a fan-type propeller mounted inside a cylindrical shroud, or duct. The duct reduces losses in thrust from the tips of the props although to be effective close tolerances are necessary probably driving up costs. Ducted fans generally use an odd number of shorter blades than convention props allowing them to operate at higher speeds. Using an odd number of blades reduces resonance in the duct. Conventional props tips approach the sound barrier so they are turned at lower speeds which requires more diameter. A shrouded rotor can be as much as 94% efficient, experts say and ducted fans are quieter than conventional propellers because they shield the blade noise and reduce intensity of the tip vortices. Ducted fans can also offer enhanced safety on the ground by protecting people against spinning props. Learn more about ducted fans.

Catch some good closeups, flying footage, and onboard camera views in this YouTube video of the Airbus eFan single seater.

Here is the official Airbus video on the development of E-Fan. If you look very closely, you’ll see some features, for example, a BRS parachute flag, and details about battery placement.

Compress Post ...

As we all get packing for Oshkosh where we’ll see all manner of aircraft, one of the biggest manufacturers revealed one of the smallest airplanes at another airshow: Farnborough in England, an event dominated by military and airline producers. More surprisingly, Airbus announced at Farnborough that it would put into production their all-electric-powered E-Fan. Big aircraft, the buses of the sky, are good at moving people to their destination. However, they are very noisy and consume oceans of fuel leading to more pollution. Can this situation improve? Is it even reasonable to consider an electric-powered airliners? Some experts scoff at the idea but Airbus’ E-Fan made a powerful, if relatively quiet, statement. Airbus’ E-fan made its first flight at a French airport near Bordeaux on March 11th this year. The project reportedly evolved from work with the tiniest airplane most AirVenture visitors have seen. Airbus used an electric-powered Cri-Cri as a test bed to develop their battery and energy management technology.

Expand Post ...

Versatile LSA Seaplane to Debut at AirVenture 2014

By Dan Johnson || Leave a Comment

MVP.aero wants to tempt you to come by EAA’s 10th LSA Anniversary Celebration exhibit at AirVenture 2014.

An entirely new Light-Sport seaplane will make its “global debut” at EAA AirVenture 2014 and this is one you’ll want to see up close and in detail. As with a number of other persons, I have been briefed on this new entry and, like the others, I signed a Non-Disclosure Agreement to keep the new project under wraps until company leaders were ready to reveal their new flying machine. At the coming summer celebration of flight in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, everyone will finally get to see what has excited many of those NDA signers. Airshow visitors will see a mockup, but if the full-size concept looks even remotely as good as it did in the computer presentation I was shown, be prepared to be blown away. This boat hull aircraft has features you’ve never even contemplated much less seen on any previous offering. You can guess some of what I’m writing about by their tagline for MVP, “The World’s Most Versatile Plane.” That’s a big claim as we already have many good seaplane designs and more will be following. Yet after they get a chance to examine MVP, I think many may find the boast not out of line.

On the day before AirVenture opens this year, that is, on Sunday July 27th, MVP.aero officials will make a presentation to invited media. By opening day Monday, the full-size mockup will be available for review by everyone attending EAA’s 10th Anniversary Celebration special exhibit near Boeing Plaza, right in the heart of the giant event. Come visit and see MVP along with a wide range of Light-Sport Aircraft or aircraft that Sport Pilots can fly.

I’m not the only one who has been impressed with an private preview of MVP. Cirrus Design cofounder Alan Klapmeier, now CEO of turbine aircraft developer Kestrel Aircraft Inc., said, “The MVP is a game changer.” Another aviation big shot, Jim Irwin, owner of Aircraft Spruce and Specialty, commented, “In my 30 years in aviation, I have never seen aircraft features such as these.”

I’ve known Mike VanStaagen since before Cirrus Design won FAA Type Certification for their SR20 back in 1998. More recently, he has acted as lead designer for the Cirrus single engine Vision Jet being created by the successful Duluth, Minnesota company. Mike has since moved over to MVP.aero to head design of the new LSA seaplane. “They asked me to design the aircraft of my dreams [and] this is it,” he said.

If those comments and my enthusiasm for innovative LSA seaplane design has piqued your interest, go bookmark the MVP website. You won’t presently see anything more than I’ve told you here, but after the company’s media debut as AirVenture 2014 opens, the website will be populated with more detail. Based on the quality of the imagery I was shown, I imagine you’ll want to spend some time looking at all they publish online. I plan to have more once the company goes public on the day before AirVenture 2014 starts. Summertime LSA seaplane flying is getting truly interesting. Stay tuned!

Compress Post ...

An entirely new Light-Sport seaplane will make its “global debut” at EAA AirVenture 2014 and this is one you’ll want to see up close and in detail. As with a number of other persons, I have been briefed on this new entry and, like the others, I signed a Non-Disclosure Agreement to keep the new project under wraps until company leaders were ready to reveal their new flying machine. At the coming summer celebration of flight in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, everyone will finally get to see what has excited many of those NDA signers. Airshow visitors will see a mockup, but if the full-size concept looks even remotely as good as it did in the computer presentation I was shown, be prepared to be blown away. This boat hull aircraft has features you’ve never even contemplated much less seen on any previous offering. You can guess some of what I’m writing about by their tagline for MVP, “The World’s Most Versatile Plane.” That’s a big claim as we already have many good seaplane designs and more will be following.

Expand Post ...

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