Fifteen years ago, in 2007, Guisset brothers Jean-Marie and Jean-Baptiste were dealers in France and Belgium for a company then known as Aveko. Driven by a passion for flying that started when they were only fourteen years old, the brothers were successful enough that at one point they could claim to have sold more than 85% of the aircraft produced by Aveko.
Aircraft seen in nearby images is the VL3, a plane formerly designed by Vanessa Air and produced by Aveko. Americans first came to know a variation of this model as the Gobosh G700S although that faded about the time JMB took over production. Some years went by with no U.S. presence for the European low-wing aircraft.
Five years later, in 2012, the Guisset brothers’ acquired Aveko. Shortly after, they started to upgrade the aircraft, pushing the aircraft to fly faster (article). They also upgraded the interior; see current state-of-design in a nearby image.
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Jabiru Engines Approaching 8,000 Engines Produced — Plus, Our List Reporting Every LSA Engine
When I was a kid, I was a New York Yankees baseball fan. Why? I’d never been to New York; I lived in the midwest. I loved the baseball team because they won a lot. The saying way back then was, “The American League battle isn’t to determine who wins, but which team might come in second.” Everybody knew the Yankees would win again. (As I said, this was some time back in history.)
In light aviation, we have a roughly similar situation. Rotax provides somewhere around 70-80% of all engines for aircraft in the light aircraft space globally. The remaining 20-30% is divided between Continental or Titan, Jabiru, ULPower, and a growing collection of converted auto engines (though the latter, without ASTM approval, are used only on kit aircraft or ELSAs).
US Sport Planes owner Scott Severen, who represents Jabiru in America, declared for the Australian manufacturer, “The 4,000th Jabiru 2200 four-cylinder, 81-horsepower engine [was] recently produced at the Jabiru facility.” And, he added, “The 3300 engine [series is] fast approaching this number, too.”
So, Jabiru may not be #1, but the “down-under” company achieved a significant benchmark when they shipped number 4,000 of the 2200 series.
Big, Beautiful, Powerful — The Highly Finished Montaer MC01 with Rotax 915iS
Pilots love airplanes (duh!). Pilots also love engines, especially when they are truly powerful. So, perhaps Brazilian manufacturer Montaer made a market-savvy move by moving quickly to incorporate Rotax’s most potent engine, their 915iS producing 141 horsepower in a turbocharged and intercooled package. The result of Bruno de Oliveira‘s design work is MC01 915 as seen in the nearby photos and in more detail in the video below.
Other powerful engines are available, for example, the even-higher-horsepower Titan from Continental Aerospace. These powerplant designs are sharply different because the Rotax uses a smaller displacement and is physically more compact. The 9-series is also significantly less noisy and it boasts the latest technology from an engine builder cranking out thousands of engines a year (when counting the many non-aircraft engines the Austrian company makes).
I wrote that Bruno moved quickly. That’s because this is a new model, first introduced to Americans only last year.
Made in America — The Affordable Ultralight Formerly Known As Zigolo Mg21
At airshows throughout 2022, I repeatedly spoke to pilots interested in ultralights, the true Part 103 variety. I continue to be impressed by two apparent facts.
First, among the better-informed recreational pilot population, virtually all know what a Part 103 ultralight is but most think they remain a small percentage of the aircraft being sold to pilots each year. Many also think a legitimate three-axis Part 103 is no more than a fantasy — one critique is that most fixed-wing 103 entries exceed allowed weight.
Secondly, the less-well-informed general pilot population has heard of Part 103 but often believe those aircraft mostly disappeared back in the last century and are only seen rarely these days.
Both could not be more wrong.
In numerous conversations, I’ve expressed my belief that Part 103 ultralights sell at approximately the rate of new Light-Sport Aircraft. Most folks find that hard to believe. I understand but this reveals how invisible these flying machines tend to be.
Montaer Aircraft USA
Montaer Aircraft USA
First-Ever Montaer MC01 915iS to Debut at Season-Finale Aero Showcase This Weekend
When I asked “Mosaic LSA?” in the lead image of this article, was I simply being provocative? Or, is the soon-to-be-debuted Montaer MC01 with Rotax 915iS a forecast of what is to come with Mosaic?
Hopefully the title did get your attention but it asks a legitimate question for buyers of new potentially-Mosaic-compliant Light-Sport Aircraft.
The reason I feel this way is not merely the 141-horsepower engine Montaer designer Bruno Oliveira installed on the nose of his three-door LSA (see earlier review, before 915).
A more significant reason is that this airplane is one of several that may be able to re-declare compliance and get a substantial weight increase. It will already have a powerful-enough engine to lift a heavier load.
So, buyers of this airplane (and I repeat, MC01 will not be the only such choice) may be able to acquire a present-day 1,320-pound LSA and later get it bumped to perhaps 1,600-1,700 pounds, maybe more.
Vickers LSA Seaplane Flew In Spring — By Fall, Wave Tested Its “Sea Legs”
One of the longest-awaited Light-Sport development projects has been Vickers Aircraft’s Wave, a sophisticated amphibious LSA seaplane. Following the media-drenched Icon A5, Vickers in New Zealand took their time to get Wave right.
Remember, seasons are reversed in the Southern Hemisphere. New Zealand is now emerging from winter (during our summer) and is beginning its warmer climate. The summer months in New Zealand are December, January, and February so the weather is getting nice down under.
One of the explanations for the longer development cycle was that Vickers Aircraft was making a massive effort to reduce part count to aid manufacturing and reduce cost. Wave first announced $189,000 but this will likely come in substantially higher …along with everything else you are buying these days. Similarly, A5 arrived on the market more than ten years ago at $139,000 but has risen to beyond $350,000. Some of that could be due to manufacturing challenges, exactly the reason Paul Vickers insisted on taking the time needed to control expenses.
Honoring Two Important Light Aviation Pioneers — Chuck Slusarczyk and John Ballantyne
UPDATE Note (10/15/22): I urge all readers to take special note of two comments below that greatly add to the respect I intended to show John Ballantyne and Chuck Slusarczyk. I hope you’ll take the time to read both. —DJ
A Tribute… to Two Heroes
of Recreational Aviation
CHUCK SLUSARCZYK — On September 29, 2022, the sport aviation industry lost one of its best-known innovators, Chuck Slusarczyk (“Slew-zar-chick”). He was 81 years old.
A pioneer in both hang glider and ultralight aircraft industries — founder of Chuck’s Glider Supplies which became known as CGS Aviation — Chuck had worked at NASA Lewis in Cleveland, Ohio.
After striking out on his own, he designed numerous hang gliders and, later, the award-winning CGS Hawk.
Chuck was an inaugural inductee into the EAA Ultralight Hall of Fame. His aircraft are on display in three aviation museums including at EAA and Sun ‘n Fun.
WUFI… A Different Sort of Aviation Event — On October 8 & 9, Thousands of Ultralight Enthusiasts Take to the Sky
While those of us in Florida hangared our aircraft and hunkered down for Hurricane Ian, elsewhere in the world, many pilots were preparing their airplanes and gearing up for one of the biggest aviation events you’ll never see.
This weekend perhaps thousands of light, sport, recreational aircraft owners will take their ultralights (or other light aircraft) into the sky for a kind of “virtual” airshow, except it isn’t computer simulators. It is only virtual in the sense that nearly all aviators will help create an “airshow” without seeing another aircraft. “Analog” might be a better term than virtual.
The innovative concept makes WUFI (on Facebook) about as different from Oshkosh as you can get yet it generates its own high level of enthusiasm.
Note to recreational pilots: YOU can join the action and be part of the world’s largest airshow …largest by virtue of it being spread all over the planet on one weekend!
Midwest LSA Expo Wrap-Up — Metrics Reveal the Strength of These “Sector-Specific Shows”
Sun ‘n Fun does it. EAA AirVenture Oshkosh did it. Why not the smaller, sector-specific shows? Indeed, why not? I refer to reporting of show statistics when the event concludes. In modern vernacular, these are “metrics.”
The likable and longtime manager of the Mt. Vernon, Illinois municipal airport, Chris Collins, has been forwarding some “metrics” from this year’s 14th annual event. Whatever you choose to call the numbers from an event, they provide useful information on how the show performed.
One comment measurement is the number of airplanes sold or the quantity of interested pilots who expressed real interest. Trying to get hard information is like nailing Jello to a wall. We get tidbits and potential but hard facts are hard to assemble. A genuinely interested person ready to make a deal could experience problems right after the event. Some (understandably) need to check with their spouse; that sometimes alters a decision.
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