ByDanJohnson.com

By Dan Johnson || October 26, 2013 Leave a Comment

DoubleEnder offers flights in remote places. all photos courtesy of developers

Water skimming between glaciers; don’t do this in most Light-Sport Aircraft.

For most airplanes, this rock-strewn glacier fragment would not offer a comfortable landing.

Seen in flight, DoubleEnder reveals several unique qualities: front and rear turbocharged Rotax 914s, large flaps and aileron-accenting spoilers.

Hopefully DoubleEnder mechanics have no fear of heights.

Recently I became of aware of one of those “Oh, wow!” airplanes, one that can generate much the same response as Just Aircraft‘s attention-riveting SuperSTOL. At first glance, DoubleEnder intrigued me. At opposite corners of the USA, we now have twin Rotax engine sport planes: the long proven AirCam in southern Florida, and a newer sensation, Double Ender in Alaska. Some readers may believe neither fits this website’s focus on LSA, light kits, and aircraft Sport Pilots can fly; like AirCam, Double Ender weighs too much (2,500 pounds gross) and has too many engines (dual Rotax 914 turbos each modified to 130 hp) to be an LSA. However, both are sport planes powered by Rotax engines. Plus, look at the accompanying photos. They inspire by showing flight qualities similar though not identical to AirCam. So, here’s a preliminary story of this unusual aircraft.

“The DoubleEnder concept came to existence after a decade of bush flying in Africa and Alaska. It was born and bred to be the ultimate platform for flying in a wild and remote environment, one where safety, performance, and visibility are all extremely crucial.” Developers started the design in 2007 stating “safety was the single most important factor when creating the aircraft, and the rest was built around it.” Their design assured wide open visibility; instruments were “reduced to the bare necessity;” performance was maximized, geared to maneuverability; and slow flight. “With 260 horsepower available to the pilot, the power to weight ratio exceeds what is normally found in this category of airplane, giving it extreme performance in regular conditions, while retaining enough power to keep you going in the event of an engine failure.”

The prototype first flew in 2010. After initial test flights and hours accumulated at the development base, DoubleEnder headed to Alaska. The developers felt it was essential to test the aircraft in the environment for which it was designed. “[Alaska] is not a forgiving environment … any failure confronts you with the reality of the glaciers and forests.”
The designers believe that for flying in Alaska, “reliability is not a luxury, it’s a necessity.” After more than seven years the prototype airplane has reportedly used four wing configurations, three flap designs, two airfoils, three types of roll spoilers, four ailerons designs, three horizontal stabilizers, and two vertical stabilizers. “We needed a platform which enabled us to fly over any terrain, at any altitude with the comfort of knowing that an engine failure would be a non-event.” The developers report DoubleEnder can climb on one engine at several hundred feet per minute at sea level and is able to maintain altitude at 2,300 pounds at 10,000 feet. “[Double Ender] can even takeoff on one engine. In an emergency needing even more performance, and as a last resort, you can simply pull the red lever next to your seat, which will open a trap door in the auxiliary fuel pod, allowing you to dump over 300 pounds of fuel in a matter of seconds.”

Flying the airplane (video) appears a unique experience. “Stall break is gentle and the airplane mushes down. This low speed maneuverability factor is crucial and provides a margin of safety that is not commonly found in fixed wing airplanes,” pilots report. “The push-pull design was … mostly to avoid any directional instability during an engine failure. This airplane was designed to fly in tight places, where one can’t afford any kind of deviation during an engine problem.” Despite the design effort, if things still go poorly, developers said, “The roll cage [and] fuselage were designed to absorb the forces of an impact, and protect the pilot and passengers.” Performance is also eye opening. Approaching at around 35 mph, ample forward visibility allows the pilot to see and avoid the obstacles in his or her path, while giant tundra tires accommodate uneven surfaces.

“The design is constantly evolving,” the developers said. “Currently we are designing our next version, a side-by-side iteration of the DoubleEnder, where a passenger can enjoy the same view as the pilot.” I’ve been corresponding with these Alaskan frontier pilots and will update this article as more information becomes available. However, today, their website has some fascinating photos and several remarkable videos, like the one below.

Update 11/1/13 — Key people involved with this attention-getting project that has since appeared in other online publications: Alec Wild … came up with the concept and design; Doug Keller … did all the mechanical engineering; Eric Lewis … built the DoubleEnder prototype; Pete Anderson … joined the team later on and has built several wings to date in collaboration with Eric.

Experience DoubleEnder in Alaska with this video:

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Skycatcher: To Be or to Be, Not

By James Lawrence || October 24, 2013 Leave a Comment

The last ride into the sunset for the C-162

A story posted by Daniel McCoy, a reporter for the Wichita Business Journal, claims the star-crossed Cessna 162 Skycatcher will likely not enjoy the longevity and success of other notable Cessna icons such as the C-172 and C-150/152. Skycatcher was one of the first SLSA out of the gate for the new category created by FAA in 2004. But troubles with manufacturing and two highly publicized airframe parachute deployments during flight testing, including an airframe redesign after the first one, contributed to the dark cloud that seemed to follow the once-bright promise of Cessna’s entry. The market-perceived lackluster specifications sheet and barebones/industrial interior finish relative to many other LSA entries also contributed to the steady attrition in the once-1000-plus order sheet for the Skycatcher.

The news came yesterday at the NBAA (National Business Aviation Association) confab in Las Vegas. Company CEO Scott Ernest made the remark that Skycatcher had difficulty attracting market share and had lost a sizable percentage of its multi-year back orders. Ernest said he saw “no future” for the aircraft. Cessna’s prop aircraft division jumped into the discussion soon after by stating that there are still Skycatchers available for delivery in the aviation giant’s inventory and that the C-162 is still officially in the company’s product line. McCoy goes on to cite GAMA (General Aviation Manufacturers Association) data that shows no deliveries of the troubled LSA through the second quarter of 2013. Just 19 were delivered in 2012. Although there was a surge in deliveries, once production wrinkles were finally ironed out at the main assembly factory in China, it now seems likely Cessna will not overtake Flight Design as the top-selling LSA manufacturer.

Skycatcher was the brainchild of former Cessna top dog Jack Pelton, who moved on rather abruptly in 2011 to take over the reins at EAA (Experimental Aircraft Association) after a reported $38 million dollar loss at the Wichita-based company. Originally targeted by Pelton to cost under $100,000, once the design was stabilized, it debuted at $109,000. Still, more than 1,000 would-be owners signed on. The general consensus for the surge credited Cessna’s proud history at producing quality aircraft for the strong initial market support. Then came setbacks – years of them – and the gradual attrition from the order book rank and file. When the price skyrocketed to $149,900 in 2011, the airplane likely lost whatever enthusiasm remained.

Perhaps some hard bargainers will wrangle a lower price for those Skycatchers in inventory. We can assume Cessna will continue to support the fleet, which will in time likely number around 300 delivered. Meanwhile, perhaps the best lesson from all this for industry watchers can be attributed to AvWeb’s Paul Bertorelli, who put forth the notion that if Cessna can’t successfully build a cheap LSA, perhaps we should stop complaining about what is clearly impossible. Indeed, I’ve long urged us to instead celebrate the variety, sophistication, reliability and entry-level affordability the current fleet brings us today. Remember, a new Cessna 172, the mainstay of entry level flight training for decades, now costs north of $400,000. Although LSA registrations in general were down a bit in 2012 for a variety of reasons that had more to do with delivering existing inventory and conservatively slower production rates than lack of support for the industry, 132 SLSA models have been accredited to date thanks to the successful ASTM/FAA partnership program. Meanwhile, rest in peace, Skycatcher: we hardly knew ye.

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Skycatcher: To Be or to Be, Not

By James Lawrence || October 24, 2013 Leave a Comment

The last ride into the sunset for the C-162

*** A story posted by Daniel McCoy, a reporter for the Wichita Business Journal, claims the star-crossed Cessna 162 Skycatcher will likely not enjoy the longevity and success of other notable Cessna icons such as the C-172 and C-150/152. *** The Skycatcher was one of the first SLSA out of the gate for the new category created by FAA in 2004. But troubles with manufacturing and two highly publicized airframe parachute deployments during flight testing, including an airframe redesign after the first one, contributed to the dark cloud that seemed to follow the once-bright promise of Cessna’s entry. *** The market-perceived lackluster specifications sheet and barebones/industrial interior finish relative to many other LSA entries also contributed to the steady attrition in the once-1000-plus order sheet for the Skycatcher. *** The news came yesterday at the NBAA (National Business Aviation Association) confab in Las Vegas. Company CEO Scott Ernest made the remark that Skycatcher had difficulty attracting market share and had lost a sizable percentage of its multi-year back orders. Ernest said he saw “no future” for the aircraft. *** Cessna’s prop aircraft division jumped into the discussion soon after by stating that there are still Skycatchers available for delivery in the aviation giant’s inventory and that the C-162 is still officially in the company’s product line. *** McCoy goes on to cite GAMA (General Aviation Manufacturers Association) data that shows no deliveries of the troubled LSA through the second quarter of 2013. Just 19 were delivered in 2012. Although there was a surge in deliveries, once production wrinkles were finally ironed out at the main assembly factory in China, it now seems likely Cessna will not overtake Flight Design as the top-selling LSA manufacturer. *** Skycatcher was the brainchild of former Cessna top dog Jack Pelton, who moved on rather abruptly in 2011 to take over the reins at EAA (Experimental Aircraft Association) after a reported $38 million dollar loss at the Wichita-based company. *** Originally targeted by Pelton to cost under $100,000, once the design was stabilized, it debuted at $109,000. Still, more than 1,000 would-be owners signed on. The general consensus for the surge credited Cessna’s proud history at producing quality aircraft for the strong initial market support. *** Then came setbacks – years of them – and the gradual attrition from the order book rank and file. When the price skyrocketed to $149,900 in 2011, the airplane likely lost whatever enthusiasm remained. *** Perhaps some hard bargainers will be wrangle a lower price for those Skycatchers in inventory. We can assume Cessna will continue to support the fleet, which will in time likely number around 300 delivered. *** Meanwhile, perhaps the best lesson from all this for industry watchers is best attributed to AvWeb’s Paul Bertorelli, who put forth the notion that if Cessna can’t successfully build a cheap LSA, perhaps we should stop complaining about what is clearly impossible. *** Indeed, I’ve long urged us to instead celebrate the variety, sophistication, reliability and entry-level affordability the current fleet brings us today. Remember, a new Cessna 172, the mainstay of entry level flight training for decades, now costs north of $400,000. *** Although LSA registrations in general were down a bit in 2012 for a variety of reasons that had more to do with delivering existing inventory and conservatively slower production rates than lack of support for the industry, 132 SLSA models have been accredited to date thanks to the successful ASTM/FAA partnership program. *** Meanwhile, rest in peace, Skycatcher: we hardly knew ye.

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Tom Poberezny; AOPA Survey; Good Bye, Skycatcher!

By Dan Johnson || October 22, 2013 Leave a Comment

Moving among the glitterati, Tom Poberezny got to meet celebrities with an aviation interest such as John Travolta.

Following his father’s ground-breaking work, Tom preserved support for the “51% rule” and promoted the SP/LSA regulations.

The “Big Daddy” digital instrument from MGL Avionics.

Cessna says Skycatcher has “No future.”

Once upon a time, way back at the dawn of LSA — 10 years ago come next Oshkosh — I consulted to EAA about the then-new emergence of Sport Pilot / Light-Sport Aircraft. In those days, Tom Poberezny was running the show. In 1989 he took over from his dad, affectionately known to some as Pope Paul. By then, Tom had been a major figure in aviation for many years. When I worked inside EAA HQ during 2004 and 2005. I often had the pleasure of meeting with Tom and occasionally his wife Sharon. I can’t say we became good friends, but we got to know each other and we both wanted great things for aviation. Zap ahead to AirVenture 2011 when a troubling thing happened. As since-departed Rod Hightower took over as President of EAA, the organization appeared to abruptly shove Tom to the sidelines. About the same time, Phil Boyer left the top job at AOPA and the contrast could not be more sharp. AOPA made big celebrations of Phil and welcomed then-new guy Craig Fuller. It was a smooth, professional transformation. Contrarily, EAA leadership appeared to virtually discard Tom hardly stopping to recognize his years of service. I found it regretful, and a missed opportunity to promote EAA. Beyond opening day of the big show, Tom was no where to be seen.

Time for a fixer upper. Led by an old PR friend, Dave Gustafson, a new group has formed around a website and the purpose of honoring Tom Poberezny. The group pushing this plan is a who’s-who of aviation, including: Dick VanGrunsven (RV designer), Jim Irwin (Aircraft Spruce), Dale Klapmeier (Cirrus), Frank Christensen (Eagle), Burt Rutan (SpaceShipOne and Scaled Composites), Bob Hoover (airshow legend), Jeremy Monnett (Sonex) and more. Along with daily management of EAA, Tom oversaw the funding, design, and supervised the construction of the world-class EAA museum. He initiated the Young Eagles program, the world’s most successful program for introducing young people to aviation. He led EAA’s support of the Sport Pilot license and the LSA category, and he preserved the 51% rule governing EAB aircraft. “A more complete list of Tom’s accomplishments can be seen at the Honor Poberezny website“, noted the group. “You might find some surprises on that list.” Gustafson and organizers ask that those similarly moved should “sign our Roster of Support online” and to join in the celebration at AirVenture 2014.

••• AOPA recently ran a survey asking readers of their eBrief about the equipment in their airplanes. Those of us who commonly fly Light-Sport Aircraft have gotten used to — and even depend on — glass cockpits, meaning we have one or more computer screen instruments. In my experience the appearance of round dials, affectionately known as “steam gauges,” is increasingly rare. Many LSA in which I get to fly have no round dials … not a single one. With multiple back-ups to the digital readouts, who needs them? However, that’s not the case in general aviation aircraft. AOPA asked what their readers are using their cockpits and here’s the answers:

Steam gauges — 71.13%
Glass cockpits — 25.46%
Other — 3.42%

••• Finally, It appears Cessna is no longer promoting their Skycatcher LSA. Indeed we saw their deliveries grind to a halt and even with several dozen aircraft in various states of readiness on ramps around Wichita, the aviation giant has made surprisingly little effort to sell them. According to Aviation Week online’s “Things With Wings” blogger Joe Anselmo, “Cessna President and CEO Scott Ernest is signaling that Skycatcher, the company’s low-cost, Chinese-built light-sport aircraft, has been relegated to the history books. ‘There’s no future,’ Ernest said when asked about the aircraft at a Cessna press conference October 21 at the NBAA convention in Las Vegas, Nevada. Asked if that meant the project would be discontinued, he replied, ‘No future.’ Skycatcher was launched six years ago with great fanfare by Ernest’s predecessor, Jack Pelton. Offered at an introductory price of $109,500, the aircraft attracted 720 orders worth more than $75 million in the first three weeks after launch, and backlog ultimately topped 1,000. But the project was bedeviled by manufacturing problems at its Chinese partner. Cessna also was forced to raise Skycatcher’s price, which caused its backlog to evaporate.”

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Flying Sam; “A Warbird for the LSA Market”

By Dan Johnson || October 21, 2013 Leave a Comment

photo courtesy Sam Aircraft

Designer Thierry Zibi loads his backpack into a front storage compartment.

Flying Sam LS. Get more info from our video interview with the designer at Sun ‘n Fun 2013. photo by Thierry Zibi

To some it’s a new entry in the LSA race (Sam LS is presently selling kits while pursuing SLSA acceptance). To others the Canadian LSA is a “mini T-6” or a “mini Yak 52.” Either characterization no doubt pleases designer Thierry Zibi. During development he did a thorough job of asking airshow visitors what appealed to them. Now that Sam is flying, it is fair to say that even with the availability of 132 other Light-Sport Aircraft models, Sam LS is unique. At AOPA’s last-ever Summit event in Fort Worth, Texas, I got a chance to take Sam aloft with Thierry overseeing from the aft seat. Short tell: it may look like a miniature warbird, but flies with very solid and pleasant qualities.

As the sun-drenched photos reveal, Thierry’s airplane glistens with polished aluminum, an uncommon appearance on airport ramps loaded with brightly painted aircraft accented with jaunty striping. However, the engine cowl — one of the few components that is not all-metal — is emblazoned with a stylized red-winged creature that suggests the overall artistic tone for this deco-inspired LSA. As Sam Aircraft is headquartered in Montreal, Thierry began offering a kit in April 2013 under Canada’s advanced ultralight category (similar but not identical to LSA). He reported needing several months of work to qualify for an FAA audit.

Using a carbureted 100-horsepower Rotax 912 ULS engine supplied from 22 gallon fuel tanks to lift 830 pounds of empty weight, Sam doesn’t leap from the ground; I saw 600-700 fpm of climb on a hot Texas day. Yet the new model quickly delivers a solid feeling and very cooperative handling. Sam can cruise 110 knots but stalls in the mid-40s clean or 40 knots with flaps deployed; they go to a maximum of 35 degrees. No matter how I did stalls, they were docile events and Sam is very well behaved, not falling on a wing or dropping its nose suddenly. Flaps are electric with a small indicator on the panel, however, it’s almost easier to glance back at the trailing edge to see for yourself. From the front seat, the pilot can look nearly downward in front of the wing and general visibility is excellent through the right-side-hinged canopy. Alternatively, in minutes after removing three pins, you can doff the center canopy and fly in “summertime mode” with just a windscreen and aft section. This probably steals some cruise speed but would create a whole different feel to the airplane.

Another journalist felt his forward visibility was restricted during climb but I found looking left and right gave adequate vision. Once level in flight the view is broad. Inside Sam LS is comfortable for all but the widest pilots. On either side of the seat are broad, leather-padded armrests that relaxed my hand on the left side throttle. You’d always solo from the front as that’s the only toe brake location but it’s OK to fly Sam LS from the rear. When I asked for advice about the right speeds to operate the airplane, Theirry answered, “Sam’s magic number is 70 to 75 mph.” Indeed, that number works for climb and final approach. I flew slow flight at just above 50 to find handling doesn’t differ that much from cruise flight (albeit a tad more sluggish). Once established, steep turns hold nicely throughout a full circle. Two landings proved straightforward affairs that even new pilots could manage with some basic instruction. Launching consumes a reported 350 feet while landings are short at 200 feet.

Thierry set the price of a fully built SAM LS at $131,000 (U.S.) including a single large Dynon SkyView, a full set of basic instruments, leather interior trim, and a useful load of 490 pounds (LSA version; 620 for the kit). His kit starts at $23,200. Given its pilot-friendly flight qualities and its inspired stylization, this is an airplane for somebody wanting to break out of the carbon fiber mold. You can play Walter Mitty in your warbird without challenging your pilot skills.

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Why LSA Registrations are Down in 2013

By Dan Johnson || October 15, 2013 Leave a Comment

CubCrafters has steadily moved upward in fleet size and has enjoyed two strong years in 2012 and 2013.

The future remains bright for Light-Sport Aircraft with interesting designs in the pipeline, improved models from well-known builders, and a wide price range able to suit most budgets. Importantly, the safety record remains good. Pictured is Terrafugia’s proposed TF-X.

A number of you have asked about an updated sales report for 2013. While remembering that we report registrations not sales, this year has been a different sort. Registrations are down from 2012, with the exception that CubCrafters remains the registration (and presumably sales) leader. American Legend and their Cubs are also showing more activity than previous years. Beyond the yellow taildragger squadron, it’s something of a mixed bag. More on that below. &#149•• Let me offer you another statistic that amazes me while speaking to ever-growing interest in Light-Sport Aircraft and light kit aircraft that Sport Pilots may fly. In September, ByDanJohnson.com set an all-time record with 71,400 Unique Visitors, 25% higher than our previous record (July 2013). In 2013, Unique Visitors have averaged more than 35,000 per month, a figure more than double 2012, which had been our best year ever. If I appear to be bragging too loudly, let me say that I believe this website is merely the messenger and that it is a fleet of great LSA and a solid team of suppliers and service providers that is delivering visitor growth. People are flocking to ByDanJohnson.com because, I believe, LSA and Sport Pilot-eligible kits and other aircraft are THE growth area for aviation. Thanks to less obtrusive regulations and greater design freedom, this sector is where innovation shines at (relatively) affordable cost. We thank you for stopping for a visit and we welcome you back often.

If our website traffic is soaring and if LSA and SP-eligible kits and airplanes are the growth area, why are registrations off significantly in 2013? It’s a valid question and I don’t presume to have all the answers. However, I’d like to describe the history to help explain. At the dawn of SP/LSA, anticipation had grown to a fever pitch over this new class of airplane with its own pilot certificate. The lack of need for an aviation medical was a huge component, but it was more. General aviation manufacturers, hobbled by a frightfully expensive regulatory structure, were only rarely coming out with new airplanes and the cost of these aircraft was breathtaking (and still is … a Cirrus SR22 can sell for more than $800,000!). FAA is finally acting to move toward industry consensus standards for GA aircraft and we think that will be helpful. Meanwhile the combined effort by AOPA and EAA to rid pilots of the need for a third class medical to fly certain larger airplanes appears completely stalled, even by the organizations’ own statements, leaving LSA as the only alternative for a growing community of older aviators.

“You’re only one medical away from an LSA,” went the line. In the heady days of 2005-2006-2007, LSA manufacturers could not keep up with demand. Many built larger factories, hired more qualified workers, and spend millions to create more and better designs. Component manufacturers also kept a steady drumbeat of sought-after instruments, accessories, parts, and add-on features. Those were exciting years for LSA. Then the “Great Recession” hit hard. Industries far beyond aviation were pummeled and government officials spoke of a banking collapse. Sales declined (see nearby chart) and LSA manufacturers scrambled to adjust. Many lost money as they had built too much capacity right about the time demand slacked. As you can see, it was even worse for GA and bizjet makers but it was hard on the LSA industry. So, manufacturers got small, the only defensive posture they could take as these are not deep pocket companies.

The recession supposedly ended in 2009, though many will tell you their lives haven’t improved much. Unemployment remains high; the U.S. labor force is smaller than it was in 2000 despite 30 million more population. The stock market has recovered, but household income has only risen marginally. Interest rates are held near zero by Federal Reserve policies but loans remain hard to get for small companies. LSA producers had no choice but to adjust.

Another factor emerging since 2006 is increased regulatory burden, in the USA and other countries, contributing to more effort needed by manufacturers to demonstrate compliance and meet added rules placed on them. At the same time new technologies such as glass panels, autopilots, and more complex engines have demanded more from producers. Add these requirements to a difficult economy and you have ample explanation why manufacturers are not building airplanes as fast as they once were. The good news: LSA are better airplanes than ever.

Plus, new designs continue to emerge and most LSA builders remain in business, albeit with smaller operations. The industry is leaner but still active. However, all these factors translate in 2013 to longer delivery times. Some aircraft builders, like Aerotrek and Phoenix Air, never went overboard to build as many airplanes and both those companies have maintained steady businesses with deliveries stretching into 2014. Producers who made many more airplanes are still building but in more cautious volumes. So, when demand finally began rising as it did early in 2013, orders were written and deposits made, but airplanes were in the supply line and not available to be registered. Hence, 2013 registration numbers are soft. As demand and supply find equilibrium, delivery times will come down and registrations will rise. We may not see the manufacturing pace of 2006 for some time but I remain absolutely convinced that LSA and SP-eligible kits and aircraft are the new entry point in aviation. Plus, remember LSA are a worldwide phenomenon. Prices range from less than $40,000 to more than $200,000 but consider that a new Cessna 172 Skyhawk will sell for nearly $400,000 in 2014. That venerable design will still be a 1950/60s design, where modern LSA have many qualities to support a still-strong interest in flying.

Will 2014 be a year of much improved results? I don’t know. My crystal ball is no better than yours. Yet I know this. We have many terrific airplanes and more are on the way. We still have, by far, the least costly pilot certificate and no medical is needed. Our airplanes burn much less fuel and most work great on mogas. We’ve got great engines, panels, and comfortable cockpits. In addition, this: people still want to fly their own airplane. To gain a fresh perspective, what better way than to go aloft and see at this beautiful planet or examine your own neighborhood from above. Flying remains a very special activity and we should celebrate how easily and affordably we can pursue it. Light-Sport Aircraft make this possible for more people and that value will only get stronger.

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Sleek & Unique: Stefan Klein’s Aeromobil

By Dan Johnson || October 13, 2013 Leave a Comment

Aeromobil is a flying car design from Europe in its third generation.

Aeromobil designer Stefan Klein.

One of a series of computer renderings (more below) that show the flowing lines of Aeromobil.

After watching the Terrafugia Transition (video) fly from on the main airshow runway at AirVenture 2013, many pilots began to view the LSA flying car as more than a media magnet. The project, which has indeed generated an amazing amount of mainstream media attention, proved itself to be a real aircraft that can indeed drive like a car. More recently the Massachusetts company amped up their game with a new model, TF-X, now in early design stage. Meanwhile, the Transition, also evolving as a design, garnered the attention of — and a $2.7 million investment from — DARPA, the U.S. government’s Defense Advanced Research Products Agency. Where some once saw a novelty product only of interest to those intrigued by a “flying car,” more began to view this as a genuine aircraft. However, Terrafugia isn’t the only company pursuing such a unique machine.

One of my favorite quotes comes from Molt Taylor, the prime mover behind Aerocar, perhaps the first “practical” flying car and one that earned certification. Molt said, “An airplane will get you from one place you don’t want to be to another place you don’t want to be: the airport.” To address the problem of what to do about transportation after you land your airplane somewhere, flying cars have long captivated minds. One of those is Stefan Klein. A European friend — and designer of several interesting aircraft including MD-3 SportRider and Shark — recently updated me on the Aeromobil. Jaro Dostal wrote, “A new version, Aeromobil III, made its first take-off. Although this roadable aircraft is still not in its final look, it is flying with power by the Rotax 912.” Jaro continued, “Author, Doctor of Engineering, artist, pilot, and great enthusiast, Stefan Klein, works at the Academy of Fine Arts and Design as head of the Transport Design Department. He told me Aeromobil can be a LSA in its final version at a weight under 600 kilograms MTOW. I think it could be a great competitor of Terrafugia.”

A artistic designer and engineer himself, Jaro is also practical and added that he is not certain this is a type of aircraft that every pilot will want. Indeed, I don’t reveal this striking design to readers of ByDanJohnson.com with the claim that Aeromobil could be your next LSA. However, I find the European flying car’s shape a thing of beauty and I believe many readers will enjoy contemplating it. The photo (top) shows it is real and the renderings describe a wonderful intersection of art and design, a worthy accomplishment from a man who focuses on such work. If you are moved by the sweeping lines and artistic form of this flying machine, I encourage you to go to the Aeromobil website and see an impressive driving-to-in-flight video. If it doesn’t load correctly try clicking the logo at the top center of the page. The website hosting this video offers much more information on the background and design goals of Stefan Klein’s Aeromobil. Enjoy!

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Are You D2?…Tiny Instruments from Dynon & Garmin

By Dan Johnson || October 9, 2013 Leave a Comment

Dynon is introducing the next-generation D2, while maintaining availability of the D1.

Want to see how turbulent that last bump was? D2 lets you check.

Garmin has a new and useful decoration for your wrist that is sure to cause envy among your pilot buddies.

One of several screens available on Garmin’s new D2 Pilot Watch.

Dynon’s D2 — The maker of the ubiquitous SkyView glass panels installed in so many higher end LSA has a smaller product that sells well in the GA world, where non-certified equipment cannot be mounted with FAA approval. So, just stick a D1 to the windscreen and you get a mini-Dynon panel for your older, round-gauges aircraft. Now, Dynon has introduced the D2, a second model to what they call their “Pocket Panel product line.” D2 adds WiFi connectivity to allow flight data to be sent to iPad, smartphone, and tablet aviation applications, and has a second screen with a G-Meter (photo). D2’s G-Meter shows the current load factor shown by a needle, plus it records the minimum and maximum Gs since being last reset by the pilot. “WiFi connectivity allows attitude and GPS ground speed, altitude, Gs, and ground track to be sent from the D2 in real-time to an aviation application, which can then show that data on a flight information display,” according to company officials. D2 works with WingX Pro7, AOPA FlyQ, BendixKing myWingMan, and others.

“D1 and D2 both offer true artificial horizons with accurate pitch and roll, and can find the horizon even if turned on in flight,” Dynon said. The AHRS sensors also drive a turn rate indicator and slip/skid ball. Included is an internal GPS receiver to display GPS ground speed, altitude, vertical speed, and ground track. Each D1 and D2 have batteries that last more than four hours and they come with two portable mounting options. The first is a RAM suction cup mount, and the second is 3.125-inch portable “pinch” mount that allows the D1/D2 to be mounted in an empty existing instrument panel hole. D2 retails for $1,425, and the original D1 has a new lower price of $1,195. What an ingenious way to bring modern technology into the cockpit of your tried-and-true GA airplane.

Garmin’s D2 — Introducing Garmin‘s D2 Pilot Watch, which has Garmin’s direct-to and nearest functions (photo inset), as well as a built-in adjustable altimeter, altitude alerting capabilities, the option to display both local and Zulu/UTC time, and the ability to integrate with Garmin Pilot. “With D2, we’re redefining the portable by integrating the same technology leveraged from decades of experience in manufacturing portable aviation GPS products,” said Carl Wolf, Garmin’s vice president of aviation sales and marketing. “D2 merges a sophisticated and elegant design while incorporating features, which offer pilots a comprehensive flying experience.” Garmin’s D2 watch lets pilots set vibrating alerts, specific to altitude and/or elapsed time. Users can select from a variety of data fields to display such as GPS ground speed, GPS track, estimated time enroute, bearing, and glide ratio. Owners have the option to remotely control Garmin’s HD action camera (VIRB) to start and stop video as well as capture high quality still photos, simultaneously.

“While utilizing an iPad 3 (or newer) or select Android tablets with Garmin Pilot, pilots can upload flight plans and create waypoints within Garmin Pilot and wirelessly transfer them to D2,” added Garmin. “Pilots can build flight plans and create waypoints within Garmin Pilot … the data may be uploaded to D2 using a Bluetooth wireless connection.” Garmin indicated the D2 watch will be available in November and other outlets reported a retail price of $449.

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An amazing thing happened as we all prepared to go to AOPA last-ever annual show in the sprawling Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex. Two top suppliers to the LSA sector came out with products bearing almost the same name. However, they’re quite different, fun, and well, yes … surprisingly practical. So, are you D2? Even the Star Wars robot of a similar sounding name might have desired these gizmos, neither of which were remotely possible back in the late 1970s when that movie franchise began. Dynon’s D2 — The maker of the ubiquitous SkyView glass panels installed in so many higher end LSA has a smaller product that sells well in the GA world, where non-certified equipment cannot be mounted with FAA approval. So, just stick a D1 to the windscreen and you get a mini-Dynon panel for your older, round-gauges aircraft. Now, Dynon has introduced the D2, a second model to what they call their “Pocket Panel product line.” D2 adds WiFi connectivity to allow flight data to be sent to iPad, smartphone, and tablet aviation applications, and has a second screen with a G-Meter (photo).

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“Cool and Sexy” Describes New LSA Amphibian

By Dan Johnson || October 7, 2013 Leave a Comment

Offering only a temptation at this point, Vickers Aircraft is beginning to pull back the curtain on their three-year development.

Big power comes to LSA seaplanes as Wave elects the 180-horsepower Lycoming IO-360.

I’ve written a number of articles about LSA seaplanes … about the several we already have in the fleet (Aventura news), and about new designs to come (quick tour of many new LSA and Ultralight seaplanes). One of new ones is called Wave from Vickers Aircraft Company and the new entry is starting to peek from behind the dark curtain. Along with other designs in development, the Vickers project merits close attention as it offers genuine out-of-the-box thinking. Previously I agreed not to say more, governed by a non-disclosure agreement. However, at AirVenture 2013 I ran into Director and principal designer Paul Vickers. After talking about his sponsorship of EAA’s Young Eagles program Paul told me he was finally ready to make some announcements about his project. Following are a couple glimpses.

Another man with inside knowledge said, “This is the coolest, sexiest aircraft coming to market. Wave is breathtaking.” The speaker: Bill Canino of SportairUSA and winner of the LAMA 2013 President’s Award to an Outstanding Individual. This tiny slice of the airframe (image) where wing meets fuselage is all Vickers is willing to show right now. They’ve begun the peek-a-boo unveiling to tempt early position orders. Much like Icon Aircraft did some years back, Vickers Aircraft plans to collect a small deposit from early adopters and will give them special perks for jumping on board sooner. For example, Vickers is offering their first 100 position buyers a percentage discount off a seaplane expected to go for a price similar to Icon‘s A5. The offer is a fairly serious motivator, as much as a $37,000 discount. Icon came on the market at $139,000 but in what is often called “constant dollars” (meaning that today’s price involves more dollars, thanks to inflation). Icon buyers making recent delivery position orders report a price similar to what Vickers is considering for their Wave. While both aircraft are impressive, Wave has some unique qualities.

Vickers Aircraft may be teasing your interest but the company did reveal one very interesting choice: the engine — a Lycoming IO-360, putting out 180 horsepower. Now we’ve seen engines from CubCrafters and Zlin offering similar power and UL Power has some non-certified engines getting close. Still, offering a bigger displacement Lycoming brand engine at this power on a seaplane notably compares to the Icon A5’s 100-horsepower Rotax 912 iS. Paul told me several reasons why he made that decision from the start and he’ll begin discussing this publicly as time goes on but he’ll inform early customers even sooner. Oliver Leber, OEM Sales Manager for Lycoming Engines said, “We have enjoyed working with Vickers on this project, and are excited to see this kind of innovation in the world of general aviation.”

Vickers Aircraft Company also said their amphibian will come with automatic folding wings. Paul Vickers promised, “We’re planning to deliver production aircraft at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2014.” If he makes this schedule — the project has been in development for three years already — he may tie or could even beat Icon to market. “Delivery positions are now available,” said Vickers. To get your name on the list and to receive information, email Paul Vickers. Assisting Vickers is Abid Farooqui of SilverLight Aviation. When working on a similar project SilverLight Aviation drew unusually supportive comments from various FAA personnel after successfully completing a full audit. I hope Paul will keep leaking details of his new seaplane. We’ll be keeping an eye on this one.

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Sport Pilot-Eligible Ercoupes at Spruce Creek

By Dan Johnson || October 6, 2013 2 Comments

Airport community Spruce Creek Fly-in played host to a gathering of Ercoupes.

A row of Ercoupes (11 altogether) lined the broad parking ramp at Spruce Creek on Saturday, October 5, 2013. The green-striped Ercoupe (5485F) is a rare Mooney manufactured version.

Ercoupe’s floor is uncluttered with only a brake pedal and no rudder pedals.

Most Ercoupes on display had curved side windows that slide down into the fuselage. A few have been fitted with aft-sliding canopies (such as the very rare Mooney model seen at the event).

Most of our attention is paid to either Light-Sport Aircraft, both SLSA and ELSA, or to light kit aircraft that Sport Pilots may fly. Yet another worthy category exists: Standard Category certified airplanes that can also be flown by someone with or exercising the privileges of Sport Pilot. Recently, my home airport, Spruce Creek Fly-in near Daytona Beach, hosted an Ercoupe event that brought 11 of these charming and distinctive airplanes. Spruce Creek is home to more than 500 airplanes and more than 500 hangar homes, along with another 1,100 homes. The diversity of aircraft is broad from ultralights to bizjets and military jets and everything in between including one of the largest fleets of RVs anywhere.

Ercoupe, first manufactured by Engineering and Research Company (ERCO), is a low-wing mostly metal airplane with fabric covered wings. Production started before World War II aiming at a very low cost, very safe airplane. Several other manufacturers continued its production after the war including Mooney Aircraft, whose M-10 first flew in 1968. Ercoupe was designed by Fred Weick to be the safest fixed-wing aircraft that aerospace engineering could provide at the time. Fred’s creation first flew in 1937 and production ran from 1940 to 1970. Nearly 6,000 were built. Wikipedia reported, “In 1946 alone 4,311 aircraft were produced and sold at a cost of $2,665, the same price as in 1941. At its peak, ERCO was turning out 34 Ercoupes per day operating in three shifts. The aircraft was aggressively marketed through non-conventional outlets such as the men’s department of the Macy’s department store chain.” (Note that $2,665 in 1941 is equivalent to $42,400 today.)

Designed without rudder pedals, Ercoupe is flown using only the control wheel. A two-control system links rudder and ailerons to manage yaw and roll with the control wheel, which also determines pitch and steers Ercoupe on the ground. This design feature eliminated the need for rudder pedals so the only pedal on the floor is a brake (photo). Wikipedia reported, “A completely new category of pilot’s license was created by the CAA for Ercoupe pilots who had never used a rudder pedal.” I asked several Ercoupe owners how they handled a crosswind landing. All said it presented no great challenge, that you simply fly a crab angle approach touching down slightly sideways taking care to hold the nosewheel off the ground. Ercoupe’s trailing link main gear is up to repeated such landings and most agreed even a 25-knot sharp crosswind was not a problem.

Ercoupe’s type certificate was sold to Univair Aircraft Corporation of Aurora, Colorado in October, 1974 and remains with Univair. However, the company produced no new aircraft instead focusing on replacement parts and providing technical assistance to Ercoupe owners. Some Univair Ercoupe 415-C and 415-CD models meet the FAA parameters (such as weight and speed) and can therefore be flown by pilot possessing a Sport Pilot certificate or by a higher rated pilot exercising those privileges. You can buy an Ercoupe for less than $10,000 or pay as much as $40,000 (the latter significantly restored). Learn more at the Ercoupe Owners Club website .

Specifications and Performance:
Seating: 2, side-by-side (a bench seat was standard)
Wingspan: 30 feet (9.14 m)
Wing area: 142.6 square feet (13.25 square meters)
Empty weight: 749 pounds (339 kg)
Useful load: 511 pounds (233 kg)
Max. takeoff weight: 1,260 pounds (572 kg)
Common Engine: Continental C-75-12, 75 hp (56 kW) at 2,300 rpm
Never exceed speed: 125 knots (144 mph, 232 km/h)
Maximum speed: 96 knots (110 mph, 177 km/h)
Cruise speed: 83 knots (95 mph, 153 km/h)
Stall speed: 42 knots (48 mph, 77 km/h)
Range: 261 NM (300 mi, 482 km)
Rate of climb: 550 feet per minute (2.79 m/s)

Take a short moving tour of ten handsome Ercoupes:

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LSA Seaplane Companies Cluster in Central Florida

By Dan Johnson || October 4, 2013 1 Comment

The City of Tavares, Florida opened this impressive seaplane base in recent years.

A new optional cowling surrounds the new Viking Honda-based engine. Basic airframe assembly takes a reported 250 hours.

Modern features and 110 horsepower will make quite a pair on the Aventura II said the company.

Icon Aircraft receives a high percentage of the attention paid to LSA seaplanes. They’ve worked hard on marketing and been quite successful; their Facebook page has nearly 300,000 “Likes!” Yet, as I’ve written, this is a growing subset within the LSA industry with several interesting designs already flying plus new ones to come that are really going to widen people’s eyes. However, some of that remains in the future while we have present-day success stories. If you want a seaplane you can afford and you want it soon, you have several choices, for example: Progressive Aerodyne’s SeaRey and the hot little SeaMax, both of which are SLSA approved, plus Edra Aeronautica’s Super Petrel LS, and in the world of light kits, don’t forget another longtime player, Aero Adventure. The latter Florida company recently reported news.

“Here We Come Tavares,” exclaimed a recent newsletter from Aero Adventure! “We are delighted to announce we are officially up and running at our new location in Tavares, Florida.” The company said their move started in spring this year from their longtime location in Rockledge, Florida. Reporting that it took all of summer 2013 to get fully moved, owner Alex Rolinski said, “This move has been chaotic to say the least. We have been received by warm, hospitable people such as Tavares City Manager, Bill Neron, and the friendly folks at Al’s Landing. We are more than honored to be part of the growth that is happening all around this city.” A few years ago, the city of Tavares — about an hour northwest from Orlando — established a new seaplane base (photo) and proclaimed themselves “America’s Sea Plane City.” With Progressive Aerodyne only minutes away and with the arrival of Aero Adventure, the claim is gaining momentum. Even Icon took a look at the city, but it appears that company will locate elsewhere.

Aero Adventure has remained an Experimental Amateur Built (51%) kit aircraft company. The kit goes back a long way, originally called the Buccaneer, though the changes have been so plentiful that the connection is only one of history today. At Sebring 2013, we caught up with Alex and shot a video in which he tells watchers about his acquisition of the company, although he did not know then about the move to Tavares. He also told us how many are flying and spoke of his ambitions to take the company forward in various ways. One effort recently came to a fruition.

The company’s newest addition is their Aventura II V, with the “V” evidently representing the choice of powerplant. “We are getting ready to officially introduce our newest addition to the Aventura line of amphibious aircraft.” Alex went on to note that the Aventura II V still offers the classic features of the design such as two side-by-side seats with dual throttles, retractable landing gear for amphibious operation, BRS emergency airframe parachute, and numerous other options. Now, he said the Aventura II V is fitted with a 110-horsepower Honda Viking Engine. Alex detailed that the Viking is, “fuel injected, water and oil cooled, has less noise and vibration, is very reliable, and boasts low maintenance.” He added, “The Honda Viking is a perfect pair to the Aventura.” The pictured cowling is available as an option and lends a sleek look to Aventura. We also shot a video about this engine at Sebring that will help you understand its differences. Congratulations to Aero Adventure, on their move and the new model!

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Flight Report: UL Power 350 in the S-7S

By Dan Johnson || October 2, 2013 Leave a Comment

Rans S-7S Courier fitted with the UL Power 350iS engine. airplane photos courtesy Randy Schlitter

UL Power 350iS engine. photo courtesy UL Power North America (link in article)

Part of the testing temporarily covered the exposed cylinder heads; see article.

Rans designer Randy Schlitter is one of those restlessly creative types. Many aviators are aware he’s created twenty airplane designs and these are not all variations on a theme. While a few are based on another, several are completely fresh approaches. Way back when, we used to joke about the Rans design-of-the-month club, so often did he emerge at an airshow with somethings we’d never seen. If that’s not enough he’s also been making bicycles for a few decades. (My wife and I each ride one and love them.) He runs Rans Aircraft and Rans Bicycles as side-by-side enterprises. Still not content, Randy does a bit of writing and has produced some artwork. My advice for most folks: don’t try to keep up. Randy is likely to leave you far behind. So, when I saw an installment of his “Into the Flight” series — this one after flying one of his S-7 Couriers with a UL Power 350 engine installed — I asked if I could reprint it here. Randy graciously agreed.

The following is by Randy Schlitter: “After a very successful show at Mt. Vernon, Illinois, I headed to Telford, Tennessee where Sam Kite had just started test flying an S-7S Courier with the UL Power 350iS engine. With a claimed 130 horsepower and a 68-inch Whirlwind prop, I was looking forward to validating their claims of increased performance. Sam has a plush grass airstrip located just outside Telford; I noticed the Smoky Mountains off to the South would provide a scenic reference point. From the air Tennessee looked like a random scrambling of roads, small towns, and farms. It would be easy to lose track of Sam’s grass strip in the sea of lush green turf. Thank goodness for GPS, but I think the local pilots thought my concerns for reference a bit amusing.

“Within minutes of arrival, which was late in the day, I was taxiing out in the 350iS-equipped S-7S. The rumble of the engine was encouraging. It makes an impressive deep sound, and is smooth at idle. I hoped this would be true at full power. My earlier experience with this engine was not encouraging; at full power there was a pronounced spike in the vibrations. Applying full power I learned the spike must have been specific to the airframe/prop combo (it was installed on a competitor’s all metal low wing). Take off roll was short, the big 30-inch Alaskan Bushwheel tires rolled easy on the soft grass. Airborne in less than 200 feet, I climbed aggressively, mostly because it felt right, and the VSI wound up to 1,200 then settled on 1,000 fpm until established at 3,500 feet MSL. Watching the temps, everything was well under the limits; as Sam said during the briefing, there was no heating issue.

“Throttle response was instant, a trait of fuel injection and small displacement. Another delight was how steady it held RPM at various angles of attacks and in turbulence. It reminded me of a larger Lycoming, where the torque is ample to hold RPM at a given throttle setting regardless of the prop loading. Smart throttle action, steady RPM, and a nice deep rumble made this a pleasant engine to fly. It was noticeably louder than a Rotax 912ULS, but well within what a good ANR headset can handle.

“To call the 350iS a true 130 horsepower engine in my opinion is a stretch. The reason is the torque flattens out at 2800 RPM and around 115 horsepower. Having maximum torque at 2800 is a good thing. It means you could go to larger props, 70 inches would be nice, 72 inches better. The engine could actually still turn these up to 2800, then you would see more performance, perhaps as much as another 40 FPM rate of climb. Flying against a factory built S-7LS proved that engine does out climb the 100-hp Rotax. It compared to the difference we saw when flying the 80-hp Rotax against the 100 horsepower. The gains in climb also support a 15 horsepower increase, which computes out to 24% increase in climb rate (800 FPM to 992 FPM at gross weight). No real speed increase was measured, mostly because we could not compare apples to apples on the test planes. The good news it was doing 102 MPH, with the 30-inch Alaskan Bushwheels. There could be a decent cruise speed gain with the stock 6×800 tires.

“Overall, the engine may be a winner, it is now in the engine’s corner to prove its reliability. That sort of testing takes time. Our standard practice is to reach 200 hours without issues, once that is achieved then we feel comfortable about recommending an engine or creating a factory supported option. The following is a brief account of the testing done at Telford.

“Service Ceiling: Climbed to 14,800 feet. Average rate 525 fpm to 10,000 feet at a weight of 1,250 lbs. No heating issues, little RPM drop off, around 200.
Climb at Vx: 60 MPH IAS rate was 1,200 fpm lightly loaded, no heating issues.
Climb at Vy: 75 MPH IAS rate was 800 to 1,000 fpm, no heating issues.
Minimum power to maintain level fight: 3500 RPM.
Fuel Consumption: 5.8 GPH, this needs much more testing to be reliable.
Hot restart: No issues.
Cold start: Notice cranking power of battery needs to be up, possible issue in cold weather.
Aerobatics and fuel injection: No power interruption experienced, or oil starvation, no sustained inverted flight performed.
Confirmation of Head Cooling: Covered cylinder heads and noted 25 to 30 degrees increase in CHT, still well within range, no oil temp increase. Note: [recommend] design cowling to circulate some air over heads in final cowl.”

Thanks again to Randy for letting us use his evaluation. For other news reports on the UL Power engines, click this link.

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Copperstate About to Start; Gaining Importance

By Dan Johnson || September 30, 2013 Leave a Comment

Copperstate president Stephen Bass welcomes pilots in the Southwestern USA to southern Arizona at the end of October.

Any question why the show is named “Copperstate?”

Like many deeply involved with aviation I have long marveled that all the best airshows in America seem to be in the Eastern half of the country. Except for the delightful Arlington Fly-in in Washington state and a worthy effort at Golden West plus some other small regional events, the action appears to be “back East.” Given that California has more pilots and airplanes than any other state, how can this be? Especially now that AOPA announced this year’s Summit in Dallas, Texas (October 10-11-12) will be their last one ever, we won’t any more be trekking to Palm Springs, California for what has been the big member organization’s favorite destination. Fortunately, we have the Copperstate Fly-in and Aviation Expo.

On two occasions I’ve attended this event. It isn’t huge like Sun ‘n Fun or AirVenture, and it isn’t in California where more might attend. However, Copperstate is a credible, well established event that serves the southwestern USA. Weather in southern Arizona is excellent in late October … about the same time Oshkosh begins preparing for snow. Copperstate President, Stephen Bass said, “I am working this year on greater emphasis on education … inviting more flight schools to participate as well as focusing more on youth education. I have raised the kids-get-in-free age from 12 to 15.” Stephen also reported that LSA has long had a presence at Copperstate. “During the past three years as vice president, I was also in charge of the Ultralight and Light-Sport areas. This year as President I have appointed separate Ultralight and Light-Sport chairmen in hopes of having more focus to grow these segments.”

One more thing: As major events like Sun ‘n Fun and AirVenture found, FAA has a new attitude, demanding hundreds of thousands of dollars to operate a control tower for the weeklong events. Both big organizations had to scramble to pay the tab. In contrast, Copperstate is going without a tower, and you know, I think that’s fine. The October 2013 AOPA Pilot magazine has a great pro & con article where editor Tom Haines persuasively makes a case for untowered airports. Read it here. I hope those flying in will exercise extra care so FAA doesn’t gain the argument that a tower is mandatory at busy aviation events. This is Copperstate’s 41st year; it is scheduled for Thursday through Saturday, October 24-25-26, 2013 at the Casa Grande Municipal Airport in Casa Grande, Arizona. Steve noted, “Copperstate has grown by about 10 percent a year since it was established. In 2013 it attracted more than 500 aircraft and 5,100 attendees from 10 countries and 39 states.” While I cannot make it this year, I’m putting Copperstate 2014 on my calendar.

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Aircraft Spruce Appreciation Day Goodie

By Dan Johnson || September 30, 2013 Leave a Comment

Charge your mobile devices while away from the grid.

Aviation bargain hunters … mark your calendar for Saturday, October 5th. Aircraft Spruce is holding their Customer Appreciation Day at all three of their locations: in Corona, California at their headquarters; in their southeastern U.S. location in Peachtree City, Georgia; and for Canadian enthusiasts at Brantford, Ontario. Aircraft Spruce offers reduced pricing plus they’ll have reps from a number of their top suppliers. The big mail order house said they will feature product demonstrations from Garmin, Lightspeed, J.P. Instruments, Hartzell, Scheyden, PTI, Icom, and Dynon plus others. To see which vendors are attending each location, click this link. Pilots that attend qualify for what Aircraft Spruce calls “spectacular discounts” and might also win a raffle. All proceeds from raffle tickets will go to EAA Chapter 1 and EAA Chapter 468 for Young Eagles.

One of their nifty new products for anyone who uses a smartphone, iPod, tablet, GPS device, eReader, camera, or flashlight (doesn’t that include just about everyone?) is a new product called PowerSwatch. Built into a rugged fabric for lightweight transport is what Aircraft Spruce calls a “portable energy source.” The company elaborated, “PowerSwatch is the only expandable solar charger on the market today.” The company says the solar charge can produce 3.5 to 35 watts. You can see this at their three locations or check it out on their website, where you can also request a free copy of the company’s 950-page catalog. Aircraft Spruce is a large and respected supplier of all kinds of goods for homebuilders and recreational pilots. Another division also offers Rotax parts and service.

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X-Ray Views of Icon’s Amphibious LSA

By Dan Johnson || September 26, 2013 Leave a Comment

Icon Aircraft’s A5 drew plenty of visitors to their AirVenture booth in recent years.

The powered folding wing of the A5 is a big hit; the vinyl graphic overlay gives clues to its operation.

When visitors got closer to the X-Ray view A5 mockup they could almost see through the skin to the hardware underneath.

As you got very close, you could see some individual components identified.

Icon circulated photos of what the company informally terms its “three-dimensional CAD drawing” of the company’s A5 amphibious Light Sport Aircraft (LSA). “The full-scale 3D model employs automotive vinyl wrap technology,” explained Icon, “printed with an adapted projection of the Computer Aided Design (CAD) virtual model depicting the location and layout of key structures and systems of the aircraft, which provides an unprecedented level of technical detail about the production A5.” If you’ve been wondering what’s under the skin of the handsome LSA amphib, the special graphics were very helpful.

Even when Icon enters production owners and interested parties won’t get to see the same detail that factory workers will see. Icon Vice President of Sales, Craig Bowers, said, “Our design and engineering teams have made tremendous progress on the A5, and much of it was initiated in a virtual environment.” He said the vinyl wrap treatment “was designed to demonstrate that progress as well as provide detailed information regarding design intricacies and construction.”

“Starting with the virtual model of the aircraft, the design team selected the technical features they wished to highlight on the three-dimensional model and determined how to map them onto the surface,” the company exlained. “The aircraft was wrapped in black vinyl and the graphics depicting the internal systems were overlaid with silver decals and red accents. The resulting graphics … [allowed] … the opportunity to carefully study the aircraft’s technical details.” The California company said work continues with production of the first four aircraft to support the FAA LSA approval process, the first of which is scheduled for completion in mid-2014. So those thousand owners still have a wait to take possession of their A5 but now they know better what they’re going to get. According to news reports and confirmed in person at AirVenture, it appears at least some production will occur in central California in Vacaville as we reported earlier (see end of article).

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If you traveled to Oshkosh for AirVenture 2013, you got to see a lot of airplanes and other aviation gear. EAA reported a very substantial crowd of more than 500,000 attended. As this might translate to 150-200,000 pilots, the big figure nonetheless means that more than 400,000 American pilots did not go to AirVenture. That majority of flying enthusiasts missed a lot but recently Icon Aircraft sent out news about their X-Ray View of their Light-Sport entry. This impressive display was shown in their big tent and many examined the details. If you missed AirVenture 2013, we’re happy to show you a little of what you missed. Icon circulated photos of what the company informally terms its “three-dimensional CAD drawing” of the company’s A5 amphibious Light Sport Aircraft (LSA). “The full-scale 3D model employs automotive vinyl wrap technology,” explained Icon, “printed with an adapted projection of the Computer Aided Design (CAD) virtual model depicting the location and layout of key structures and systems of the aircraft, which provides an unprecedented level of technical detail about the production A5.” If you’ve been wondering what’s under the skin of the handsome LSA amphib, the special graphics were very helpful.

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Rans Aircraft in the News … Twice!

By Dan Johnson || September 23, 2013 Leave a Comment

John Pederson and his S-6 alongside Chicago’s Lake Short Drive. photo adapted from the Wall Street Journal

Chicago’s towering skyscrapers make an unusual airplane backdrop. photo adapted from the Christian Science Monitor

Bill Nelson and his S-12 Airaile. photo adapted from the Tri-City Herald

After losing the trim tab on the elevator of his Rans S-6, John Pederson of Lombard, Illinois grappled with a violent shaking and executed an emergency landing on Chicago’s Lake Shore Drive. He was flying very early so traffic on the multi-lane route was light. Pederson reported timing his landing to avoid any traffic, though local sources reported the airplane was struck by two autos both of which sped away afterward. Unable to regain stability, the 51-year-old electrician radioed a mayday to O’Hare International Airport and then set up for landing. A recording of the radio call revealed John behaving calmly and, indeed, no one was injured in the highly-publicized incident. “At the time of the mayday call, about 6 a.m., he was flying about 1,900 feet above [Chicago’s downtown] Millennium Park, he said,” according to a report on the Chicago Tribune‘s online website.

The good news is no one was injured and while media reports poked fun at Pederson’s very visible downtown Chicago landing, the report can nonetheless be viewed more or less positively. Asked in a video, John said that, of course, he’d continue flying (no surprise to any pilot). Some in aviation will question his landing decision or his flight over such a congested area, or perhaps Pederson’s maintenance or preflight inspection. However, problems can arise while flying any aircraft and the true evaluation should come from the outcome. It appears John performed quite well and his decision was probably better than trying a lakefront landing. I lived in Chicago for many years and the lake’s beaches would likely not have resulted in as good an outcome. ••• Now to a cheerier media report on flying another Rans …

Here I adapt a report from Washington state’s

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Rotax BRP In the News; Achieves Milestone

By Dan Johnson || September 23, 2013 Leave a Comment

Rotax BRP presented 912 iS facts and info at their AirVenture 2013 press conference.

At AirVenture 2013 Rotax Aircraft Engine executive Christian Mundigler accepted the EAA August Raspet Award on behalf of the company given for their work to advance light aviation.

Rotax Aircraft Engine’s North American team poses by the 912 iS engine in the company’s Oshkosh display. Joining the photo at right (blue shirt) is EAA’s Charlie Becker who had just presented the August Raspet award.

Although Rotax Aircraft Engines successfully power approximately four out of five Light-Sport Aircraft, some in legacy general aviation companies still derisively refer to the liquid-cooled, high-revving, smaller-displacement engines as “just one of those snow mobile engines.” I believe they are woefully under informed but old habits can be hard to break. Many mechanics are expert in working on Lycoming or Continental engines — the powerplants of American aircraft for many decades. However, some of these technicians are not expert on the new technology of a Rotax engine and to divert attention from their lack of expertise some dismiss what they do not know. That is shortsighted as they could be working on and earning an income from servicing Rotax as well. Fortunately, a growing number of mechanics have taken Rotax training (for example, Texas powerhouse US Aviation has six such mechanics). Yet too many GA mechanics still deploy the snowmobile engine pejorative.

Well, the naysayers might consider this: Rotax BRP, the parent company of Rotax Aircraft Engines, recently announced they built their three millionth Ski-Doo snow mobile. Since this is a substantial share of all aircraft ever built, those dismissing the company’s engine-building prowess need to rethink using a snowmobile engine in a negative connotation. The company manufactures some 200,000 engine every year, itself nearly equivalent to entire fleet of piston airplanes flying in the USA. Rotax BRP’s 9-series engines power Light-Sport Aircraft and many kit-built aircraft plus many more thousands of aircraft described with other terms around the world. Throughout 40 years since 1973 Rotax has delivered more than 125,000 aircraft engines including more than 46,000 of the 9-series engines (80- and 100-hp 912, turbocharged 115-hp 914, and new fuel-injected 912 iS).

The newest 912 iS was released with great fanfare in 2012 and company manager Christian Mundigler updated media and interested parties at press conferences at Aero and AirVenture 2013 (photo). In the year since the 912 iS was introduced Mundigler reported that “several hundred” 912 iS engines have been delivered. The Austrian company has worked with 22 Original Equipment [airframe] Manufacturers to achieve 26 model installations and they are presently working with another 23 OEMs. Mundigler, who also serves on the board of directors for LAMA (see Christian’s bio) and LAMA Europe, was pleased to update media journalists at Oshkosh with a report that the fuel efficiency of the 912 iS has proven even better than predicted. “Fuel efficiency is 36% better than the 100-hp 912ULS if you fly in eco-mode, which is below 97% throttle setting.” Numerous users of the 912 iS engine concur, reporting cruise flight fuel burn rates below 4.0 gallons per hour. The engine can operate on 100LL, premium autogas, or any mix of the two. The engine runs cleanest on mogas, say numerous Rotax experts and this fuel choice further holds down cost of operation. Several LSA can achieve 30 mile per gallon efficiency even at 125 mph, making these models very low cost transportation aircraft.

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Survey Results for Reasons to Buy LSA

By Dan Johnson || September 16, 2013 Leave a Comment

Presenting “20+ Reasons to Buy an LSA.” The forum turned into standing room only showing the LSA interest level is high, a fact confirmed by good attendance at this year’s Expo. photo from Midwest LSA Expo’s Facebook page

At the Midwest LSA Expo that concluded a few days back, I delivered a presentation called “20+ Reasons to Buy an LSA.” However, to handle the subject a little bit differently, I turned it into an audience participation exercise. As I presented each slide of one particular reason, I explained what was meant and elaborated on how each reason made LSA different from other sorts of aircraft someone might consider buying. Then, I asked the audience to raise their hand if that reason was one that might cause them to buy a Light-Sport. I advised that no one was recording their names, so they remained anonymous. Each person could raise their hand as many times as they wanted or never raise their hand if they chose. No one had to participate. About 35 people listened and somewhere between 15 and 25 answered most of the time. The following chart shows the responses. The sample size isn’t large enough to be scientific, but I bet manufacturers and sellers will pay attention.

To make the chart easier to comprehend, I changed the order of reasons to reflect those that provide the most compelling reasons to buy. You can see that number one was fuel efficiency. This result must be satisfying to Rotax engineers and salesmen because that company’s new fuel injected 912 iS engine boasts a considerably better fuel burn rate than the carburetor version (912 ULS) that preceded it and which is still available. I’ll have more about Rotax’s 912 iS in a following post.

Three reasons tied for second place: the spaciousness of LSA cockpits; the rapid pace at which manufacturers can introduce new designs or technology (thanks to the ASTM standards method of obtaining FAA acceptance); and, not surprisingly, the sheer joy of flying these responsive, good performing, roomy, fuel-sipping aircraft. A large share were motivated by the chance for LSA owners to do their own annual condition inspection (after a 16-hour weekend course) or full maintenance (after a monthlong course). A three-way tie for fourth included: the huge visibility many of these aircraft offer (I told listeners that the view from aloft was my main reason to enjoy flying); their solid safety record as established after more than eight years of owner operation; and, the generous payloads they offer both as a share of their gross weight and compared to many GA aircraft.

The arrow shows the most popular reasons answered by more than half the participants, but you can see that all the other reasons also have their adherents. You’d have to hear the hourlong presentation to know precisely what the other reasons mean, but their titles are fairly self-explanatory. Notably, flat last, with about a third of respondents, was the low noise output of most LSA. Of course, that’s something more important for folks on the ground and my audience at the Midwest LSA Expo wanted to fly. Indeed, that’s a leading reason to attend the fall event in Mt. Vernon, Illinois. Demo flights don’t get much easier to deliver than at this flying-friendly airport.

A special thanks to Jacob Peed, director of Aviators Hot Line for tallying the responses as I presented. Aviators and ByDanJohnson.com plan a further effort of surveying these questions as a means to help buyers and sellers achieve their goals.

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Pipistrel’s Flexible Sinus & Soarable Taurus

By Dan Johnson || September 14, 2013 Leave a Comment

Pipistrel’s latest, the Sinus Flex, adds to their fleet of seven aircraft plus two trikes.

Mountains near Pipistrel’s factory prove handy to demonstrate Taurus’ significant soaring capability. Dual, retractable main gear give Taurus a solid stance on the ground.

Side-by-side seating in Taurus is not only unusual, it is very comfortable.

Now you see it; now you don’t. Taurus’ Rotax 503 engine and prop can disappear inside a fuselage cavity.

After Germany’s Aero 2013 event, we traveled to Pipistrel. It was our first visit to Slovenia, a country of four million with a section of the Alps running through it and a lovely route called the Emerald Trail to view the tall mountains. Slovenia proved a beautiful country that we’d love to visit again, but a leading reason to repeat is the presence of Pipistrel. This summer, the LSA and self-launched glider producer is in the news with their exchangeable wingtip Sinus Flex that transforms the long, shapely motorglider wings from a 50-foot span to a more hangar-manageable 40 feet. Using a single bolt, the change is said to take only five minutes and the unused tips can be stored in leather bags; the option price is $5,200. Buyers get both “a long range super-economic cruiser” and a “training aircraft,” noted Pipistrel. Sinus offers dual flight controls and a choice of either tailwheel or nosewheel gear, though the latter decision must be made at purchase.

When we visited my wife, Randee, and I were able to take a flight in Pipistrel’s Taurus. The unusual side-by-side self-launched sailplane is excellent for training. Since we are both soaring enthusiasts, going aloft near Pipistrel’s base to explore some light ridge lift gave an excellent chance to view the countryside surrounding the factory. We flew with Nejc Faganelj [Slovenian accent marks not shown]. “Nejc is pronounced ‘Nates’ and his surname is pronounced ‘Fug-a-nell’,” explained Taja Boscarol, who manages the company’s media and website among other duties. Nates proved to be a superb pilot despite his mid-20s youthfulness.

Taurus has a 49 foot wingspan with retractable main gear and a slick finish that allows it to reach a glide ratio of 41:1. That level of performance compares well to non-engined sailplanes with tandem seating, itself a noteworthy achievement. I’ve flown several sailplanes but never side-by-side and I am a new convert to this configuration; certainly, it is optimal for training or enjoying a flight with a companion. As Nates powered up to the nearby mountains, the engine noise was tolerable from the Rotax 503 but when he retracted engine and propeller into its fuselage locker, the remaining sound was air slipping around the cabin. We could converse at a whisper. When retract is commanded, the prop automatically aligns before completely hiding in the aft fuselage.

Nudging Taurus in close to the mountains, we shared the lift with a few paragliders and one other sailplane. For a longtime hang glider pilot like me this was pure delight. Taurus handles like many sailplanes, meaning you use rudder controls liberally. Yet the overall control feel seemed reasonably conventional and I adapted quickly. We found no thermals on the day of our flights and the ridge lift (air blowing up the mountain slope) was light. Taurus exploited the modest conditions to easily deliver a half hour of soaring before it was time to return to base. When we did, Nates had another surprise in store. As we approached at more than 100 knots, Nates converted this energy from a ground-skimming fly-by to pattern altitude in a graceful, banking arc that returned us to final for touchdown on the turf runway after extending the gear (watch video below). All the while, the Rotax and prop remained retracted as Nates expertly delivered us all the way back to Pipistrel’s hangar with the skill of someone who has done this a thousand times. Ground operation is far more straightforward than in many sailplanes thanks to the dual main gear (most sailplanes use a single main wheel with wingtip wheels or skids). Taurus offers a 78 knot (90 mph) cruise under power and consumes only 3.1 gallons an hour at 90 knots (104 mph). The motorglider is comfortable for cross country cruising but any soaring fan will find it excellent for thermaling or slope soaring. Not needing a tow aloft is very liberating. Pipistrel bought a number of Rotax 503s when Rotax stopped production; when these are finally used up, the company is ready with an electric option that is available today. Randee and I quickly regain our smiles when recalling our soaring adventure with Nates at Pipistrel in Slovenia.

Experience the low pass and precision taxi in this video (make sure your sound is on):

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After Aero — Visiting Rotax and Pipistrel

By Dan Johnson || September 14, 2013 Leave a Comment

One of several BRP-Powertrain assembly lines.

Three robots work in harmony to insert deeply chilled parts, a task challenging for humans and the robots never tire.

Pipistrel’s amazingly energy-efficient factory with several aircraft outside on the company’s airfield.

The shapely wings of Taurus allow soaring flight with 40:1 gliding power. Towering nearby mountains supplied the lift for our visit.

BRP-Powertrain is the parent behind Rotax Aircraft Engines. Though occupying a sizeable amount of real estate in the immense BRP-Powertrain factory, the aircraft engines are the “hand built” portion of the production. Fast-paced, largely-automated, robot-assisted assembly lines manufacture many thousands of engines each year for such products as SeaDoo, BMW motorcycles, and other well-known brands. Diverse as the two manufacturing systems are, they share many aspects and chief among them is an intensity over quality control. A tour of the entire factory with executive Christian Mundigler became sensory overload. It was obvious that the light aircraft industry benefits enormously from this large Austrian company. Rotax powers an estimated 75-80% of the light aircraft fleet in the USA and even higher in many countries.

The name Rotax stems from “rotary axle,” a simple bicycle part dating to early in the twentieth century. From such a humble beginning, the company has grown to be one of the largest enterprises supplying the aviation industry. Other than Boeing and Airbus, BRP-Powertrain can match metrics with the biggest and best of them. In the factory, a tremendous effort of efficiency is visible in every step of activity. I was impressed with the respect paid to suggestions from the newest employee to the daily manufacturing floor involvement of high level managers. TV documentary producers would love many great visuals from smoothly and continuously running assembly lines to the blurred-motion speed of robots (photos) inserting critical engine components 24 hours a day. The facility literally hums with activity through three back-to-back shifts.

A few hours drive down the motorway in the neighboring country of Slovenia is Pipistrel, the 25-year-old company that produces LSA’s broadest line of all-composite aircraft. It was our first visit to the country formerly known as Yugoslavia and we came away impressed enough to spend an extra day touring the gorgeous countryside. Pipistrel has more than 1,000 aircraft flying in 60 countries. Already well known in the USA, it is poised to move steadily up our market share chart; it would already be in the list but several models are registered as LSA gliders which Jan Fridrich and I have struggled to count accurately for a variety of reasons connected to the FAA database. Along with other undercounted categories as we reported earlier, LSA gliders — as the Pipistrel Sinus motorglider and Virus are often categorized — are an integral part of the Light-Sport Aircraft space and we’re going to dig deeper to report these more fully. Meanwhile, Pipistrel is delivering Alphas as SLSA airplanes and for this they’ve acquired space on an airport in Italy, mere minutes away.

One great pleasure while visiting Pipistrel was getting to fly the Taurus self-launched motorglider and the speedy Virus SW. I’ve already flown the Sinus and Virus but missed the Taurus. This roomy first-of-its kind side-by-side microlight motorglider achieves a 40:1 glide engine off yet launches willingly with push from a Rotax 503 two stroke that neatly folds down into the aft fuselage once aloft. Dual main gear makes Taurus stable in taxi and retract for cleanliness during soaring flight. As my wife Randee and I are both soaring pilots it was wonderful of talented factory pilot Nate to get us both aloft near the tall mountains surrounding the factory. We shared the lift with some paragliders and another sailplane from a club based on the same field as Pipistrel. ••• I plan more complete reports on both Rotax and Pipistrel as their highly competent facilities deserve more than you just read. I am so pleased both are working in the LSA space. Their professionalism contributes greatly to the advancement of light aviation.

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We paid two memorable visits after Aero ended and I’ll tell you a little about each one … but first … While I was at Pipistrel in the office of boss Ivo Boscarol, he received word that Matevz Lenarcic had reached the North Pole on his flight reported earlier. Congratulations on this achievement; a long flight across the North Atlantic remains. Godspeed! ••• The two visits were to Rotax Aircraft Engines and to Pipistrel. These two are not geographically far apart and work closely. Each spoke highly of the other and both companies are highly impressive places to visit. BRP-Powertrain is the parent behind Rotax Aircraft Engines. Though occupying a sizeable amount of real estate in the immense BRP-Powertrain factory, the aircraft engines are the “hand built” portion of the production. Fast-paced, largely-automated, robot-assisted assembly lines manufacture many thousands of engines each year for such products as SeaDoo, BMW motorcycles, and other well-known brands.

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