For your weekend enjoyment — and because I am a soaring enthusiast … plus I was sent some interesting photos — consider this slick Part 103 glider, or motorglider (photo). Radek Hucik sent photos of the aircraft performing at a Czech soaring content, where it placed 12th out of 34 competitors. Considering most of the others appear to be conventional sailplanes, one that meets Part 103 at much less weight did well. A high end sailplane can hit or exceed a 50:1 glide angle. This is an amazing performance mark, which translates to flying nearly ten miles from only 1,000 feet of altitude. The XS-12 Saggita manages 35:1 (more specs below) and that is a noteworthy achievement for such a light aircraft. Radek wrote, “[This is] a powered glider that my colleagues and I have developed over the past 20 months. The glider is designed so that it meets Federal Aviation Regulations Part 103 [for] Ultralight Vehicles.
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Post-AirVenture 2014 News Review
Summer’s big show is over and most aviation business folks are back home having that love/hate affair with email that piled up while we worked the event. On whole, the success story is strong. Airplanes sold, crowds were good, accidents were few, and the weather was not smoking hot like it has been in years past (though brief rain showers kept folks dashing for cover on occasion). EAA says attendance was up from last year, that the numbers of airplanes was higher, and that campgrounds reached capacity by midweek. EAA’s special 10th Anniversary of Sport Pilot/Light-Sport Aircraft Exhibit drew well all week with 17 aircraft representing all sectors within the SP/LSA space. Visitors could hardly miss the wonderfully central space AirVenture planners offered for this one-year display. With the front corners presenting a bright green Van’s RV-12 plus the freshly debuted MVP seaplane attendees were practically compelled to wander the space and see all the flying machines.
Evektor with Dynon Earns EASA Type Certificate
The very first aircraft ever to receive approval in the USA as a Light-Sport Aircraft is Evektor-Aerotechnik’s SportStar. No challenger can ever take away that title yet the company has continually developed this pioneeering airplane and recently achieved a new level of approval … one that alters the landscape in a way I predict we’ll see more as FAA’s Part 23 rewrite project progresses. “Following several months of certification process EASA has approved glass cockpit Dynon SkyView [as] SportStar RTC,” Evektor announced. RTC stands for Restricted Type Certificate. It is not identical the U.S. Part 23 Type Certificate — representing a somewhat lower level of government oversight — but a company earning this has to jump through many regulatory hoops. “SportStar RTC has become the first EASA certified aircraft approved with the SkyView glass cockpit [by proving] compliance with certification requirements of the EASA CS-LSA regulations. Dynon’s SkyView, recently upgraded to permit touch functionality, is widely known and used on Light-Sport Aircraft.
Versatile LSA Seaplane to Debut at AirVenture 2014
An entirely new Light-Sport seaplane will make its “global debut” at EAA AirVenture 2014 and this is one you’ll want to see up close and in detail. As with a number of other persons, I have been briefed on this new entry and, like the others, I signed a Non-Disclosure Agreement to keep the new project under wraps until company leaders were ready to reveal their new flying machine. At the coming summer celebration of flight in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, everyone will finally get to see what has excited many of those NDA signers. Airshow visitors will see a mockup, but if the full-size concept looks even remotely as good as it did in the computer presentation I was shown, be prepared to be blown away. This boat hull aircraft has features you’ve never even contemplated much less seen on any previous offering. You can guess some of what I’m writing about by their tagline for MVP, “The World’s Most Versatile Plane.” That’s a big claim as we already have many good seaplane designs and more will be following.
Searey Expands into China; Opens Sales Office
The list of aviation companies involved in one way or another with China is getting so long I won’t try to show them all here. Big companies like Cirrus Design or Continental are included. So are LSA manufacturers of various brands. Some business are setting up dealerships (Quicksilver, others). Others have arranged Chinese partners to build planes in-country (Flight Design, Zenith, others). Several companies have been fully acquired by or have received substantial funding from Chinese enterprises (Icon, others) and I’m aware of more that we will hear more about in the weeks and months to follow. The U.S. government and many other nations have borrowed from the Chinese government so a nearly unfathomable amount of dollars or other currencies are parked in China. However, most of the aviation financial arrangements are private, showing that, like their government, Chinese business people have plenty of funds to invest.
SuperSTOL to Perform at Just Plane Fun Days
Airplane-brand-specific fly-in events can be fun and informative. If the folks at Just Aircraft are involved and if they show off their amazing SuperSTOL, a company fly-in takes on a new level of excitement. Those of you who have stopped by their airshow display to speak to the people from Just Aircraft know the Walhalla, South Carolina manufacturer is composed of a bunch of individuals that seem so laid back, you could wonder how they get so much work done. They do, by the way, having produced and delivered more than 500 aircraft kits. Since 2012 — when they introduced their at-the-time-unnamed SuperSTOL to slacked-jawed response from crowds — Just Aircraft reported kit sales have more than doubled requiring the company to add a second shift to keep up with demand. How many other companies do you know with that need? All seriousness aside for a weekend, though, those Just Aircraft’ers know how to have a good time, too.
Strutted Quicksilver on Full Lotus Floats
“It’s still the best,” is a phrase I could use referring to Quicksilver’s most-popular-of-all ultralights in general, the Sport 2S. Indeed it remains a delightful aircraft and the strutted construction appeals to many pilots. Or, I could be referring to flying an ultralight on floats, that being one of the very best ways to enjoy an ultralight. Or, I could be talking about both. You’ll want to read on and see.
I might also be talking about the strutted version of the venerable Quicksilver model being the best of the design series. Or, I might be talking about the innovative company representing the Quicksilver 2S on floats in central Florida. Every one of these statements is accurate in one way or another.
It was my pleasure to fly the Sport 2S on Full Lotus floats and it surely was a dandy experience. Is it the best? Well, it might be for you.
Just on Fire! SuperSTOL Leads to 500th Kit
We all have favorites … foods, websites, movies, and of course, airplanes. I have favorites, too. This doesn’t mean my favorites are better than others, nor that anyone else may agree with me. That’s OK. Properly caveated, I have to say one of my favorite airplanes is Just Aircraft’s SuperSTOL. Flying it at last Sun ‘n Fun with head developer Troy Woodland was arguably my most enjoyable flying experience at the show, or for that matter, in recent memory. To state this carefully, airplanes have different capabilities so I don’t have an all-around #1 favorite but SuperSTOL is way up high on my list. Evidently, I am not the only one who feels strongly about the smile-factor of flying SuperSTOL. Honestly, what’s not to like? The plane flies docilely — even though it looks totally radical — and it doesn’t cost an arm and a leg. Plus, the folks behind it are your salt-of-the-Earth, down-home types that you cannot help but like.
Aero 2014 Review … Starting to Think AirVenture
Life has settled down a little after the rush that began at the end of March. Five weeks back, Sun ‘n Fun was approaching to kick off the season of recreational flying.
Aero in Germany followed with only a one day break before boarding the airliner to Europe followed by plenty of follow-up and contemplating the hot and fast action. With a couple weeks of perspective and to answer a common question — How does the industry look in Europe? — I have some final observations.
I found five areas to consider and list them below. Among all the many wonderful aircraft I saw, two particular subgroups stood out for me personally, one for its sheer success and the other for its subtle return to a higher interest plateau.
I refer first to gyroplanes and secondly to, well … what to call them? How about simply “ultralights?” Even that word isn’t right because Ultralight in Europe means something quite different from ultralight (vehicle) in the USA.
Zenith’s CH 750 Is a Success In China
China, China, China … Americans hear a lot about this fast growing country although financial news outlets say growth is slowing as its economy matures. American pilots have been hearing plenty, too. Sometimes it seems like an unending list of companies (Cirrus Design, Continental Motors, Mooney Aircraft, several LSA seaplane manufacturers and various other enterprises) that report gaining Chinese investment. We have several times written about western light aircraft builders gaining approval to sell in China after meeting requirements from the country’s aviation authorities. We have even seen a number of Chinese-designed light aircraft some of which are exploring new new ideas. European and other aircraft are offered for sale at shows though deliveries remain modest. Behind all this bustle of activity Zenith Aircraft has been quietly collecting orders and making shipments. Indeed, they released fresh news about their success in China.
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