A most remarkable thing happened recently. No, I don’t mean the sudden resignation of EAA president Rod Hightower. I refer to a recent (September 27, 2012) approval of a brand new Special LSA. Why is that noteworthy, especially as it is #128 on our SLSA List? Everyone in the business of LSA and most other alert readers have followed the long, winding, still-evolving path of FAA approvals in the fall of 2012. Specifically, FAA has released an order that says any new model from an existing LSA supplier or any LSA from a new company must be blessed by FAA headquarters in Washington DC. The Aircraft Certification branch must be informed first and an inspection judged necessary cannot be done by a DAR (Designated Airworthiness Representative… the people who have approved all other nearly 3,000 LSA in America). Under the new dictate, any new-model approval must be done by an FAA Air Safety Investigator.
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Flying the Airplanes of Sebring 2012… (Part 2)
LSA America builds the Czech-designed Allegro in America as one of the first companies (but not the last, I suspect) to cross the Atlantic. Ironically, this results in an aircraft less expensive than other LSA that come from Eastern European countries where we once thought low wages and high aviation skills would upset U.S. airplane manufacturing. Funny how life works out, and in only six or seven years. *** Doug and Betty Hempstead, who used to import Allegro from Fantasy Air, took a long and winding road to American production finally teaming up with another developer in Roseburg, Oregon. When the other company shut down the Hempsteads had to start all over again. Finally they succeeded in bringing the Allegro to U.S. manufacturing under the company name LSA America. The North Carolina company was visible at Sebring 2012 where I took an opportunity to fly a Made-in-the-USA Allegro.
SLSA #127, SAB Vulcan, Appears at MW LSA Expo
SAB’s Vulcan isn’t entirely new. The design has existed in Europe and arrived in the USA more than two years ago but stealthily avoided our radar as a Special Light-Sport Aircraft until the 2012 Midwest LSA Expo at the Mt. Vernon, Illinois airport. The secret is out now and Vulcan C-100 has been added to our SLSA List and comes at #127.
Basically, the Italian SAB Aviation jumped the Atlantic into the American LSA market with their derivative of the famous Falco kit aircraft. The low-wing all-metal design first arrived to importer Phil McCoy and his Florida-based Light Sport America enterprise. McCoy promoted the introduction at Sun ‘n Fun 2010 but evidently didn’t complete the process for the Vulcan C-100 to earn its Airworthiness Certificate.
Representation at the Midwest LSA Expo was by the team of Niley Church and Valter della Nebbia under the business name SAB Aviation of Americas.
LSA News Wrap — Rotax-Icon-Tecnam-More
Another busy week finished a very active August that has seen high readership… for which we sincerely thank you. Following are some brief news stories in the LSA space.
*** ROTAX “EMERGENCY AD?” Aviation media was all over the Rotax “Emergency AD” story, but is that entirely accurate? Aren’t LSA subject to manufacturer-issued SBs or Service Bulletins rather than Airworthiness Directives, which are normally issued by FAA for certified aircraft? Well, “yes,” said Rotax expert Phil Lockwood. He explained that the matter in question — some fuel lines that need to be replaced — was a result of a vendor change bringing some incorrect components. “Rotax issued a Service Bulletin last spring on this subject,” Phil added. The so-called “emergency AD” was triggered by an EASA issuance primarily for certified Rotax engines in Europe. Rotax BRP is a very careful company that is quick to correct problems and this was something of delayed reaction that again appears to show the certified world may not respond as quickly as the LSA sector.
Remarkably Priced, Fully Built, & Powerful CH-750
Some say LSA are too expensive. With some topping $200,000 (or even more), that rings true… in some cases. Yet more budget-friendly models are available and Oshkosh 2012 unveiled another. Now Zenith Aircraft‘s kit STOL CH 750 is available as a fully-built LSA. The price? A bargain $74,900, an intro price, admittedly, but regularly it’ll still be only $84,900. By any measure, that’s a good deal. Take the intro price back to when LSA was announced in summer of 2004 and the figure would be barely over $60,000, just as most expected then.
*** The new manufacturer is Tenn-Air run by Pete Krotje (already active with Jabiru and Arion) who licensed the design rights from Zenair Ltd., to produce the all-metal high-wing as a SLSA. The updated 750 offers a much larger cabin compared to the still-produced 701. It is powered by the 120-hp six-cylinder Jabiru 3300 engine, has a EIS engine monitor system, Garmin SL-40 comm radio, intercom, Sensenich prop, basic flight instruments, and 6×6 tires at the low introductory price though you can spend a bit more for full glass panel displays.
Skycatcher To Move To Primary Aircraft Category!
Edit: There was some confusion after I first posted this a few days before Oshkosh, so I hope this addendum clears things up: *** First Piper, now Cessna…wow, didn’t see this coming. I’m referring to Piper leaving the LSA field after dropping the PiperSport a couple years back. Similarly, Cessna will no longer list the Skycatcher in the LSA category, but…and here’s where there was some misunderstanding, although I do say this in the text below…the aircraft will continue to be produced at its current specs and will still be legal to fly by Sport Pilots. *** —– *** Even though I’m not arriving in Oshkosh until Friday, this newsflash hot off the wire can’t wait. I just picked this up from the Wichita Eagle. In brief, it says: *** Cessna just announced they’ll move the C-162 Skycatcher into the Primary Aircraft category. It will no longer be a Light Sport Aircraft .
Oshkosh Saturday
Pipistrel in particular seems to be riding the crest of ever-growing reputation. It’s new Alpha Trainer, which I’m scheduled to fly tomorrow morning, lucky me (I’m the first US journalist I think to have the privilege), is already selling and selling well, with at least a couple checks changing hands at the show earlier in the week and another sold by Rand Vollmer, the Southeast Pipistrel go-to guy, today, the $83,000 ($89,000 with shipping from Slovenia and U.S. set up and other costs factored in) is staged to make a big play for individuals and flight schools who are ready for an aircraft that is truly cheap to fly (2 gph in training takeoff/landing circuits, 3-3.5 gph at 107 knot cruise…and all this on an 80 hp Rotax 912!) and representative of a progressive, brilliant design team that promises more exciting developments in years to come. *** Exciting as in the Panthera 4-seat Ferrari-like cruiser that is currently in development for 2013 delivery as a certificated airplane in Europe…2015-6 in the U.S *** Pipistrel is a bold, imaginative company of forward thinkers like company founder Ivo Boscarol, award-winning engineers like project leader Tine Tomazic and savvy marketers like U.S.
Skycatcher To Be Primary Aircraft: LSA No Longer!
First Piper, now Cessna…wow, didn’t see this coming. *** Even though I’m not arriving in Oshkosh until Friday, this newsflash hot off the wire can’t wait. I just picked this up from the Wichita Eagle. In brief, it says: *** Cessna just announced they’ll move the C-162 Skycatcher into the Primary Aircraft category. It will no longer be a Light Sport Aircraft . This on the heels of news that the Wichita-based aviation giant had pulled it’s European marketing and EASA CS-LSA certification efforts because of the cost and complexity above and beyond certifying to the U.S. Light Sport category. *** The company said switching to Primary Aircraft will aid in the certification process with countries worldwide, which certainly includes Europe’s EASA CS-LSA standards, which you can think of as FAA Airworthiness Lite, or looked at another way, LSA Heavy. *** Cessna was quick to add that the Skycatcher will still be flyable by pilots with a sport pilot license.
Tecnam’s Tail Dragger Keeps Getting Better
With five models currently meeting ASTM standards for SLSA, Tecnam has established itself as the leader in prolific design of Light-Sport Aircraft (they also have a Twin and are working on a four seater plus an eleven seater). Much of this design prowess owes to family patriarch Professor Luigi Pascale, known for his incredible output of designs over the years under the company names Partenavia and Tecnam. Even into his 80s, Luigi Pascale continues his energetic engineering.
*** Recently the U.S. importer for Tecnam got their chance to fly the new Tail Dragger. Tecnam North America CEO Phil Solomon wrote, “We flew the Tail Dragger a couple of weeks ago and it climbed like a rocket at over 1,600 feet per minute with the Lycoming engine and performed flawlessly.” He promised to send some in-flight footage, which we’ll add to this article when edited and ready.
*** Phil also sent some photos of the latest flights in Italy.
Pipistrel’s New Alpha Trainer Announced
The company I’ve been writing a lot about lately keeps finding more things for me to talk about. When I was in Slovenia last month, Pipistrel‘s movers and shakers told me on the QT to be ready for a major announcement soon. *** And here it is: just officially announced this morning, introducing the Alpha Trainer, a purpose-built version of the company’s winning Virus SW (Short Wing) cruiser. Designed for the flight school market, it carries an introductory price that should raise a few eyebrows: $83,000 just about everything, including delivery, shipping to the US, FAA fees etc. *** Yep, I’d call that news. *** Rand Vollmer of SALSA Aviation, a U.S. Pipistrel dealer, tipped me off this morning about the official release. Pipistrel makes elegant, fun-flying, functional aircraft and the Alpha (200 were recently ordered by the Indian government) should prove to be no exception.
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