Earthstar’s Odyssey Continues

The Earthstar Odyssey’s short 26-foot-span
wing belies the performance available. With
a stall speed in the low 30’s and a top speed
approaching 120 mph, the aircraft has a wide
speed range, a tribute to Mark Beierle’s design
acumen.

With wide doors, entry and exit into the low-slung
Odyssey is easy. Lots of windows provide great
visibility. Check out the interior of the aircraft to
note the staggered side-by-side seating, which
allows the aircraft to have side-by-side seating
with less frontal area, thereby reducing any performance
drains on the two-place aircraft.

The Odyssey’s profile is distinctive-inflight
or on the ground. Note the center-mounted
stick, allowing the aircraft to be piloted from
either seat.

Mark Beierle pre-flights the Odyssey in preparation
for the cross-country flight from Earthstar’s
factory in Santa Margarita, California, to EAA
AirVenture Oshkosh 2005. Mark rarely misses
Sun ‘n Fun, the Northwest EAA Regional Fly-In,
or EAA AirVenture|and he flies his aircraft to
each show. “Airplanes are meant to be flown,
not trailered,” Mark says.

Manufacturing Earthstar Aircraft in Israel

After flying many ultralight and light-sport aircraft, I’ve found the handling
and performance characteristics of Earthstar Aircraft’s machines
suit me as well as or better than any others. With that said, let me
tell you about some significant changes that may thrust this small
California company into the mainstream of light-sport aviation.
Mark Beierle created the Thunder Gull series of ultralights after working in the
aerospace industry … and being discouraged with the ultralights available in the
early 1980s. He was interested in perfecting his designs, so his priority was not producing
numerous units. Instead, he wanted to produce an aircraft with classic flying
characteristics. Customer response to his machines was excellent, but delivery
often stretched into months, even years. To own a prized Earthstar model, you had
to have patience. This situation gave another company, Titan Aircraft, a chance to
build a similar design, the Titan Tornado, and its business took off while Earthstar
remained deliberately small.

When the sport pilot/light-sport aircraft
(SP/LA) rule was enacted in 2004,
Earthstar initially planned no participation.
Building a small number of
kits and doing innovative design work
on aircraft and engines satisfied Mark.
However, some months ago, Mark told
me he planned to join the LSA parade.
I was surprised! What I didn’t know
was how this story would unfold.
Joining Cultures
Shortly after the SP/LSA rule was
released, I was invited to speak to a
gathering of Israeli pilots in their home
country. My hosts were Miki Raviv
(he prefers to be called “Mike”) and
Abraham “Kim” Kimchi.

Mike is currently building an RV-
7A and Kim built a Long-EZ, but along
their aviation paths, each discovered the
work of Mark Beierle. Like many pilots
before them, they became enthralled
with his aircraft. Over several months,
a group led by Raviv and Kimchi struck
a deal to produce Beierle’s designs
in Israel and increase production for
export to the world market.

Is this a formula for success? No one
will know for a year or more. Avicom,
the company formed by Raviv and
Kimchi, will replicate Beierle’s designs
as carefully as modern technology will
allow. (See “Earthstar Manufacturing
in Israel.”)
Elegant Simplicity
Early Earthstar ultralights were favored
by many ultralight enthusiasts, but the
later two-seat Odyssey and the singleplace
Gull 2000 brought Mark Beierle’s
state-of-the-art designs to the world of
light-sport aircraft.

Mark’s design philosophy is to make
the most efficient aircraft he can, one
that will use the least amount of fuel
while producing the most performance.

While efficiency may be the hallmark
of Mark’s designs, creature comforts
were substantially improved with
the Odyssey and Gull 2000. The aircraft
became more comfortable and wider;
good news for large American pilots.
The Gull 2000’s lean lines show its
heritage to the older, tandem Thunder
Gull series, but it offers a roomier cabin.

The Gull 2000’s cabin is approximately
two inches wider, with the extra width
at your hips. Two inches may not seem
like much, but it achieves the goal of
accommodating many more pilots.

The structure of the Gull 2000 and
Odyssey is the same welded steel construction
that has always braced the
Earthstar designs. The all-metal wings
were designed to last. Inside the wing,
ribs from spar to leading edge are made
of expanded polystyrene, and ailerons
are fabric-covered, while the flaps are
aluminum.

The Gull 2000’s seemingly small
wing exhibits remarkable qualities.
With only 20 feet of span and 95
square feet of area, it’s one of the hardest
working wings in light aviation. I
say hard working because it doesn’t
perform like small wing in flight.

The Gull 2000 I flew a few years
back was equipped with the popular
Rotax 503 engine, but Avicom’s aircraft
will use the four-stroke HKS engine
that has won many converts.
Two Seats, Four Strokes
The Odyssey is clearly a Thunder Gull.
You cannot mistake the lines, especially
in profile. Yet, approach the airplane
from the front, and it seems wide for
an Earthstar design. Fortunately, the
added width doesn’t produce performance
penalties. With speed ranges
and capabilities that match the older,
tandem Thunder Gulls, the Odyssey
offers considerable benefits.

Over the years, Mark made his
short-spanned aircraft fly exceedingly
well, yet his perfectionist instinct
sought tandem efficiency with sideby-
side seating benefits. While tandem
two-seat aircraft allow pilots and passengers
to move around in their seats
without bumping into one another,
and lateral visibility for either occupant
is unrestricted, many pilots prefer to
have a student, friend, spouse, or other
passenger alongside them so they can
observe how their companion is enjoying
the flight.

Mark’s answer is staggered side-byside
seating, with the right seat a few
inches aft of the left. Using that design
trick, the interior of the Odyssey provides
openness not found in many
side-by-side designs. It’s my opinion
this feeling comes because no one is
seated right beside you.

Some pilots dislike staggered seating,
and indeed, an instructor will
have a harder time closely observing
his or her student’s face. However,
other pilots love the arrangement as
it provides each occupant with more
shoulder room and better lateral visibility
than is possible with direct sideby-
side seating.

Another detail that takes some
adjusting to is the Odyssey’s somewhat
floppy, shared joystick. The single
control stick has a hinged connection
to allow either occupant
to fly the plane. In no time, joystick
operation becomes comfortable
from either seat, but first impressions sometimes turn off buyers. I recommend
flying the design for a short
while before making up your mind.

All Earthstar aircraft sit quite low
on their gear with firm suspension
(air in the tires is about it). The planes
are extremely secure on turf, even
if you attempt turns at speeds that
would tip many light planes. With
the Odyssey, I found the nose wheel
steering so responsive, it almost feels
like you are using a full swiveling tail
wheel. Not only is the plane stable
on its gear, but it is also precise in its
ground handling.

The brakes on the Thunder Gull
models I’ve flown have been powerful,
a statement to both hardware and
the activating method. The Odyssey’s
brakes met my expectations. However,
because they’re actuated via heel pedals,
you have to be careful not to drag
on them; that’s easier to do with heel
brakes than toe brakes.
Time to Launch
When sitting at the end of the runway
in the Odyssey, checking for traffic was
easy-especially from
the left seat. Good visibility
was aided by
snappy ground handling;
you can execute
a quick 360-degree
turn to establish no
traffic conflicts before
departure.

The Odyssey I flew
some years ago performed
brilliantly with a 52-hp Rotax
503 engine, a feat quite difficult (or
impossible) for most other two-seaters.
Credit for the performance goes to the
design’s full and smooth enclosure, its
marvelously slick wing, and the small
overall size of the machine. Install the
60-hp, four-stroke HKS 700E engine, as
Avicom will on its Israeli-built aircraft,
and the Odyssey’s performance should
inspire many a hangar-flying tale. I
can’t wait to fly the Avicom model
with the HKS powerplant, even though
the climb rate is expected to be closer
to 900 fpm with this heavier engine.

During my test flight with the 503-
powered Odyssey, Mark told me to limit
my flying to 100 mph until a thicker
windscreen that could withstand the
aircraft’s full 120-mph Vne speed was
available. Consequently I didn’t experience
the aircraft’s fastest cruise speed,
yet it was obvious through my power
settings that Odyssey was capable of
speeds in that range.

However, what you don’t see when
you look at the Odyssey’s sleek lines is that it can slow down to the mid-30s before stalling. That’s close to a
four-times stall speed range-the holy
grail of aeronautical design-and Mark
accomplished all this with a small,
two-stroke powerplant.

The Odyssey controls well at slow
speeds, has large “barn-door” flaps and
good brakes, and is secure on its gear,
all of which contributes to helping
practiced pilots make good landings
every time.

Yet, as good as the takeoffs and
landings are, and as superb as the
Odyssey’s performance is, its handling
in flight may be the strongest attribute
of any Earthstar design. In all maneuvers
I practiced, from Dutch roll coordination
exercises to steep turns to
slow flight to cruising at higher speeds,
Mark’s airplanes exhibit superlative,
well-coordinated handling. The harmony
between the wing and tail surfaces
is as good as I’ve found in any
light aircraft or ultralight. Both aileron
roll response and rudder effectiveness
earn excellent marks. I come up empty
handed trying to find flaws in the handling
of the Odyssey.
An Odyssey of Your Own
I’ve waxed eloquently about the flight
characteristics of Earthstar airplanes,
and I don’t feel I’ve overstated the case.
Fly one for yourself and see. The problem
has always been getting a chance
to fly an Odyssey or a Gull 2000. There
just haven’t been enough available.

Mark’s dedication to engineering
perfection is admirable, but building
lots of airplanes for people has been a
subordinate task. And, you had to be
a kit builder; ready-to-fly Earthstar aircraft
haven’t been available. That business
plan will no longer satisfy buyers
in this new age of fully built, special
light-sport aircraft (S-LSA). Perhaps
that’s why I was both surprised and
delighted to hear Mark say he would
create an S-LSA version of best selling
kit-built models.

Avicom, Earthstar’s partner in building
aircraft, will ramp up production to
match demand, and that should translate
to many more Odysseys and Gull
2000s plying the skies.

The agreement between Earthstar
and Avicom is too new to yield prices
and availability, but I have confidence
in this marriage. Visit Avicom’s website
(www.avicom.co.il) to follow its progress
in bringing these aircraft to market,
both in the United States and around
the world.

Until then, a new Odyssey or Gull
2000 kit must be your choice. If you’re
agreeable to building, get in line now;
Avicom plans to supply both kits and
fully built aircraft-and you’ll save
some money. For pilots like me who
prefer ready-to-fly aircraft, the message
is, “Please hurry up, Avicom!” However,
the delight of flight in an Odyssey or
Gull 2000 will be worth the wait.