Flying the Puma

One of Canada’s best-kept secrets can be found hidden
away in a northeastern Ontario town called Hawkesbury. That
secret is the PUMA – a little plane being imported into Canada by
Humberto Dramisino of Otreb Technologies.

When you look into the history of ultralight and light sport aviation,
it’s interesting to note that the successful manufacturers are the ones
that introduce a design and then adjust it as times goes by to better fit
the ever-changing aviation marketplace.

This is what has lead to the success of the PUMA. Designed in Italy
by Antonio Bortolanza, the aircraft has undergone a number of design
transitions since it was first introduced in ’85. Dramisino has been
involved with the manufacture of the PUMA from a very early age. He
first started working in the factory when he was only 15 years of age,
“working just for the pleasure of working on airplanes,” he says.

The factory decided to redesign the craft with the idea of moving into
the North American market. The redesign did not change the materials
and construction techniques that have proven themselves for more
than 20 years. It involved more the appearance of the craft.
In ’06 Otreb Technologies became the North American distributor for
the PUMA. The first aircraft arrived in November ’06 and was finished
and flown in May ’07.

When you hear the name PUMA, you immediately think of the
sleek, powerful majestic cat that roams the North American wilds.
Italians have long been famous for their flare for design. When you
look at the PUMA aircraft you can see how the Italian designer has
introduced the same qualities of the wild cat into his aircraft.

All of the manufacturing of the PUMA – preformed parts, composite
parts, drilling, etc. – is done in Italy. The kit is then crated and shipped
to Canada. On arrival Otreb Technologies then inventories the craft
and prepares it for delivery to the customer.

Otreb Technologies receives the craft minus engine, exhaust and
instruments. These are all supplied by Otreb Technologies from North
American suppliers. Otreb also produces a number of items for the
PUMA, such as trim fairings for the rudder cables, instrument panels
and wiring harnesses.

The PUMA is also built specifically
for the North American market, which
has considerably higher weights and
speeds than are allowed in Europe. The
PUMA is offered in kit form, which will
take about 150 hours to complete, or as
a ready-to-fly aircraft as a Basic or
Advanced Ultralight in Canada.

Otreb Technologies is also preparing
to enter the U.S. light sport aircraft
(LSA) market. The PUMA already
meets a number of very strict European
standards, so most of the work to meet
LSA requirements is paperwork.

Cockpit and Controls

The PUMA is a high-wing side-byside
2-seater featuring a composite fuselage
and metal wings and tail sections.

The doors fit snuggly into the fuselage
body and do not require any sealing
material. They are hinged at the front,
which allows the doors to fully open. The
wing struts are located behind the seating
area, allowing easy entry and exit
from the craft.

The plane can be flown with the doors
on or off, and removal and reinstallation
take literally seconds. The doors are also
equipped with side pockets for storage of
small items, and have adjustable air vents that provide
cabin ventilation during summer flying conditions.
For colder flying weather an in-cabin heater
with an electric fan comes standard. The heater
runs off the liquid cooling system, the same as that
used in most automobiles.

A lockable storage area is located on the outside
of the fuselage behind the pilot seats. There is also
a storage area directly behind the seats, which can
be reached from inside the cabin.

The well-padded seats are available in cloth or
optional simulated leather. Seats can be easily
adjusted on the ground by the removal and reinstallation
of a pin, which allows seat movement forward
and aft. Pilot restraint is via a lap belt and
shoulder harness system.

The instrument panel is broken down into three
sections: the left section features flight instruments
the pilot would use for flying (airspeed, altimeter,
variometer, and turn and bank), and are available
in both analog or digital format. The center section
holds engine instruments, and the fuel gauge, radio,
hourmeter, etc. are in the right panel.

Since the instruments and panels are supplied
and designed by Otreb Technologies, customers are
able to design their own instrument panel layout.

The PUMA comes with dual stick-and-rudder
controls. The rudder and ailerons are cable-operated
while the elevator is via push-pull tube. The
model I flew for this report had a center-mounted
Vernier-style throttle with a twist to lock and pushbutton
release. A dual throttle system is also available.

The flaps and trim are operated electrically. The
trim has an indicator on the dash to show trim position.
Flap position requires the pilot to glance out at
the wing. The ailerons and flaps can be recessed 4°
negative, which provides a higher cruise speed at
lower rpm.

Fuel is turned on and off via two valves located at
the root of each wing. During flight both valves are
flown in the “on” position.

The PUMA has excellent side-to-side and forward
visibility. It also comes standard with an overhead
skylight for added visibility in a turn.

Construction of Wing, Tail, Control Systems

The PUMA uses all-metal wing construction. The
wing structure, ailerons, flaps, horizontal stabilizer,
elevator, and rudder are fabricated from 2024-T3
and 6061-T6 aluminum.

According to Dramisino, “The PUMA has a metal
wing because the craft is being used in the training
environment, where the potential for damage is
greater. A metal wing is easily repairable, whereas
a composite wing generally has to be replaced from
the factory.”

When ordering a kit the customer can order a
folding wing option that allows one person to easily
fold the wing back onto the tail section for storage
in a 1-car garage. The standard wings come with a
quick-disconnect system that allows the wings to be
removed by two people in about 10 minutes.

The 50-liter (13.2-gallon) fuel tanks are located in
the wings, and each tank has a fuel drain located in
the rear section of the tank. The PUMA also has a
third gascolator drain located at the lowest point in
the system, directly below the engine.

Fuselage

Like the main landing gear the fuselage is made
from certified composite resin, molded under vacuum
and cured at high temperature. The PUMA
loading factors are +4g -2g and at a maximum
weight of 1,157 pounds (525 kg).

PUMA Power and Handling

The PUMA is powered by the
80-hp Rotax 912 4-stroke aircraft
engine as standard, or the
optional 100-hp Rotax 912S
engine.

The engine is mounted to the
airframe using a Rotax-recommended
two-piece rubber-isolated
suspension frame.

A problem facing many Rotax
912 engine owners who are
building their kits is finding
someone to weld an exhaust
system for them from the parts
supplied by Rotax. To alleviate
this problem Otreb
Technologies supplies the
PUMA with a dual exhaust system
produced in North America
by Toucan Exhaust Systems.

This dual exhaust system
comes ready to bolt on with no
cutting or welding required. As
an option, a customer can also
have the exhaust ceramic-coated,
which will help dissipate
heat better and give the system
a cleaner look and longer life.

Another unique feature of the
PUMA is that it comes standard with an oil thermostat
mounted to the engine mount. This aids in
faster warm-ups and keeps the engine at optimum
operating temperature, which will really be appreciated
by pilots flying in colder areas. In the case of
a thermostat failure, it is designed to fail in the
“open” position.

The very efficient cooling system has three air
inlets, one in the lower cowl for the radiator and oil
cooler, and two other inlets in the top of the cowl
directly in front of the cylinder heads.

The standard 2-blade wood propeller supplied on
the PUMA is being manufactured in Italy specifically
for the PUMA. Optional 2- and 3-blade composite
propellers like the IvoProp, Powerfin and
Warp Drive are also available.

Ground Handling, Suspension and Steering System

The PUMA features a tricycle gear landing system.
The main landing gear structure is made from
certified composite resin, molded under vacuum
and cured at high temperature, and the castoring
nosewheel assembly made of 7075 aluminum. The
PUMA has independently operated hand brakes
and wheels manufactured in the U.S. by MATCO.

Turning at slow speeds requires a coordinated
application of brakes and throttle. Once moving,
pilots are able to steer the PUMA by application of
rudder and backpressure on the stick.

Flying the PUMA

The sleepy little town of Hawkesbury is located
about 6 hours northeast of Toronto on the border of
Ontario and Quebec, just 20 minutes from
Montreal. It has a population of just over 10,000
people with 80% of these being Francophones.

As you drive into town on Highway 17 coming
from the Trans Canada Highway, you have to be
very careful that you don’t drive by 3435 County
Road #17. This is the location of Hawkesbury East
Airport, home of Focus Sport Aviation owned and
operated by Gina Tremblay and Gerry deGrosbois.

Tremblay and deGrosbois run a full-time ultralight
flight-training facility from the airport, training
in the Aerocruiser and more recently the
PUMA. Hawkesbury East is also the home base for
North American distributor of the PUMA,
Humberto Dramisino of Otreb Technologies.
Dramisino contacted me in midsummer ’07 with an
invitation to come over and fly the PUMA if I were
in the area.

As it happened in early December ’07 I was doing
a test flight and service call in the Kingston and
Ottawa areas and decided to give him a call, to see
if the invitation was still on. One thing led to another
and a meeting was set for 9 a.m. Monday.

Unfortunately Dramisino got tied up in traffic
and then had a meeting to go to. This gave me some
time to talk to Tremblay and deGrosbois and enjoy
their hospitality. But I was not the only one. A couple
of conventional pilots were out flying and
dropped in. Over lunch and an endless pot of coffee,
we all reminisced about our flying adventures.

After lunch Dramisino checked for water in the
two fuel drains in the wing tanks and the gascolator,
and then pulled the PUMA out of the hangar.
He then brought out a small 4-step ladder to fuel up
the PUMA’s two wing tanks. For those of you who
have tried fueling a wing tank it can be a little awkward
getting a 5-gallon fuel tank nozzle into the
wing tanks without spilling fuel all over the wing.

The trick is to use a product called the Super
Syphon.With it you place the fuel can on the wing,
install one end of the hose into the wing tank, place
the other end into the 5-gallon fuel can, jig the line
a couple of times and the fuel flows effortlessly into
the wing tank, with no spilling.

While deGrosbois was fueling the plane, I began a
preflight. To do a thorough preflight on the engine,
you have to remove the engine cowls, which require
a screwdriver to unscrew the series of snap-lock
screws located at the junction of the upper and
lower cowl, and along the side of the firewall. It
takes about a minute to remove the top cowl and
about 3 to 4 minutes to remove both cowls. To check
the oil and radiator fluid levels requires removal of
only the top cowl.

Once the cowls are removed the engine can be
easily preflighted. The engine is supported by the
Rotax-recommended 2-piece engine mount. The
PUMA factory does an excellent job on their Rotax
912 engine installation.

You will notice several things on the PUMA that
are different. Rather than using the Rotax-supplied
exhaust, the PUMA comes standard with a dual
exhaust system from Toucan. It also comes standard
with a thermostat in the oil system, and it uses
two K&N air filters rather than the big, bulky aluminum
air box system offered by Rotax.

Inspection of the prop revealed no signs of problems,
but the wood prop had a spinner on it. Pilots
should be aware that wood props tend to swell and
shrink with temperature changes, which can lead to
improper torque on the prop bolts. If flying an aircraft
equipped with a wood prop and spinner, it is
recommended that the spinner be removed and the
torque checked regularly.

Preflighting the control system on the PUMA is
easy. All of the control systems are out in the open
and easily accessible. The rudder and ailerons are
operated by cable while the elevator is via push-pull
tube. These run back through the center section of
the plane. Looking back from the seat you can see
the entire length of the interior of the fuselage.

Checking the wheels, brakes and wheel pants I
noticed a small steel cable running down to the
ground. The PUMA comes equipped with two
ground cables to help prevent static discharge during
fueling. All of the wing attachment points are
out in the open and the airspeed indicator tubing
runs up through the middle of the streamlined wing
strut.

After I finished my preflight Dramasino removed
a single pin located under the seat cushion and
moved the right seat forward to better fit my 5-foot
6-inch frame. With the pin replaced, the seat again
was locked into position.

The doors are hinged at the front and the struts
are located behind the door opening, which means
they don’t interfere with pilots entering or exiting
the craft. Add to this short control sticks and even
the largest pilot won’t have a problem getting in or
out of a PUMA.

Once in and seated I fastened my seat belt and
shoulder harness, while deGrosbois, who is over 6
feet tall, climbed into the other seat. It was early
December, the wind was really blowing and the
temperature was bone-chilling cold! Both
deGrosbois and I were dressed for these conditions,
but even dressed this way, there was plenty of room
for both of us in the 44-inch-wide PUMA cabin.

With both of us buckled up, headsets on, and
radio on, it was time to fire up the 80-hp Rotax 912.
A check of the fuel shut-off valves revealed they
were both in the “on” position. With the throttle at
an idle and choke and ignition on, I turned the key.
The engine turned over about three revolutions and
fired up. Easing back on the choke, the engine started
to idle a little more smoothly, and then began
purring like a kitten.

The engine came up to operating temperature in
about half the time it would normally take, due to
the thermostat in the oil system. When it did, I hit
the switch for the fan on the in-cabin heater, which
surprisingly began warming the cabin almost
immediately.

As we taxied out to the runway deGrosbois went
over the control systems and speeds with me. Since
this was my first time in the PUMA, I asked him
take off and do a circuit with me following along on
the controls. It was now about 2 o’clock in the afternoon,
the wind was coming across the runway at an
angle, gusting between 20 and 25 mph.

Over the voice-activated headsets I heard him go
through the standard radio preflight checks and
notifications. He then glanced at the electric trim
gauge and hit the electric trim switch to bring the
trim to neutral. Looking out at the rear of the wing
he deployed what looked to be about 15° of flap.

As he advanced the throttle the nose immediately
started to lift. About 150 feet and 40 mph we lifted
off. Seconds later at about 500 feet deGrosbois
retracted the flaps and we continued climbing out
at just over 1,000 feet per minute at 80 mph. We
climbed out to about 2,000 feet, did a gentle turn to
the left and then left again and deGrosbois set up
on the downwind leg, bringing the power back to
5,000 rpm. The airspeed indicator was showing 115
mph.

Visibility forward and to the sides was excellent,
with the overhead skylight giving an additional
view for safety. Entering base deGrosbois pulled the
power back and set up for a nice, gentle glide. About
halfway across base he deployed flap, then turned to
enter final. With flap on approach speed was 65
mph; at about 15 feet we began to round out and
floated in ground effect for about 100 feet, and then
the mains touched. deGrosbois held a little pressure
on the stick to hold the nose off and then as it
touched he deployed the brakes and then using the
right brake turned us around so that we were heading
back down the runway.

As we taxied back I asked deGrosbois to release
the controls to me. Steering the PUMA at anything
above an idle is done via the rudder. The trick is to
keep as little pressure as possible on the nosewheel
so that the rudder can effectively steer the plane. At
slower speeds you use the brakes with the assistance
of the throttle.

Taxiing back, the wind was coming from our rear
and side, which meant I had to use both rudder and
brake to keep the plane straight. As I approached
the end of the runway and tried to turn around I
had a problem turning. To turn left from a stopped
position meant I had to apply the left brake and at
the same time apply a burst of power.With both the
throttle and the brakes centrally located it meant I
had my left hand on the brake with my right hand
coming across in front of my body working the
Vernier-style throttle, which required me to push in
on a button release while at the same time pushing
the throttle in or pulling it out to apply or reduce
power.

On this first attempt I felt very uncomfortable
and asked deGrosbois to take over and bring the
plane back around to set up for takeoff. He appeared
to have no problem doing this, despite the fact that
it looked very awkward with both his right and left
hands coming across to the center of the plane.

Since deGrosbois had taken the plane off with
flaps, I decided to try it without flaps. Applying
power again brought the nose up almost immediately.
We rapidly picked up speed and after about 300
feet and at about 45 mph we lifted off. I started a
gentle climbout; seconds later I glanced at the airspeed
and saw I was doing nearly 95 mph. A little
backpressure on the stick brought me back to 85
with a climb rate of 1,200 feet per minute.

Now, I weigh 200 pounds, deGrosbois probably
weighs closer to 180 pounds, our fuel tanks were
nearly full, and we were flying on only an 80- hp
Rotax 912. There are many Advanced Ultralights
and light sport aircraft that don’t give this kind of
performance when equipped with a 100-hp Rotax
912S engine.

We climbed out again to 2,000 feet and set up to
enter the circuit on the downwind leg. I decided to
come in a little higher than deGrosbois had, to bring
the power back a little earlier, and to deploy flaps a
little later to see what type of glide ratio the PUMA
had.

In doing so I completely blew the approach. The
plane cut through the air like a hot knife through
butter; I was on final but was way too high to make
a safe approach for a landing.

So I climbed out again and set up for another circuit,
again coming in high but setting up on final
about a mile from the field. I slowed the plane down
to 75, brought the engine back to an idle, deployed
what I thought was about 15° of flap.

Even with the gusty crosswind the plane was
coming in like it was on a cable. Still a little high, I
applied right rudder and a little left stick, and the
PUMA responded with a nice, gentle forward slip. I
kept the slip in until about 50 feet off the ground
then straightened her out and touched down right
where the numbers would normally be (grass strip –
no numbers).

Down on the ground I felt the crosswind pushing
the plane over to the right. I applied left aileron and
rudder, and reached over to give myself a little left
brake. As I slowed to a stop and tried to turn, I
found I was still having a little problem adjusting to
the throttle and brake arrangement, but managed
to get it around and back down to the end of the
runway.

Since we had taken off with no flap and 15° of
flap, I decide to try it with full flap. Again the nosewheel
came off the ground immediately on application
of power. But we lifted off in less than 50 feet at
just over 35 mph. The plane felt a little mushy so I
let it pick up a little speed in ground effect and then
started a gentle climbout, retracting the flaps as I
did so.

I asked deGrosbois to take over the controls and
climb out to altitude so we could do some stalls and
turns while I set up my video camera to could get
some video of the instruments and cabin visibility.

Glancing at the engine instruments, which were
located in the center section of the instrument
panel, revealed that all of the gauges were in the
green areas recommended by Rotax. The PUMA is
one of the few aircraft that I have flown where the
manufacturer has designed his systems so that they
all follow Rotax recommendations.

We took her up to 3,000 feet, used the radio to let
any traffic in the area know that we were going to
be do some work with stalls, gently brought the
power back to idle, and held the plane level with
backpressure on the stick. At around 60 mph I felt
the plane shudder a little; at 55 mph, the nose
dropped straight over with no tendency of any wing drop; a little
forward stick and 50 feet later we are back flying.

We then climbed back up to 3,000 feet, this time applying about
20° of flap. Power to an idle, backpressure on the stick, again the
PUMA gave a little shudder, this time around 50 mph with a break
at 45 mph, but the nose only dropped about 15 feet and we were flying
again.

I asked deGrosbois to take over the controls again so I could time
a climb from straight and level cruising flight through 1 minute of
full power application. I gave deGrosbois the signal to go and started
the timer. Sixty seconds later we had climbed through 1,250
feet.

Next I tried doing right and left turns using just the rudder, then
right and left turns using just the ailerons. The plane responded
exceptionally well with no tendency to drop a wing while using the
rudder, and no problem initiating or bringing the plane out of a
turn with just the ailerons.

Setting the throttle at 5,000 rpm produced 115 mph indicated.
With the plane trimmed, pulling back on the stick and releasing it
the plane did two small oscillations and then came back to level
flight. The same thing happened when the stick was pushed forward
and released.

With the plane trimmed for straight and level flight, deGrosbois
took over the controls, let go of the stick and with only the rudder
pedals did a complete 360° turn to the left and then to the right.

Back at cruise I removed my headset to judge the cabin noise. I
was surprised to find how effective the headphones were as the
cabin noise was louder than I expected. Then I realized that the
rear of the cabin was open all the way to the back of the plane,
which amplified the noise in the cabin.

I also think the dual Toucan exhaust system was just a little
noisier than the standard Rotax system, but it probably contributed
to the extra power that the 80-hp Rotax 912 seemed have.

Most other ultralights and light sport aircraft I have flown have
a rear partition separating the cabin from the fuselage, which considerably
cuts down the noise. This is even more effective in a composite
fuselage as this material tends to absorb noise better than a
metal or fabric.

It was time to head back for one more landing. This time I decided
to try a full flap approach. As I applied the flaps I noticed the
pressure increase on the stick. deGrosbois asked if I wanted to trim
it out, but I decided to leave it as was, to better feel the plane as I
came in.

I set up on final with an approach speed of 55 mph. The wind had
changed directions and while still strong and gusty, it was now
blowing straight down the runway. Still a little high, a little forward
slip, holding it in until about 25 feet, straightened it out and
at about 15 feet I felt it in ground effect. I touched down on the
mains at what seemed to be just over a fast walking pace.

I applied brakes and we stopped and turned around in less than
50 feet.

Summary

The PUMA is a well-designed aircraft built with technology that
is on the leading edge of our sport. Its performance with only the
80-hp Rotax 912 is exceptional. It is a very comfortable plane to fly,
with great visibility.

There are a couple of negatives that I feel detracted from the
mostly positive feeling I got from flying the PUMA.

If the PUMA had throttles on the left- and right-hand sides versus
only in the center I probably would not have
reported this as a negative factor in the plane. Better
yet would be dual throttles with toe brakes.

As of December ’07 the Italian factory had produced
65 aircraft, which is low compared to the number
of years they have been in business. A positive to
this is that many of these planes are being successfully
used in training environments.

Currently there is only one PUMA flying in North
America, with two others in cargo containers en
route to Canada from Italy.

That said, the PUMA as a Canadian advanced or
basic ultralight, or as a light sport aircraft in the
U.S. rates very high, especially when you consider its
$46,500 Canadian dollars price tag as of December
’07 is midrange for this category while delivering
many high-end features.

Postflight Aircraft Changes

Since I wrote this flight report, Dramisino has
installed a 1-inch foam barrier directly behind the
pilots’ seats to separate the cabin from the fuselage.

He has also changed the positioning of the brake
lever handles so that they give more leverage on
application. I found I had to apply quite a bit of pressure
to get them to work. By lowering the pivot point
on the lever means the pilot does not have to apply
as much pressure, and he has more lever action.