Earthstar owner and designer Mark Beierle works
with Abraham “Kim” Kimchi, one of the principles
of Avicom of Israel, which will produce Earthstar
Odyssey and Gull 2000 kits and ready-to-fly aircraft
for world distribution.
Avicom partner, Miki “Mike” Raviv, works on an
Earthstar wing. Mike is also building an RV-7A for
his personal aircraft (which he purchased prior to
acquiring the manufacturing rights to the Odyssey
and Gull 2000), so he’s accustomed to all-metal
construction from building his RV-7A.
Kanfit Ltd., a well-established aerospace parts and
systems manufacturer in Israel, will manufacture
components for the Odyssey and Gull 2000 for Avicom.
Here, Shai Fine, general manager of Kanfit,
discusses the project with Mark Beierle.
Avicom, Earthstar’s new partner in building Odysseys and Gull 2000s, has been
an importer and distributor of American-made aircraft in Israel for several years,
but taking on the manufacturing of an aircraft is a different enterprise. Still,
Avicom principles Miki “Mike” Raviv and Abraham “Kim” Kimchi understood that
Mark’s designs needed and deserved better manufacturing capability. They will
accomplish that goal through a partnership with Kanfit Ltd., a well-established
aerospace parts and systems manufacturer in Israel.
In May 2005, Mark and his wife,
Leslie, visited Israel to evaluate Avicom
and Kanfit. After a week of visits and
meetings, the American couple took
home a Technology Transfer Agreement
for review.
On July 18, 2005, the contracts were
signed, giving Avicom the manufacturing
and worldwide marketing rights to
the Odyssey and Gull 2000.
In late July, Mike and Kim flew with
Mark from Earthstar’s headquarters
in Santa Margarita, California, to EAA
AirVenture Oshkosh 2005 to become better
acquainted with the aircraft and the
business. Mike reported, “We took advantage
of the many hours spent with Mark to go into the details of the business.”
After EAA AirVenture, the two Israeli partners spent a few days with Mark at the
Earthstar factory to get hands-on experience with the products and the processes
involved in building the aircraft. Back in Israel at the end of summer, the Avicom group
started work. A Letter of Understanding was signed with Kanfit, and work continues on
the terms and conditions for a final agreement.
In the meantime, Avicom has started to computerize the technical documentation
for the aircraft. Its first engineering project is to formalize the construction
details of the Odyssey’s 26-foot wing. “This is almost done,” Mike said, “and
we should be working on the fuselage in January 2006.
In parallel to this activity, production setup is taking place. This includes jig
and fixture making, subcontracting of parts, procedures writing, and establishing
quality control documentation. “All this activity follows the same breakdown
into major subassemblies, wing drawings, starting wing production, and general
manufacturing setup for the fuselage and empennage. After these tasks are
complete, we’ll start production,” Mike stated.
Avicom’s first production batch is slated for 20 aircraft, unless a backlog of
orders suggests a larger first production run. Standard equipment, in addition to
the HKS 700E engine, will include MGL glass cockpit instrumentation, including a
moving map, and a BRS ballistic parachute.
Kits and Ready-to-Fly
While Avicom is focusing on the ready-to-fly market in its production planning,
it will also produce Odyssey and Gull 2000 kits, and it plans to encourage their
sales as much as possible.
“As far as the certification goes, we have our attention focused on the consensus
standards for S-LSA and the Canadian Advanced Ultralight regulation,”
Mike reported. Avicom will hire an
aeronautical engineering consultant to
help with the approval of its products
under these regulatory systems.
Given its carefully laid plans, Avicom
expects to start delivering kits in May
2006, with ready-to-fly aircraft one or
two months later.
“We do not have a firm price established
yet,” Mike stated, “but we are
targeting the current Earthstar Aircraft
price, plus shipping from the Haifa seaport
or the Tel Aviv airport.”
Earthstar sells the Odyssey kit, less
engine, for $16,500 (2005 pricing). Add
another $7,000 for an HKS 700E fourstroke
engine plus $2,500 for an engine
installation kit (available from HKS or
Avicom) for a total of $26,000. With
paint, a few interior appointments, and
basic instruments, the component cost
to become airborne will reach $28,000-
$30,000 or more. Considering the cost
of labor and shipping, plus some margin
for U.S.-based representatives and
S-LSA certification, the price for an
Odyssey S-LSA could reach $50,000.
However, at this figure the Avicom/
Earthstar Odyssey still represents a
good value and an approachable sticker
price.
“We will seek to gain our competitive
advantage by delivering the same
fine aircraft as Earthstar, manufactured
in a uniformly high and controlled quality,” stated Mike. Avicom also plans
to strive for minimum delivery times, including “possibly from stock,” he added.
“There is already interest in our production. We have requests from potential
buyers in both the United States and Canada to start accepting orders.”
All light aircraft sold in Israel are imported, so it seems fitting the country should
have its own production facility, and Americans will appreciate the greater availability
of the Earthstar line, especially in fully manufactured, S-LSA form, so the
Avicom/Earthstar partnership should be good for both countries and companies.
For updates and more information about the Avicom/Earthstar partnership, including the projected
delivery of kits and ready-to-fly aircraft, visit www.avicom.co.il.
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