Shooting Across the Sky

At EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2003, Pacific Aerosystem flew the Sky Arrow 650 TCNS
for our cameras. The Sky Arrow 560 T and TS models, which are potential LSA, are
identical in structure to the 650 TCNS. Differences in models relate to engines installed
and instrumentation added.

Tipping the Sky Arrow back on its tailskid
allowed Howard to preflight the
control surfaces on the top of the T-tail.

Sky Arrow’s engine, either the Rotax
912 or 912S, is mounted in the pusher
configuration on top of the wing. Extensive
baffling helps cool the tightly
cowled engine.

The tandem two-seater is well
equipped to serve as a trainer.

Left armrest
controls, including
throttle,
engine shut-off,
trim, and ignition.

Right side armrest
controls,
including yoke,
brakes, canopy
ejector, engine
baffle, and cabin
heat and cooling
controls.
(Dan Johnson)

This recessed door for the fuel strainer drain is indicative of the detail built into this
Italian design.

The aircraft’s back seat tips forward to allow
access to a baggage compartment underneath
the seat. This baggage area can hold up to
66 pounds.

Italy’s Sky Arrow makes its mark in the United States
Just as it is home to many fine sports cars, Italy is also home to some beautiful light aircraft-the Sky Arrow being one. The tandem two-seat airplane is designed and manufactured there by Iniziative Industriali Italiane S.p.A (III). Formerly known as Meteor, the company was started in 1947 and also manufactures gliders, airplanes, and remotely piloted vehicles.
Pacific Aerosystem Inc., of San Diego, California, is the United States importer of the Sky Arrow line. With more than 200 Sky Arrows flying worldwide and 25 in the United States, III is an experienced manufacturer and able to meet customer needs, reports Pacific Aerosystem, an important factor to consider when choosing an aircraft.
Currently, Pacific Aerosystem sells four ready-to-fly versions of the Sky Arrow. A kit version can be built under the experimental amateurbuilt rule. Powerplants and instrumentation delineate the models. An 80-hp Rotax 912 powers the 650 TCN and 560 T models. A 100-hp Rotax 912S powers the 650 TCNS and 560 TS models. Builders of the kit version, the 1450 L, can make their own engine choice.

The Sky Arrow TCNS earned European JAR-VLA (joint airworthiness requirements-very light aircraft) certification, and after careful review, FAA gave it certification approval under international reciprocity agreements. Because all the Sky Arrow models share the same airframe design, certification of the TCNS sets up the opportunity for the Sky Arrow 560 T and TS to be among the first aircraft to be approved by FAA when the proposed sport pilot/light-sport aircraft (SP/LSA) rule is finalized. The 560 T and TS are currently flying in Canada under that country’s advanced ultralight regulations.
Pacific Aerosystem had just sold its 100-hp 560 TS demonstrator when I visited the company last December, so I flew an 80-hp Sky Arrow 650 TCN on a beautiful San Diego day. I went aloft with the company’s marketing manager and chief pilot, Howard Hawkins.
Check It Out

The Sky Arrow fuselage is almost entirely carbon fiber sandwich construction, giving it a strong structure with a high strength-to-weight ratio. Kevlar adds strength to the cabin area, improving crashworthiness. Left- and right-side fuselage halves are formed and then bonded together along the airframe’s vertical plane. The wings and control surfaces are aluminum. Ailerons are actuated by aluminum control rod bell cranks. The fixed main tricycle gear is fiberglass, while the nose gear is constructed of steel and carbon fiber, with a “doughnut style” shock absorber. The nose wheel is free castering.
Currently, the maximum takeoff weight of the certificated 650 TCNS is limited to 1,433 pounds. The 560 T and 560 TS are listed at the proposed LSA maximum gross weight of 1,232 pounds, with useful loads of 488 and 491 pounds respectively. The final weight of these potential LSA will be established by the final SP/LSA rule. However, even at 1,232 pounds, the 560 T and TS maintain a good useful load and payload. Add the substantially more potent 100-hp Rotax 912S engine, and the lightened aircraft should be a lively performer.
During our preflight inspection, a few distinguishing characteristics of the Sky Arrow caught my attention. For example, a fuel strainer drain on the left side of the fuselage is hidden inside a small door that looks like an automotive gas tank door, showing the effort the Italian designers expended to achieve a sleek exterior. Sky Arrow’s fashionable, tall Ttail is also quite striking. To inspect it carefully, you simply pull the tail down for a closer look. This action takes little force because the Sky Arrow balances well on the main gear. A tailskid prevents rudder damage from tail inspections or overly deep landing flares.
Inside, the Sky Arrow has a removable instrument panel. Two thumbscrews hold it to the airframe. All the instrumentation is inserted on the front side of the panel via a series of nine electrical plugs. If avionics repair is necessary, you simply take the entire panel to the shop. The top of the panel also comes off. Ask a mechanic who has struggled to make repairs under the panel of a general aviation airplane, and he or she will tell you those removable panels will translate into repair dollar savings.

The tandem two-seater is well equipped to serve as a trainer. Rudder pedals in the front seat adjust fore or aft along a series of detents to accommodate pilots of varying height. Differential hand brakes on the right front armrest allow precise steering at slow speeds. You use them like throttle controls on a twin-engine aircraft.
The Sky Arrow’s side stick is distinctively different. It’s on the right cockpit rail and moves fore and aft for climb and descent but uses wrist action to effect roll control. The left and right cockpit rails are ergonomically positioned as a rest for your forearms as you work the stick, lefthand throttle, or other controls. A Tpanel between the pilot’s legs houses the intercom controls and a fuse panel. Most pilots will quickly become comfortable with the layout.
An engine shut-off is positioned to the left of the throttle on the left armrest. This control also breaks the electrical circuits. An engine baffle control is positioned on the right side in front of the emergency canopy release. You use it something like cowl flaps on a Cessna or Piper to adjust engine heat. The Rotax 912 or 912S, depending on the model, is neatly faired in a nacelle that can get warm in some conditions.
The back seat also has full controls including joystick, rudder pedals, brakes, throttle, choke, starter, and fuel shut-off lever.

The Sky Arrow’s fuel tank is behind the aft seat. The engine and fuel tank attachments have been tested to 18g’s.
A hatrack behind the rear seat is rated for 33 pounds. You can load another 66 pounds under the back seat. Also, wing root cavities are accessible in-flight from the aft seat, and my camera bag fit nicely there. In the front cockpit, a glove box is located just above the T-panel and another storage area, about a foot wide and 4 to 5 inches deep, is built into the floor.
Smaller cavities underneath the armrests will hold handheld radios or similarly sized items. On the extreme right side of the panel, there’s room for maps. The cockpit looks snug, but with its ergonomically placed levers and knobs, it evokes the feel of a fighter plane. I quickly fell in love with it and wanted to go flying!
Fly We Did!

Start-up was typical of the Rotax 912 engine, quick and assuring. After taxiing from Pacific Aerosystem’s hangars toward the active runway at San Diego’s Montgomery Field Airport, Howard talked me through a magneto check.
Once cleared for takeoff, I moved the throttle forward to the stops in one smooth motion. The Sky Arrow 650 TCN is almost 200 pounds heavier than the 560 T and TS so the takeoff with the 80-hp Rotax 912 was a bit underwhelming, even at full-throttle. The LSA models, with a 20-percent weight decrease and 20-percent more power should offer dramatically shorter takeoff rolls and a better climb rate. With the lower-powered, heavier Sky Arrow used for this report, the ground run was about 600-700 feet, and that was without using soft- or short-field techniques.
Liftoff required only slight backpressure on the stick. Normal takeoffs use 10 degrees of flaps, and rotation comes at around 45 knots (52 mph) depending on loading. Sky Arrow’s typical climb speed is 65 knots (75 mph), which is also its best glide speed. Of course, it’s always safest to maintain best glide speed in the event of engine failure. After stabilizing in climb, you shut off the auxiliary fuel pump and the cooling fan that helps in warm conditions.
Sky Arrow’s rudder is so powerful that Howard says he’s never run out of rudder, even in an enthusiastic slip to generate a 2,000-fpm descent rate. The flaps should prove enough for most situations, but being able to hold a controlled high-rate descent can be valuable in some tight field landing situations. Electric flaps can be positioned at 0, 10, 20, and 30 degrees. If the LSA Sky Arrow uses manual flaps rather than electrical ones, that would be fine with me, though cockpit space might be a problem.

Typical cruise in Sky Arrow is about 85 knots (98 mph). You can fly as much as 15-20 knots faster, but you’ll start using a lot of fuel, Howard says. The manual trim control is useful but a little quick. The gauge that shows trim position has a lot of lag, so you must set a position and wait a short time to see if you get the desired results.
Power-on and power-off stalls were modest affairs, occurring at about 40 knots indicated. In all cases the right wing tended to drop with some suddenness, but rudder power was substantial to easily control the action.
When the engine is at idle thrust, Sky Arrow can achieve a reported 12-to-1 glide, better than most general aviation (GA) planes and significantly better than many ultralight designs.
I performed landings with 20 and 30 degrees of flaps. The airplane is easy to land as long as you get down low and then hold off.

An Arrow for Your Quiver?
The side stick was an easy adaptation for me, as I have flown a number of aircraft with this configuration. However, I can imagine the average GA pilot might find it odd at first. But, I believe familiarization time will be measured in seconds not hours of flight.
Overall, the Sky Arrow was a well-behaved airplane. Precise turns were easy to execute, making maneuvering and cross-country flying a joy. The aircraft is sufficiently stable for long-distance flights, yet it maneuvers well enough to add the “sport” in light-sport aircraft. GA and ultralight pilots will discover they must lower the nose more than some pilots may feel comfortable doing. Combined with the “out front” seating in the front cockpit, some GA pilots accustomed to more airframe references may need time to acclimate. However, the view from Sky Arrow’s front seat is simply spectacular, just what any sport pilot prefers.