ByDanJohnson.com

Affordable and Capable: Merlin Lite
sponsored by Aeromarine-LSA.com

News & Video on Light-Sport Aircraft, Sport Pilot Kits, and Ultralight Aircraft

Search Results for : Flight Design

Not finding exactly what you expected? Try our advanced search option.

Select a manufacturer to go straight to all our content about that manufacturer.

Select an aircraft model to go straight to all our content about that model.

Select a F.I.R.M. List company to go straight to all our content about that F.I.R.M. List company.

Atol Light-Sport Aircraft Amphibian — Design and Production Update

by Leave a Comment

“Coming to America” is a common refrain from light aircraft producers in some countries. Why? The obvious reason is that most designers perceive a huge market in the USA. Another is that shipping from the USA to other countries proves easier than shipping from their home countries. Other reasons also exist but those two are enough to decide in favor of the move.
One builder of a LSA seaplane is Atol Avion, based in Finland. They have been moving steadily toward approval, production, and sale of their Atol amphibian.
Anssi Rekula, co-founder of Avion and the director of sales said, “We have a lot of news and it’s centered on delivery of production airplanes. He enumerated:

We have received new investment to support our European certification, which is expected by the end of 2017.
We have established our North American operation in Brunswick, Maine.
We are scheduling customer demo flights in Finland as soon as the crew is back from Oshkosh 2017 where customers can see and fly the all-new cockpit design (images), and,
We have received our first order from Australia …so all is good and very positive.

Back from Cuba! — First Light Aircraft Flights to the Island

by 9 Comments

This article has been modified since originally posted. —DJ
These days you can go to Cuba. You can even fly to the island nation. Yet one thing no one has been doing… is flying VFR to Cuba. According to John Craparo, this was the first time in at least 60 years.
They were also the first-ever gyroplanes to arrive in Havana.
John was joined by his three gyro friends — Dayton Dabbs, Mike Baker, and Jonathan Prickett — in a pair of Magni Gyro tandem two seaters, both M16 models. The gyroplanes were accompanied by two SportCruiser LSA, a pair of Bonanzas, and a Cirrus SR20.
For the faster, fixed wing aircraft the 100-mile crossing was not a major challenge. However, any water crossing where you fly out of sight of land in a single engine airplane will earn your rapt attention.
It was a bigger deal yet to cross an expanse of ocean in open cockpit gyroplanes flying less than 100 miles an hour with 19 gallons of fuel on board.

US Flight Expo Wraps First Year Event in Arizona

by 2 Comments

The Marana Regional Airport, in Marana Arizona was the site of the first annual U.S. Flight Expo May 3–6, 2017. The west coast of the U.S. appears to lack major aviation events of the sort commonly seen in the easter U.S. This is especially odd considering the large number of pilots and aircraft in western states! (Some have observed how western populations are spread over a much larger area, which possibly accounts for this disparity. —DJ)
One of the most successful annual aviation events not sponsored by a member organization is the U.S. Sport Aviation Expo in Sebring Florida, which will celebrate it’s 14th year in 2018! Others have followed (Midwest LSA Expo &DeLand) but these sector-specific shows are still concentrated in the east.
So it was about time for another western event other than Copperstate, which will celebrate its 45th year in 2017.
Using the template that original director Robert Woods used to make Sebring such a success, Greg Hobbs — one of the leading organizers of the U.S.

Evolution Trikes — Revo VPR (Part 1 – in flight)

by 2 Comments

Come on along as we fly the most deluxe trike you can buy. This is the Evolution Trikes Revo and it is really something. Aloft with designer and trike pilot extraordinare, Larry Mednick, he offers instruction — as we prefer so you experience what it might be like to fly an aircraft you may never have flown. “Trike” is a generic abbreviation for weight shift aircraft. This one is a Special LSA version and it can blaze along faster than 100 mph. Don’t believe that? Join us as we prove the point. TRT: 29 minutes (Part 1 of 2)

Solar Flight — Sunseeker Duo

by Leave a Comment

Electric power rivets the attention of many pilots even while the development of this power to propel airplanes continues to progress. If one uses solar cells, a designer need not necessarily rely on batteries. Eric Raymond, an American soaring and hang glider pilot, has been exploring solar-powered flight for some years. In this video we look at his newest project, the high-span Sunseeker Duo in which he and his wife plan to fly across and around Europe.

Merlin PSA Takes “Exhilarating” First U.S. Flight

by Leave a Comment

One of the fast paced developments I’ve observed has been Aeromarine LSA’s new Merlin PSA. “PSA” stands for Personal Sport Aircraft and the Florida company may be truly onto something interesting.
While recognizing they are very capable airplanes, many lament the cost of carbon fiber speedsters with glass cockpits and autopilots. Aeromarine LSA perceives an opening.
Introduced at the U.S. Sport Aviation 2016 event in Sebring last month, proprietor Chip Erwin said Merlin PSA drew questions: “It only costs $35,000?” and, “That price really includes the engine?”
A longtime entrepreneur in the light aircraft manufacturing game, Chip sees a way to attract buyers with a very modestly priced aircraft that is fully enclosed, made with all metal construction and with interesting powerplant choices.
The first U.S. Merlin PSA is powered with the 65 horsepower Rotax 582 that provide outstanding performance for such a light aircraft.

Atol LSA Seaplane Makes Maiden Flight

by Leave a Comment

“This was my best birthday present. All went well with no surprises,” reported an excited Anssi Rekual, sales manager and front man for the Finland-based builder of the LSA seaplane called Atol. An airline pilot today, Anssi added, “I have only one year to go with Finnair and then I can focus fully on Atol.”
The head of design and company CEO, Markku Koivurova flew for 26 minutes and reported that aircraft was easy and convenient to fly and everything worked normally. Approach to stall and slow flight characteristics were tested on Atol registered in Finland as OH-XNA followed by a perfect landing. Markku flew at Rovaniemi international airport (EFRO) at the Arctic Circle.
Speaking on behalf of the Atol team, Anssi was relating news that the reborn Atol took its maiden flight on Tuesday, April 9, 2015, just in time for the company to have significant bragging rights at the German Aero Friedrichshafen show set to open in two more days.

Glasair’s Merlin LSA Takes First Flight

by Leave a Comment

What an amazing day! I heard of — count ’em — no less than three first flights. I don’t ever recall getting that kind of news in such a batch, but hooray! More airplanes to report on and more for customers to consider for their flying enjoyment. First up is the Glasair Merlin. I looked at the mockup of this new design at AirVenture 2014 (see video) and now she’s flying.
Glasair Aviation announced that their new Light-Sport Aircraft entry named Merlin “took its first flight through the skies above Arlington Municipal Airport Tuesday, April 7, 2015.” After many months of development work, the company put the new two seater through a regimen of preflight validation testing that included engine run-up, high-speed taxi, and ground roll lift off. Having completed this important set of tasks the team at Glasair watched as Merlin departed the surface with test pilot Grant Smith at the controls.

Electric Flight Events to Advance State-of-the-Art

by Leave a Comment

A new season of airshows is about to erupt now that April has arrived. Among all the gasoline-powered aircraft that show visitors can see will be a growing collection of electric aircraft. As I often repeat, the pioneering development of electric propulsion will come first in light aircraft … at least until batteries go through a major breakthrough in energy density, as today’s best cells still weigh far too much for larger aircraft to use them effectively.
First up, in mere days, is the e-flight-expo, organized in cooperation with Flying Pages, the company operated by European publisher Willi Tacke who is well known for his Directory of Leisure Aviation.
Aero officials said “e-flight-expo will again be a major section at Aero Friedrichshafen 2015.” They note that as in other industries such as automobiles and drones, electric power continues to gain in importance in the man-carrying aviation sector.

Privacy Policy
Terms of Use