Recently, Vessel Co., Ltd., and Flight Design made a joint announcement after debuting their new KLA-100 low-wing, light aircraft at Aero Friedrichshafen 2017. Few expected this from the make of the very popular CT-series most recently including the CTLSi. Through 2016, this has been the most popular Special LSA in America.
The companies’ KLA-100 development program started quietly two years ago.
“The first flight was performed in Sumperk, Czech Republic in late March 2017 with test pilot Richard Ponizil at the controls. Since that time the plane has made seven more flights and met all expectations,” said Flight Design COO, Daniel Gunther.
KLA-100 is a brand new design destined to be certified as a Light Sport Aircraft for sale in countries that accept ASTM-compliant aircraft, with plans to meet the European EASA’s CS-LSA regulation. The companies think this will allow access to virtually every major aviation market in the world.
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Remos Light-Sport Aircraft Has a New Owner: Stemme
On April 13, 2017, only briefly after the Aero Friedrichshafen show ended, LSA manufacturer Remos has a major announcement. “Remos has a New Owner,” exclaimed the German company on their website home page.
Stemme and Remos decided to work together more closely. “The only logical step was to merge both companies. Stemme AG ist the new owner of Remos AG. Remos now is a 100% subsidiary of Stemme,” said Stemme CEO Paul Masschelein. Stemme’s facility in Strausberg and the Remos facility in Pasewalk will continue to operate.
To reassure customers old and new, Masschelein added, “The Remos GX is a major part of our plans for the future.”
Both companies are referring to the move as a “merger.” This transaction follows a cooperation beginning in 2014 when Remos AG began producing structural composite parts for Stemme.
“The agreement has been unanimously approved by both companies’ supervisory boards,” they reported.
Electric Propulsion Innovations at Aero 2017
Electric aircraft may still have minuscule market share but innovations could change that in the near future. As Aero correspondent, Roy Beisswenger wrote, “This is a rapidly changing technology with both motors and applications showing up all over Aero Friedrichshafen.” This year Aero management concentrated them in one of the big halls where small startups to the heavyweights were located. Thanks to Roy for several reports from Aero, of which this is one. —DJ
Many of the exhibited motors are for very light applications such as light-weight shift control trikes or gliders but motors are becoming more powerful. With an increase in power, new technical problems need to become overcome. For example, the larger the power capability of the motor, the more cooling is required for the motor. Smaller motors are mostly air-cooled, but some of the medium and larger motors require liquid cooling. This doesn’t mean that the motors have radiators, but liquid is built into the motor to help wick heat away from hot spots that are created when electricity is converted to mechanical power.
See Light-Sport Aircraft and Light Kits at US Flight Expo
Sun ‘n Fun is not even over; a final day remains (Sunday, April 9th). Yet already, airplane sellers are looking at another show, this one out West.
Welcome to the new US Flight Expo. Less like Sun ‘n Fun and AirVenture with their airshow components and vast acreage of airplanes of all types, US Flight Expo will perhaps more closely resemble Sebring, Midwest LSA Expo, or DeLand …all arguably part of an emerging trend toward sector-focused shows that offer more manageable crowds giving easier contact with aircraft vendors and superb access to aircraft demo flights.
Coming up very soon, US Flight Expo runs May 3-4-5-6, 2017 at the Marana Regional Airport (KAVQ) near Tucson, Arizona and about an hour south of Phoenix.
Organized by Arion Lightning dealer and light aviation enthusiast Greg Hobbs, the sector we usually cover here on ByDanJohnson.com looks to be well represented.
Full LSA Mall and Engines of Light Aircraft
Here at the Sun ‘n Fun 2017 airshow LAMA’s LSA Mall is full and strong with 13 aircraft gathered from some of the leading brands. This exhibit was paired with the first-ever “Engines of Light Aircraft” display inside a large LAMA “Show Center” tent. On the first days of the Lakeland show, people appeared to be receiving the idea warmly.
One brand, Tecnam of Italy, showed its strength in the light aircraft community with three aircraft represented, two from First Landings at Apopka Airport in Florida and one from Lockwood Aircraft. The former are used in an active Sport Pilot school and the latter is a great example of the durability of Light-Sport Aircraft. The example from Lockwood has 4,500 hours on it and looks brand new.
Beside Tecnam, aircraft included Zlin’s Shock, BRM Aero’s Bristell, Progressive Aerodyne’s Searey, AeroJones’ CTLS, Pipistrel’s Virus SW, Aerotrek’s A-240, TL Ultralight’s Sting, Lockwood’s AirCam, and a Rans S-7 powered by Viking Engines.
Rotax Training at Dueling Airshows
How is it that Rotax so dominates the supply of engines to light aircraft? Many reasons might be cited but one is the superlative training they offer. For 2017, the company is going even further, now offering essential training opportunities to the legions who attend airshows in both the USA and Europe.
Rotax makes high power-to-weight ratio powerplants that fit in smaller cowlings. Liquid cooling addresses the challenges of keeping motors from overheating, especially in those in tighter engine compartments. Rotax engines are modern and they keep updating them. They can produce in higher volumes than some competitors, have highly regarded quality control, and their testing facility is state-of-the-art. These reasons and more explain the estimate 75% or higher market share the Austrian company enjoys.
The Austrian engine maker said that during Sun ‘n Fun 2017 the Rotax Flying and Safety Club (RFSC) and BRP-Rotax will offer information sessions conducted by experienced RFSC instructors.
Instrument Flying in Light-Sport Aircraft
“It cannot be done,” is the quick dismissal from many in aviation, referring to instrument flying in a LSA. In 2017, I venture to say everyone in aviation (worldwide) knows about Light-Sport Aircraft and the Sport Pilot certificate, but a superficial knowledge can be a bad thing. The details unveil more.
Think about IFR in an LSA this way: Can you fly IFR in a homebuilt aircraft? Can you do so in a Cessna 172? Does it matter that these two distinct types have not gone through a thorough IFR evaluation by FAA? If you know those answers then why should such flying be prevented in LSA?
It’s true, the industry committee called ASTM F.37 issued advice on this subject to LSA producers. F.37 is the group that has labored for a dozen years to provide FAA with industry consensus standards allowing FAA to “accept” (not “certify”) SLSA. The group has been working on a IFR standard for some time without arriving at consensus.
He Built and Test Flew Airplanes for You!
We lost one of the good ones recently. You may not have met or even know this man, but you certainly know — and may absolutely love — the airplanes he created.
We say a sad and final farewell to Professor Luigi “Gino” Pascale.
While it is somewhat melancholy to bid farewell to this man of short stature but giant achievements, he did what he loved for seven decades and until very near the time of his death. None of us can ask for much more than that.
Luigi is also succeeded by family members who continue to run and expand the operation he began with his brother Giovanni so many years ago. Officially he was chief preliminary design officer of Costruzioni Aeronautiche Tecnam but Tecnam team members remember him fondly as the heart and soul of Tecnam. He was 93 at his passing.
Professor Luigi — as I heard several Tecnam employees refer to him — got his start in aviation designing model airplanes way back in the 1930s.
Bristell
Bristell USA distributes the highly-refined Bristell aircraft in North America. The Czech-built aircraft is a 5th generation design with excellent performance, wonderful handling, and a most appealing shape. Other airplanes may look similar but Bristell has gone far beyond.
Quick Update on Quicksilver… Parts Are Shipping!
One of the major stumbles in the light aircraft world was the closure of Quicksilver Aeronautic’s southern California factory in Temecula. That ended a long-running era dating back to the 1970s. See articles here and here. Plenty of folks expressed concern.
Their worry was warranted. As a kit supplier, Quicksilver was one of the most prolific in aviation history with more than 15,000 kits delivered, nearly every one of which got airborne after the short build time. Some have been retired due to age, accident, or neglect, but many thousands continue to fly.
What happens when that large fleet can no longer buy parts? With the factory closed, are all those owners orphaned, having no factory-fresh parts available?
Don’t worry, be happy (so the song said).
“We currently have all the Quicksilver parts in stock and are shipping mass quantities daily,” said Gene “Bever” Borne, of Air-Tech, Inc.
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