Mornings start cool until the sun warms the day to shirtsleeve temperatures. Crowds are thick around popular displays and the action is surprisingly hot. For this first-of-the-year show following a dismal 2008, many wondered about attendance and if those visitors would be in a buying mood. The answers: pilots are streaming in and sales are happening! *** At the LAMA Dinner with 300 LSA professionals listening, Sebring U.S. Sport Aviation Expo Chairman Bob Wood reported, “This is the best [opening day] Thursday we’ve had in the five years of Expo.” Vendors largely agreed, saying crowds were good, even heavy at times. Several reported aircraft sales on the first day. According to my visits to many airframe manufacturers or importers a sense of improvement is pervasive. This is a cautious optimism to be sure, but it’s a clear change from the gloom of the last few months. *** On Friday, airport ramps and taxiways were well populated with aircraft that flew in to examine the aircraft and other products on display.
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Enroute to Sebring! Leaving 2008, Arriving 2009
Agreement is widespread welcoming a new year; 2008 was hard on almost everybody…around the world. The new year may bring continued turbulence, but a feeling that things are starting to change is prevalent, based on my conversations with dozens of LSA professionals in preparation for this year’s Fifth Annual Sebring LSA Expo. From various locations around the country, vehicles and airplanes are headed to Florida — where, by the way, 60-degree temperatures are expected to warm those from the deeply cold north. *** In this SPLOG, I present year-end information which completes the report posted earlier. We hope for a better 2009 and a much-improved 2010; nonetheless, the LSA fleet continued to expand in 2008, with a net increase of 36% (though growth slowed sharply from the 98% pace achieved in 2007 — as the fleet enlarges, it becomes harder to maintain the high percentage growth).
Sebring 2009; Kicking Off a New Year for LSA
Despite a widespread financial funk, the Sebring U.S. Sport Aviation Expo — commonly referred to as the Sebring LSA Expo — is fast approaching. This #5 Sebring starts the year and has become a place where new aircraft debuts are staged. Yes, a few exhibitors have pulled out to conserve cash. But most aircraft you want to see will be present. *** Paradise will have their new hand control P-1. A CTLS with the new Garmin 696 installed will be on display. An upgraded Remos GX will show…and the list goes on. *** One new LSA entry you’ll see will be the all-American Lightning LS-1 (photo) from Arion Aircraft. Though powered by Australia’s Jabiru engine the entire airframe is Made-in-the-USA. I flew a kit-built version and was highly impressed by its performance and handling. Lightning’s speed range was one of the widest I’ve ever experienced.
ZJ Viera Part 103 Composite Excites Sebring Crowd
Alert: This article is dated and some links may no longer lead to the desired destination. —DJ 0121
Maybe you’ve heard: “You can’t build a three axis airplane that can safely remain under the 254-pound weight limit.”
Some allege: “You can’t buy a three axis Part 103 ultralight that actually meets the rule.”
I’ve said this many times… WRONG!
You have a few choices for Part 103 airplanes that perform well and they aren’t all trikes or powered parachutes (though several qualifying candidates do come from these segments). I’ll soon post fresh articles on the Kolb FireFly and Phantom X-1. Each can meet Part 103.
Now, we have what may be the first all-new Part 103 ultralight in many years. ZJ Viera was designed in Europe by Marek Ivanov, CEO of Interplane Aircraft (photo). At Sebring 2008, plenty of attendees spent time examining the two examples present; one was the original monowheel (which I tend to prefer) and a tri-gear variation.
Sebring 2008 Concludes, and Still They Arrive
SEBRING 2008 — Every outdoor airshow organizer must cope with weather. Florida was beautiful before the Sebring Expo opened. Cold, strong wings the final day brought out jackets but several companies continued demo flying. Plenty of flights were taken during the event and good sales were reported by several companies including Flight Design, Cirrus, Cessna, and others. Conditions in the southeastern states prevented some aircraft from reaching the show though that didn’t stop sales; Higher Class Aviation sold a Sport Hornet even though their showplane didn’t make it. *** Many who departed by midday Sunday (20th) missed the tardy but safe arrival of the new KP-5 from Kappa/Jihlavan …which has now become the Skyleader 500 LSA model from the Skyleader company. The restructured Czech business was recently energized by entrepreneurs and engineers that build simulators for the airline industry. They seem determined to lift the company to new heights; the late-arriving models showed various refinements (photos).
Tecnam’s New Eaglet Lands at Sebring 2008
SEBRING 2008 UPDATE — U.S. rep’ Lynne Birmingham beamed, “The Eaglet has landed!” She referred to the newest Tecnam model to win SLSA approval — the fourth model from the Italian manufacturer. Eaglet makes its worldwide debut at Sebring 2008, which opens today. Tecnam has achieved an enviable #4 rank in the U.S. Light-Sport Aircraft fleet. And around the world, Tecnam, a six-decade-old Italian company, has more than 2,100 aircraft flying making it arguably the largest producer of this class of airplane. *** Mike Birmingham reports the new Eaglet is a blend of the best qualities of the strutted Echo Super and the cantilevered Bravo; Eaglet is strutted. It has a new look with resculpted wing root and larger door windows to allow better lateral visibility plus longer, more comfortable seat cushions. The new model sports a redesigned instrument panel that will appear in other models later.
SportairUSA to Unveil Evolved Sting S3 at Sebring
SEBRING 2008 UPDATE — Through the first three years of LSA sales StingSport from TL Ultralights has earned the #7 rank equaling an estimated 5% of the U.S. market. The new Sting S3 should push the popularity of this 98% carbon fiber low wing. S3 has a new fully-tapered wing and redesigned elevator trim. According to Bill Canino, president of SportairUSA, “Lower stall speed, shorter take-off roll, faster climb rate, balanced controls and exceptional slow flight characteristics are among the results.” Clean stall speed is 39 knots (45 mph); with full flaps stall comes at 34 knots (39 mph). Cruise speed at 75% power is 116 knots (133 mph), according to SportairUSA. “Rate of climb with the 100 hp Rotax 912S is better than 1,100 fpm and take-off ground roll has been measured at 255 feet,” added Bill. *** A basic fly-away Sting S3 including the GreenLine EMS is priced at $102,900.
Long-Gliding Lambada Soars Into Sebring 2008
SEBRING 2008 UPDATE — After watching hang gliders speck-out to 5,000 feet at Wallaby Ranch, I was caught off guard when a slippery white airplane streaked across my field of vision. Following a low pass, the bird with the gorgeous slender wings turned and approached for landing. At a hang gliding resort like Wallaby, the 30:1 Lambada quickly drew a crowd of admirers. Urban Air USA proprietor Josef Bostik flew in to show off the newly certified SLSA motorglider. *** PHOTOS: The multiple-compound wing is about as far from a rectangular Hershey Bar wing as a designer can go. At lower left, the circled red handle changes a spring-loaded prop to full feather for lower drag during soaring flight (it is not technically an adjustable pitch prop). At lower right, you see the prop at full feather. Not seen are wing spoilers that deploy with a handle between the seats similar to a flap lever.
Dynamic Spins Into SLSA; Unveiling at Sebring
SEBRING 2008 UPDATE — Sport Aircraft Works, importer and marketer of the fast-selling SportCruiser, will announce an LSA version of their Dynamic WT9. Previously, the retractable speedster (174 mph max cruise) was only available as a kit but the Slovak designer decided to pursue American SLSA certification at 550 kg (1,212 pounds). [UPDATE: Dynamic won SLSA approval on January 8th.] *** As part of their effort to meet the standards, the Aerospool Dynamic underwent spin testing by company test pilot, Jozef Chupek. “He finished this task without any undesirable control behavior,” reported the company. Testing was done in a variety of CG load and control input configurations. “All testing situations were recoverable using normal spin recovery procedures,” Aerospool added. “Spin test flights were flown with our standard aircraft; we didn’t make any special modifications [other than] safety elements such as spin recovery parachute and ejectable cockpit.” Testing was observed by members of the Slovak Civil Aviation Authority.
LAMA & Sponsors Plan Big Gathering at Sebring 2008
Here comes Sebring 2008, Expo #4. Come see new airplanes — Flight Design’s CTLS, a composite Part 103 entry from Interplane, a new Tecnam model, plus other first appearances. Sebring is also business-to-business, for example, the Light Aircraft Manufacturers Association holding both a board of directors meeting and their annual member meeting. This year, LAMA’s gathering will be the largest ever. More than 300 people have RSVP’d to a generous offer from Sandia Aerospace who will provide a pig roast dinner after a short State-of-LSA presentation by LAMA president Tom Gunnarson and yours truly. EAA‘s Ron Wagner will give fresh information about LSA at AirVenture 2008. *** Located in the high desert of Albuquerque, New Mexico, Sandia Aerospace was founded in 1997 by a group of professionals to provide high quality avionics products to the aviation market.
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