Welcome to the newest Special Light-Sport Aircraft …except that it isn’t so new(1). Indeed, we’ve seen the Ekolot Elf for a few years in this country. Here’s what I wrote on its introduction in 2017.
I was immediately drawn to Elf for two reason: One, I love soaring flight, which represents one of the most enjoyable challenges I’ve found in flying. “Hooking” a thermal and riding it thousands of feet upwards with the engine off or idling is not only magical; it’s also a good skill development exercise. Two, Elf was initially promoted as a Part 103, which I believe is aviation’s most charming — and certainly least-regulated — segment. Low prices, no pilot license required, no N-numbers, no medical of any kind …well, no wonder Part 103 aircraft are selling so well the last few years.
In Germany they have the “120-Kilogram Class,” meaning airplanes that weight no more than 264 pounds (very similar to the U.S.
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Amphibian Light-Sport Aircraft Seamax Continues to Log Deliveries, Now for IFR
Special LSA seaplane maker, Seamax Aircraft, announced, “This week [we] delivered the first Seamax M-22 aircraft designed with IFR (Instrument Flying Rules) capability. The delivery was completed at DeLand Municipal Airport in Florida (home to the Deland Showcase).”
“Following a recent certification process with extensive inspection of its new factory,” the company reported, “Seamax’s R&D team have worked to raise the bar bringing state-of-the-art technologies to the M-22. The company has heard customers’ requests and accepted the challenge to add new capabilities to the Seamax M-22.” One of those requests was from an experienced pilot seeking equipment to file for flight in the IFR system.
The newest buyer is Todd Lang, a Captain for a major U.S. airline and a combat veteran fighter pilot with 40 years of aviation experience. With more than 11,000 hours logged and a logbook full of ratings including a CFII (Certified Flight Instructor Instrument) certificate, Lang is ready to enjoy his Seamax but he also wants to do instruction with it.
Jabiru USA Adds Kits to their Light-Sport Aircraft Line: Trainer, Cruiser, & Four Seater
Although Special LSA plus Experimental LSA run neck-and-neck with Sport Pilot eligible kit-built aircraft in U.S. aircraft registrations, America remains more kit-oriented than most other countries.
Most western nations have kit programs of some kind but since their regulations have longer allowed fully-built aircraft, the European brands tend to slightly lead in SLSA deliveries while American producers thoroughly dominate kit-built aircraft sales.
Two other reasons also account for this situation.
A kit-built aircraft can lower the total cost of acquisition in trade for you investing your time. Many find those hours highly enjoyable and educational so kits may always be popular. In addition, a kit-built aircraft builder can do his or her own maintenance although a ELSA can qualify for this advantage as well.
Now Available In America!
Under former importer Pete Krotje, Jabiru grew to be one of our important LSA entries, with a fleet ranking of #7 in the USA and 118 models flying (more details on our Tableau Public website).
Light-Sport Aircraft In Space? OK, Not Quite but Private Ventures Are Advancing Quickly
Don’t hate me… I know this short article is not about Light-Sport Aircraft. Call it another break from the never-ending news about coronavirus.
You can call the title “clickbait” if you want, but I’ve long had a strong interest in space flight and SpaceShipOne certainly was far lighter than any manned spacecraft NASA has launched.
Still, even this light and relatively simple spacecraft is about as far from Part 103 ultralights as you can get.
It’s the main man behind this space adventure that may be of greater interest to pilots of any certificate.
I was initially captured by the video below. When I realized it was an interview with Burt Rutan, I was drawn to see what this tell-it-like-it-is fellow had to say.
I’ll keep this short as it doesn’t relate to Light-Sport Aircraft, kit-build aircraft Sport Pilots may fly or ultralight aircraft. For you true believers — don’t worry.
More Details on Swedish Light-Sport Aircraft “Speed Monster” Record Attempt
Our most-read story of 2020 was this breaking report on Blackwing’s assault on the world speed record for the Microlight category.
Since we published that article, Blackwing Sweden CEO Niklas Anderberg offered more details and — because this was a popular read for many visitors — it is worthwhile to tell you, as famous radio broadcaster (and aviation enthusiast *), Paul Harvey, used to say “…the rest of the story.”
— In His Own Words —
“On April 15th, a personal dream of mine came true,” wrote Niklas earlier today. “We pushed the turbocharged Blackwing aircraft to a new speed record in FAI‘s Microlight RAL2T Category.”
“A few weeks earlier,” he continued, “we started high-speed taxi tests. We noticed immediately that this aircraft is something special. The turbo-charged engine (Rotax‘s new 915iS, a 141-horsepower turbocharged and intercooled entry) in combination with a single power lever [controlling] the hydraulic MT propeller, accelerated like nothing I have tried before.
Light-Sport Aircraft News: Oshkosh? E-Fan Ends! 1Q20 Numbers, Sling Academy, Refreshed EMS
In the rush of coverage of Vintage Ultralights and other late-breaking stories such as the Blackwing speed record, I had to set aside a few news items. Here’s a catch-up…
I am pleased to serve a need for news during a month when we should have been covering Sun ‘n Fun and Aero Friedrichshafen. As everyone knows, those events are now rescheduled for 2021, both as a result of the global lockdown that has affected hundreds of other events.
You hardly need any more coverage of the coronavirus craziness so let’s get to aviation news and take a small break from these worldwide events. But first…
Oshkosh — Go or No/Go?
It has become one of the most-asked question in aviation. Will the big summer celebration of flight happen or go the way of every other airshow this year?
Return of An Old Favorite — Carlson Sparrow May Appear at Oshkosh 2020
Having celebrated the inventiveness of ultralight designer Wayne Ison in the last post, it seems quite appropriate to recognize another, Ernie Carlson. Does that ring a bell for you? One hopes.
Ernie was the man behind Carlson Aircraft along with his wife, Mary. This pair introduced Sparrow, a Part 103-capable single-place ultralight plus larger models like Sparrow II and XTC.
I won’t say they’ve been lost to pilots but they’ve been hiding. Now, out of the history books will return the Sparrow, thanks to David Cooper, the man behind Team Mini-Max. Our tenth of ten Vintage Ultralights featured his work and below you can see a video interview with him below talking about the Mini-Max line that he is also keeping alive and well.
Carlson Sparrow And Friends
“With the help of a couple partners we bought the Carlson Sparrow company. It will still carry the four designs they created and will be located next door to Team Mini-Max LLC in Niles, Michigan,” advised David.
Ultralight April 2020 — Tenth in the Vintage Series: Team Mini-Max
The grand finale to this series on Vintage Ultralights during the month of April 2020 focuses on an airplane that can be very inexpensive if bought used. However, even new models are quite the bargain brand new — $6,195 for a complete Mini-Max kit, not including engine, instruments, or paint — from Team Mini-Max LLC. The big difference is you must build a new one. For some this may be pure delight. Others want to fly sooner or don’t care to tackle the building effort.
As alert readers may have noticed, Mini-Max shares something with the third in this series, Fisher’s Koala. That also-mostly-wood aircraft was designed by Mike Fisher and Wayne Ison. The last man was the principal of Team Aircraft in Tennessee. Ison passed away in August of 2014 at the age of 90.
Wayne had a gentle yet determined way about him that I recall well.
Swedish “Speed Monster” — Blackwing Plus Rotax 915iS Claims New Speed Record
Five years back at my favorite airshow in Europe — Aero Friedrichshafen — I could not pass the supersleek blue and black low wing from Sweden, my father’s ancestral home. A stunner, it caught my eye and that of everyone else such that taking pictures of it without people surrounding it was difficult.
During this coronavirus mess, Sweden has been in the news because authorities did not fully lock down the country. Some closures were recommended and certain folks (older, immune-deficient… you’ve heard all this repeatedly) were encouraged to self-isolate. Yet pictures show restaurants, streets, and other public venues with plenty of people. Sweden has had deaths, of course, every one of them tragic. Yet it will provide a good baseline with which to judge the effectiveness of lockdown procedures from draconian to… well, Swedish.
However, the greater freedom enjoyed by Swedes allowed an impressive flight only a few days ago.
Ultralight April 2020 — Ninth in the Vintage Series: Rans S-4/5
This first year I ever saw Randy Schlitter fly one his models at an airshow seems a hundred years ago. Indeed, since that distant memory at Sun ‘n Fun, this Kansas company has created a profusion of designs and delivered nearly 5,000 aircraft. To say it has been a great run qualifies as a significant understatement.
Today’s S-21 Outbound (pilot report video) or S-20 Raven (pilot report video) seem a long ways off from those very early models yet it does not take an expert eye to see they are clear descendants from the original Rans aircraft.
What began this fascinating evolution of a light airplane company started almost 40 years ago — here’s a report on the very first model, still flying! That humble little Coyote (Kansas is a U.S. prairie state so coyotes are a logical name) began something great but it remains a wonderful light airplane that you can buy today for a song.
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