SportairUSA
SportairUSA has a history of bringing interesting recreational aircraft to the U.S market. The latest is the dynamic Savage Nomad Shock Ultra, designed and built for the STOL market. (See full-length article.)
In addition to new aircraft sales and resales, SportairUSA has evolved into a mid-America service center for Part 23 and LSA aircraft, authorized to provide the full range of inspection, maintenance and repair of airframes, engines and propellers for small aircraft, and installation/repair of avionics.
The Nomad Shock Ultra combines the evolved design of the Savage Nomad LSA with the bush capabilities of it’s big brother, the Savage Outback Shock. More specifically, the Shock Ultra is an updated Nomad incorporating oversized outboard shock absorbers into the forward landing gear, inspired by the famous Fieseler Fi156 Storch of the WWII era, along with a new hyper-STOL wing profile, double-slotted Fowler flaps, optional leading-edge wing slats, and re-engineered suspension geometry for better landing control.
The results speak for themselves. Minimum flight speed is 17 mph solo, and 21 mph at MTOW. The landing flare is flattened, yielding good visibility of the landing site throughout the landing sequence. Custom-designed undercarriage and suspension tame even STOL landings with little to no touchdown rebound. It’s fascinating to watch the Shock Ultra in short landing field trials, as it almost hovers to a touchdown and then stays down. The fuselage squats on the shocks but the tires, once down, don’t leave the ground.
The standard engine in the Shock Ultra is the capable 100 horsepower ROTAX 912ULS, and the STOL performance with this power source is at the top of its class. The forward airframe is engineered for more than 140 horsepower, easily handling engine upgrades such as the turbocharged ROTAX 914 and the new ROTAX 915, and anticipating further developments in light aircraft engines.
In 2018 SportairUSA introduced Z~Floats, a new line of amphibious floats engineered for LSA and light recreational aircraft.
The company is also coordinating the introduction of a rotary-engined reproduction of the WW-II vintage Chance-Vought F4U Corsair fighter plane. And this one is a ready-to-fly factory finished Part 103 Ultralight! (See article.)
SportairUSA began operation in the 1990s as a dealer/builder for the Searey line of amphibians. In 2004 the firm became a pioneering distributor of Light Sport Aircraft and has continued to innovate and grow in the field. The company recently determined not to renew its distributorship agreement with TL-Ultralight, s.r.o., in order to focus on distributing the Savage line from Zlin Aviation, s.r.o. Sportair is also the U.S. distributor for the new “vintage” Part 103 ultralight Corsair 103, and for Z~Floats — amphibious floats for light recreational aircraft.
SportairUSA has become a premier maintenance, repair and avionics center for LSAs and all FAA Part 23 small aircraft, operating out of its 25,000 square foot facility at KORK North Little Rock, Arkansas, Municipal Airport. It is an FAA certificated repair station under 14 CFR Part 145.
Website: http://www.sportair.aero/
Email: bill@sportair.aero
Phone: (501) 228-7777
North Little Rock, AR 72118USA