Unsure about the certification used for LSA? Don’t know about premium-priced LSA from distant countries? Struggling to accept Rotax power? If you ask yourself these questions as some GA pilots are doing at AOPA’s Hartford Expo, then you might want to consider The Champ for under $90,000 or $100K nicely equipped. Here’s a familiar aircraft certified under a traditional system, Continental O-200 powered, made in USA. For some, this is enough to suggest purchase. One shortcoming is that The Champ has limited useful load — given an empty weight of 920 pounds (an allowed figure for this Part 23 certified aircraft eligible though not for a LSA) — leaving 292 pounds of payload assuming a full 18 gallons of fuel. *** My first 35 hours were in a Champion Citabria and I hold a sweet spot for the design. I look forward to doing a flight review.
American Companies Continue LSA Development
Unless you’ve closely scoured the Internet or shows like AirVenture, you may think Light-Sport Aircraft are mostly foreign. By FAA registrations, that’s still correct; some two thirds are imports. But Yankee companies aren’t playing dead. *** An Orlando, Florida company says it has secured funding and is proceeding with a proof of concept aircraft called Horizon. This is a wide (51 in.) cabin, pusher engine, twin tailboom design using composite and metal construction with a base price target of $79,900 (probably a lot less than the “micro-jet” variation they see as a future project). *** One of the founders of New Horizons Aircraft is S-51D designer, Jim Stewart. His 70% replica Mustang that sold about 70 kits was powered with a 400-hp Chevy big-block engine. I took a flight in this thrill machine several years ago and I can still remember its powerful acceleration down the runway.
Name Game Confusion Even Affects SPLOG
In my work for the LSA industry since its birth in the summer of 2004, a common lament I’ve heard is that we have “too many…” new aircraft names, company names, importer names. These statements were from people actively working with the industry so newcomers are surely confused. *** Although I believed I had good information, for some time in SPLOG postings and in articles I’ve written, I’ve called Mystique an airplane from Interplane, the folks who build Skyboy and more (see photos). But Flying Machines, another Czech company, is Mystique’s creator. Thanks to Pascal Nelson of Greensboro NC for catching the error. Other websites I’ve visited also have it wrong, and while I’m curious how that happened, it’s now corrected everywhere on ByDanJohnson.com. *** Flying Machines was formed in 2004 and builds two versions of the FM250, the Vampire (for Europe) and Mystique (for U.S.).
Rollison LSA Is Seeing Double: G-3 & Eurofox
Now we count 32 new Special Light-Sport Aircraft that have won certification…all within less than one year! The newest arrivals come thanks to work by veteran light aircraft distributor Rollison Light Sport Aircraft and two manufacturers. The Indiana importer gained approval for the handsome German Remos G-3* and their Aeropro EuroFox (lower photo). The G-3 is an impressive design that forms the high end of LSA offerings. But if G-3 doesn’t fit your budget, you can consider RLSA’s economical model. EuroFox builder Aeropro has sold more than 180 aircraft. Priced in euros, RLSA lists a nicely equipped 80-hp Rotax 912 EuroFox for less than $60,000, which includes the cost of shipping from overseas. Quick-folding wings (“1 person, 8 min.”) may help you find space at the local airport. For more details, read my evaluation of EuroFox or G-3 right now. * [UPDATE: late 2006 — The Remos G-3 is now handled by Remos USA, Inc.]
LAMA to Announce New Consumer Program
Odds are you’ve heard of LAMA, the Light Aircraft Manufacturers Association, founded in the earliest days of ultralights and gaining renewed importance in this era of Light-Sport Aircraft. Most leading LSA businesses (not only manufacturers) are members; look for the LAMA logo on many websites. *** For 2007, the LAMA business organization has a new trick up its sleeve: a consumer program whereby a qualifying manufacturer can apply a LAMA decal to each LSA produced according to ASTM standards and which has successfully completed a third party compliance verification audit. Sounds pretty dry, yes. But it is critical to lend greater credibility to the ASTM consensus standards. *** A manufacturer declares his airplane compliant. LAMA sends a contractor to assure the standard was properly met. In the future LSA consumers should look for the LAMA decal to know it was built by a company whose compliance documents and processes have been verified.
Light Sport Airplanes West Officially Opens
Within 24 hours of getting home from Sun ‘n Fun, several industry leaders including Evektor America’s Jeff Conrad, Flight Design USA’s Tom Peghiny, Jabiru USA’s Ed Ricks, and BRS parachute’s Gregg Ellsworth packed up and headed off to California. What motivated these men to depart so soon after a long week in Florida? They all wanted to support proprietor Mike Fletcher as he and his staff celebrated the Grand Opening of Light Sport Airplanes West. I also flew out to join the party for America’s largest LSA showroom and a grand affair it was. Estimates put attendance at 300 (I suspect that didn’t include everyone present as some 100 aircraft flew in). Representing the Sportstar, CTsw, and J-250 plus the Remos G-3, TL Ultralight StingSport, and Tecnam, LSA West has an impressive line and a large inventory of LSA in stock.
Aircraft Sweepstakes Give Away Two LSA
Want to win a free Light-Sport Aircraft? You missed one chance but the other is still available. Organizations like EAA, AOPA, and Sporty’s have given away airplanes as incentives. Now, LSA have “arrived.” *** At the May 2008 Alaska Airmen event, CubCrafters supported the organizer’s fundraiser; a $50 ticket bought you a chance to win a $130,000 Sport Cub. This LSA was generously equipped and had a new red-over-white paint scheme (photo) plus the first pair of lightweight, Kevlar-reinforced, 26-inch tundra tires that are “perfect for Alaska pilots,” said CubCrafters VP Todd Simmons. *** The LSA you can still win is Sun ‘n Fun’s first-ever sweepstakes airplane: a Mountain Aircraft American Flyer, distributed nationally by Sportsplanes.com who donated the aircraft with support from others including Lockwood Aircraft Supply. The famous Florida airshow will announce the winner on opening day of their 2008 event (April 8-14).
Czech Republic Is the Major LSA Exporter
You can hardly doubt the headline. A cruise through our SLSA List will show almost a quarter of all (12 of 50) designs that have won certification are from the Czech Republic. Even the USA counts only 11 SLSA models so far. Yet perhaps showing global cross-pollination, at least two Czech producers are owned by Americans (Czech Aircraft Works and Interplane). Even inside the Czech Republic one company often builds parts used by others. Since the Soviets withdrew 17 years ago, the Czech Republic has embraced recreational aviation with excellent success. *** Of course, Germany, Italy, France and Spain plus East European producers in Poland, Romania, and Hungary have also made their impact in the American LSA market. So, ASTM‘s LSA committee will hold its next standards writing and review session in Prague, Czech Republic. I’ll be going as will several other American leaders, partly as a significant gathering of EU aviation officials will also meet in conjunction with the ASTM meeting.
Here Come the LSA Hybrids…Storm Rally & Others
In the auto industry “hybrid” infers the use of multiple technologies (think: Toyota Prius). In aviation, hybrid could mean an airplane designed in one country and built in another. Even Boeing farms out subassemblies worldwide, integrating them in America. Car companies coined “domestic content” to state what portion of a car is “Made in the USA.” *** We’re doing it in LSA, too. Besides the Storm Rally (photo), Jabiru 170 and 250 and the Delta Jet 912 trike are hybrids. The Italian-designed, Canadian-owned, Skykits line is U.S.-built. *** Prestige Aircraft is the licensed manufacturer for aircraft designed by Storm Aircraft of Italy. Like Jabiru USA, Prestige brings in major components, assembles them, and finishes with U.S.-sourced elements, which better addresses the American market. Storm Rally comes with basic VFR flight instruments and equipment, including a turn-coordinator, tail-strobe, Icon 200 radio, and Garmin transponder with altitude encoder.
Trike and a Bush Plane…#52 & #53 SLSA
A couple approvals snuck past my radar in the last month of travel. Welcome to a Canadian bush plane and an Australian trike. Back around Tax Day, April 17th, AirBorne Australia gained their second SLSA airworthiness certificate with the XT-912 Outback. And on June 4th, the BushCaddy was signed off by a U.S. Designated Airworthiness Rep (DAR). *** A spacious fully-built BushCaddy is modestly priced for the category at $72,500 base with the 80-horse Rotax. Even with the 100-hp R912S or the 120-hp Jabiru 3300, BushCaddy remains under $75,000. And an ELSA kit is now permitted; indeed, one is already under construction. *** AirBorne’s Outback is a simpler, more open carriage version of their deluxe XT912 using the faster double surfaced Streak wing. The #30 SLSA sells for around $47,000 base price but an Outback is somewhat less; both models effectively qualify as a lower-priced SLSA choices.
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