Maybe you’ve heard about Able Flight, an organization formed to assist people with disabilities to fly. This worthy effort recently awarded its first two scholarships with more to come. Sponsors are lining up and this summer will see a special presentation at AirVenture Oshkosh. The aircraft of Able Flight’s focus is the Sky Arrow which offers special hardware allowing the SLSA to be flown via hand controls. *** I had the chance to fly the Sky Arrow with Jon Hansen of Hansen Air Group, the eastern rep for Sky Arrow USA. We flew at Spruce Creek (near Daytona, Florida), which bills itself as the “World’s Finest Residential Airpark” and must also be one of the largest with some 500 homes that offer nearby parking for airplanes or an attached hangar. *** Flying Sky Arrow with the hand controls was different but highly effective.
Special LSA Certificate Given by FAA
Sun ‘n Fun 2005 started off with a bang when Flightstar Sportplanes’ Tom Peghiny heard the Flight Design CT he imports was one of the first Special Light-Sport Aircraft to be given its airworthiness certificate. (S-LSAs are fully built and can be used for training or rental.) CT regional dealer Tom Gutmann of Airtime Aviation, Inc., was the recipient of a process Peghiny graciously called “the effort of many people.” Watch for full coverage of this benchmark achievement in aviation magazines.
Lockwood Delivering Drifter Kits; Air Cam Coming
When I first met Phil Lockwood, he was selling Drifters. That was more than 20 years ago. In that time the venerable Drifter ultralight went through several owners and many changes. A Drifter model even hailed from Australia for a time. But in a combined deal including the Air Cam — which Phil designed — all design rights, inventory, tooling, documentation returned home…to Lockwood enterprises (Read July 5, 2006 SPLOG). A 7,000 square-foot addition enlarges Lockwood’s facility to house the new activity. On a tour of this facility after the Sebring Expo I saw the stockpile of components that demanded a new building. Initially Phil expected only to supply Drifter parts to service about 1,000 aircraft flying around the globe. But early demand has staffers shipping a few kits even while they complete the factory. Lockwood also plans to deliver full Air Cam kits bringing this hugely delightful aircraft back to regular production.
Fresh New Breezer Joins LSA Parade
Of recent SLSA approvals Breezer is the newest offering from one of Germany’s largest microlight producers. Comco-Ikarus is also the C42 builder and found a big success with German flight schools. Just as AirVenture Oshkosh 2005 started, Breezer won its SLSA certificate. On an exceptionally beautiful day as AirVenture started, I flew this German designed and built design. Very pleasant and straightforward handling plus easy landings, in all a very satisfying experience. You enter from in front of the wing (note step) which makes entry suprisingly easy. Inside you have a huge visual panorama. Watch for my pilot report in Sport Pilot magazine.
A Trio of Savannah SLSA
OK, this may sound complicated. Savannah is an Italian design which bears some resemblance to the CH-701 (though with numerous differences). It is being assembled by Skykits, a Canadian company with a U.S. location from parts fabricated throughout Europe. Got that? OK, let’s add more. Savannah is one fuselage with three diffferent wing variations. While I grant you these perform somewhat differently, I didn’t see them as each deserving their own airworthiness. But I’m not FAA…who, it turns out, did want three certificates to prevent owners from wing swapping. So, today, we have SLSA #39 as the “regular” Savannah with the fixed leading edge slat (inset photo); and #47 ADV model with a tapered wing with movable slots (rather significant differences); and the new #48 VG model, which has no slats, insteading using a line of vortex generators. Still with me? OK, finally, you can get all three models in ready-to-fly form, as an ELSA, or as a 51% kit.
LSA Aero Wins #2 FAA Amphib Exemption
Perhaps it’s a little ironic that Freedom wins its freedom. When I spoke with importer Don Langford at the Sebring LSA Expo he sounded somewhat unsure about the future for his Spanish amphibian. He’d submitted information for an exemption but had no reply. Yet shortly after Expo ended FAA granted LSA Aero‘s request for the Colyaer Freedom S100. The exclusive club now includes Czech Aircraft Works’ Mermaid and the Freedom. *** Each person exercising Sport Pilot privileges is required to obtain additional ground and flight instruction — on landing gear inspection, operation, and emergency procedures to include six takeoffs and landings and three in-flight gear movements. After a logbook endorsement and with appropriate placards on the aircraft, a Sport Pilot is allowed to move the gear as designed. Congratulations to Don and LSA Aero. This may help crack the door open wider for other amphibious LSA.
Fully Finished…Revised Mermaid & SportCruiser
At the Sebring LSA Expo, visitors saw two airplanes they’d seen before, but these were actually revised models that are now ready for waiting pilots. The Mermaid charmed the LSA world when it was first introduced, since collecting more than 200 order deposits. The boat hull LSA also earned the first of two exemptions regarding the “repositionable” gear detail that has so befuddled FAA lawyers. The agency says it will fix this part of the SP/LSA rule by May 2007 but Mermaid is one of only two amphibs that allow Sport Pilots to reposition the gear. [UPDATE: LSA Aero’s Freedom S100 also recently won an exemption.] Mermaid’s engine now sits up on struts. Not only does this look great, the change has solved prior challenges of the Jabiru 3300 engine installation. It is also said to decrease noise. *** SportCruiser may look the same to you but the “third generation” model is said to fly better and it certainly looks sleeker with its beautifully shaped canopy.
A Mystique, Yes; But Not a Mystery
LSA America is a newly formed company separate from but associated with Fantasy Air USA, importer of the very successful Allegro*. The new company displayed their Mystique from Flying Machines, which won SLSA #46 just before the Sebring LSA Expo. This lovely bird has smooth flowing lines all the way to a squared off vertical stabilizer. I took a test flight in Mystique to find a light handling airplane with huge visibility. Built in the Czech Republic, Mystique joins Interplane’s Skyboy in LSA America’s lineup. Mystique has a contemporary appearance and equipment neatly fitting the LSA mold and looks second generation compared to the low-cost Skyboy. Look for my report in EAA Sport Pilot soon (perhaps the March or April 2007 issue). On less than 26 feet of span, Mystique boasts a 15:1 glide; such performance is hard to judge in an hour flight but clearly Mystique held energy well.
Evektor Introduces Sportstar Plus at Sebring
Evektor America requested their Czech supplier, Evektor Aerotechnik to perform an engineering study of the design. The result? By slightly raising the stall speed to ASTM standards (45 knots), the company was able to add 55 pounds of useful load. The newly capable model will be called the Sportstar Plus. *** On a visit to their Kerrville, Texas base (the same city/airport that is home to Mooney Aircraft), Evektor America‘s Jeff Conrad also told me that deliveries have now exceeded 42 Sportstars and that the importer plans to bring in 60 aircraft for 2007, growing steadily to over 100 units by 2008. Evektor’s surprising success has been in the GA flight school market where they currently have 15 schools using 18 Sportstars. “We believe this is the best penetration of any SLSA,” said Jeff. *** In addition to having the first certified LSA Sportstar, Evektor America is gearing up to sell Evektor’s four seat Cobra model, to be certified under Part 23 regulations.
Unveiling SeaMax to American Amphib Fans
My old friend Malcolm Jones* and Carlos Bessa will unveil a lovely amphibian LSA called SeaMax at the Sebring LSA Expo starting tomorrow. SeaMax by Brazilian producer AirMax intends to achieve Special Light-Sport Aircraft status but it has been cutting through waves in other countries for several years. SeaMax is a lighter amphibian, with gross weight at 1,144 pounds (a max of 1,430 is allowed). At 660 pounds empty, the composite seaplane yields a 484 pound useful load and can carry up to 25 gallons of fuel. SeaMax can lift off the water in only 325 feet. Electrically operated landing gear can be lowered into the water for taxiing onto a beach. SeaMax has a broad 46-inch wide cockpit and lots of attention to detail has been paid to the speedboat-like interior finish. * Malcolm operates a favorite hang gliding airpark called Wallaby Ranch just eight miles south of Disney Florida.
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