Editor’s Note: Recent commentary on the future of Rotax engines brought out a few comments that high-spec versions of the 900-series engines already exist, just in the aftermarket. For a deeper dive into the topic, here’s a story that ran in early 2023 in KITPLANES from Eric Stewart, a regular contributor to that magazine. Prices for Edge’s modified engines run from 26,000 Euro for the 108-hp EP912i to 45,000 Euro for the 180-hp EP917Ti.
Edge Performance of Notodden, Norway, has been around for little more than a decade, but their EFI and Rotax upgrades have quickly become popular, setting a high bar with race-quality components. I’ll be putting the EP912sti in the SR-1 race plane—not only does it have exceptional power to weight (important given the 661-pound weight limit for the SR-1’s record category), but racers go best when it’s hot and high—and the EP912STi’s turbo ensures we can still make power in those conditions.
Checking in With Sonex’s Mark Schaible — Update on the High Wing and Will it Be a MOSAIC Design?
Light Sport enthusiasts who appreciate light, simple, inexpensive airplanes have been watching Sonex Aircraft develop the High Wing model for a couple of years now. It’ll first come out as an Experimental/Amateur-Built version but the company is very much open to considering an E-LSA and even, with some outside help, an S-LSA version. (Or whatever we’re going to call that once MOSAIC is real.)
Company owner Mark Schaible joins us to talk about the airplane’s gestation and expectations for performance and when it might fly. Hint: You’ll be able to see a cabin mockup at AirVenture this year at the least. In general, Sonex is hoping for performance similar to the low-wing Sonex designs and will be building the first example as a taildragger with a 130-hp ULPower engine. Schaible also discusses changes to the design now that MOSAIC is closer to reality. Expanded Sport Pilot rules could allow Sonex to give the High Wing a gross weight above the current 1320-pound maximum for LSA.
Building the Affordaplane, Part 2
In a previous post, introduced our video project for building the Affordaplane. To review, this is the plans-only project I demonstrated on YouTube for building an ultralight from raw materials. (You’ll find this free 50-part series here.)
My objective was to build an “FAA-legal” ultralight using approved aircraft materials and techniques. This month, I will review some of the challenges encountered while building. My approach on making these videos was to show and explain to first-time builders how to take a set of plans and translate them into a series of steps for completing the project.
From a construction standpoint this ultralight design is quite unusual in some ways and very traditional in others. The designer, Dave Edwards, had a goal of making sure the aircraft could be built by an amateur with common shop tools and readily available materials.
A Seaplane You Can Afford; Aero Adventure Begins a New Chapter for the Aventura Line
Here’s the backdrop of today’s update on the LSA seaplane sector as summer approaches.
According to Law360, an online legal news source, “Light-Sport Aircraft manufacturer Icon Aircraft filed for Chapter 11 protection in Delaware bankruptcy court with more than $170 million in debt and plans for an asset sale and liquidation.” You may have read (here) that Icon got an initial offer of $13.5 million. As an industry contact told me for the earlier report, “That would hardly make a dent in their liabilities.” The person was right, it appears. A proposed new buyer referenced in the earlier article agreed to take on Icon’s debt but the sales must still go through an auction process, I was told.
OK, let’s come back to Earth… or water perhaps …or either. Aero Adventure continues to fly as it has for three decades (though management has changed at least three times over the period).
Chip Erwin and the TrueLite Mow the Lawn — And Then Go Flying! (UPDATED AGAIN!)
In our original post, we linked to video of the TrueLite performing taxi tests. Now it’s done better: flying! See the new videos below as Chip Erwin documents the first flights of the TrueLite happening now in Florida.
Those of us looking for pure flying in lightweight form can’t help but be intrigued by the TrueLite ultralight, marketed here by Chip Erwin’s Aeromarine company. “The taxi test went fine. I didn’t have any airspeed reading so I’ll have to see what’s going on there,” Erwin says in the video. While the 36 hp Vittorazzi Cosmos 300 ran a bit hot during the taxi tests, he feels it was because it sat idling for 5 minutes before the test, saying that it cooled down once he got moving.
Here’s a sampling of videos related to the TrueLite.
Crystal Balling — What Will Rotax Do Next?
Untethered prognostication is what you do waiting for the rain showers to blow through and the sun to reemerge on your long cross country. Me? I sorta do it for a living. (Such as that is.) And I get to do it often enough in front of people who work deep in the industry to see if I’ve landed close to the truth. Like playing Battleship with engineers and PR people.
My latest prognostication jag centers on what’s next for Rotax. And it’s driven by a feeling that there’s no time to waste moving up the horsepower ladder. Here’s my argument.
First, the traditional engine manufacturers have still not recovered from what they say are pandemic-related supply-chain issues, which causes huge delays in deliveries and helps drive prices quite high. In the Experimental realm, where I also live, new engines have become exceptionally more expensive, leading some builders to reassess their budgets and stop their projects where they stand.
Looking Back to See Ahead — Dan Johnson Recalls the Beginning of the LSA Movement
As we move toward MOSAIC as a new reality in the Light Sport/Sport Pilot world, it’s worth knowing how we got here. MOSAIC does, after all, leverage right off of the success of the LSA category. In this casual conversation, I chat with Dan Johnson about the early days of LSA and get some questions answered on how some decisions came to be made.
New Buyer for Icon Reported — What Happens Now?
Icon is a global enterprise. While its headquarters remains in Vacaville, California, fabrication is done in Mexico, and ownership is in China. For some years, this American start-up has benefitted from Chinese investment.
How much investment has this California company attracted? Numbers I’ve been quoted vary enormously but all estimates run into many millions of dollars. If these guesses are even close to accurate, Icon has generated more investment funding than nearly any LSA producer. Only one outstrips them. That was a reported $200 million sale of Pipistrel to Textron, owner of Cessna and other aviation brands. I hope the aerospace conglomerate got all they hoped for because that is a super-premium valuation for any LSA company, even one as tech-savvy as Pipistrel.
Icon has performed reasonably well in recent years (“200 Delivered” report) but prior investments in the company require sales volumes that are difficult to reach, especially with a $400,000 price tag.
So, You Want to Build An Ultralight?
Ever consider what it might be like building an ultralight? But first, how do ultralights fit into the arena of “regular” Experimental airplanes like the ones featured in KITPLANES Magazine and other Light Sport Aircraft found on this website? For those not familiar with the technicalities of an ultralight, allow me to briefly summarize the details of what defines an ultralight. Then we’ll consider how they complement their larger brothers.
While you may hear pilots and builders use the term ultralight to describe a small, light aircraft in general terms, the FAA has very specific rules as to what constitutes an ultralight. Full details are spelled out in Part 103 of the FARs, but here are the highlights.
An ultralight has a single seat (pilot-only capable), an empty weight of no more than 254 pounds and a maximum speed of 63 mph. So, if you ever see a small plane with more than one seat, or one that obviously weighs more than 254 pounds, that aircraft does not meet the legal criteria of an ultralight.
Amphib Dreams — Aero Adventure To Get New Leadership
Editor’s Note: This news release came across our (virtual) desks today and we feel it’s of interest to provide this update now. However, our man Dan Johnson has arranged to speak with current CEO Alex Rolinski in the next few days to get more detail on these changes and what to look for from Aero Adventure in the near future.
Change is coming to Aero Adventure, maker of the Aventura amphibs. According to the company, “this month, our company will be under…new leadership. With a highly experienced and respected professional team, the company is about to enter a new era of innovation and expansion.”
The company has already been making progress. “Since the beginning of 2022, we have focused on solidifying and accelerating our production process, our new team has taken us to the next level. We changed the production process, adding state-of-the-art CNC equipment. Today, we have a production capacity of 18 kits per year and plan to expand to 24 kits by 2025.”
Modifications to the Aventura are on the way as well.
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