Silverlight Aviation’s new Recon EAB high wing is promising pilots versatility and economy. The plane was just unveiled this week at Sun ‘n Fun, and ordering now can reportedly have you traveling to Zephyrhills Municipal Airport in Florida in four months to build it.
The starting price of $110,000 includes a Rotax 912uls and a build assist which reportedly gets you a plane in 17 days. The folding-wing Recon can be built as a tri-wheel or tail dragger, and the starting payload of 600+ lb allows you to trade payload for tundra tires if you want to go backcountry flying. “This plane was modeled on the Apollo LSA,” said Silverlight owner Abid Farooqui. “We stretched it out a little, made a wider cabin, added to the wingspan, and changed the airfoil to improve its efficiency.” The result, Farooqui says, is a plane that has a real world payload, can cruise at 90-100 knots, and stall at 37 kt clean or 33 kt with flaperons engaged.
Aero 1000 Engine
Air-Tech, supplier of the Aero 1000 HO 4-stroke ultralight engine, is here at Sun ‘n Fun to remind builders that they have engines ready for immediate delivery. Air-Tech, which is a full-service, authorized dealer for the popular Quicksilver aircraft, introduced this 39-hp electronically fuel injected thumper a few years back. The company was responding to light aircraft pilot requests for four-stroke reliability. “The two-stroke engine will be a thing of the past for aviation sooner or later,” contends Air-Tech production manager Ken Borne. The problem, Borne says, has been the availability of 4-strokes to replace these engines.” But now we have several of these Helvenco Swiss-made engines ready to go at all times,” he said. The engine has been in use for more than a decade in Europe’s highly competitive carting world,” details Borne. “The cart racers run them for 24 hours at up to 15,000 RPM.
Goose—The Digital Co-Pilot
You can have a co-pilot… even when you can’t get anyone to fly with you! ‘Goose’ is an iOS and Android app which its creators describe as “Alexa for pilots.”
“It’s like having a flight instructor or knowledgeable pilot sitting next to you,” explains Goose’s creator Jeff Bonasso. Introduced a few years ago and formally known as MiraCheck, the app has just been redesigned by AeroSys Technologies. The app works through a series of voice and GPS location activated checklists. For example, tell Goose (through your Bluetooth headset or your phone/tablet mic) that you’re ready for engine start and the app will read the specified list to you, pausing at each step for you to say “Check” before moving on.
You can download previously created checklists or make your own. Once you’re in the air Goose can be set to follow your flight and provide an emergency or pre-landing checklist when asked, or notify you if you deviate from your course or planned altitude.
Vittorazi Cosmos 300 EFI
One of light aviation’s most popular engines will soon be available with electronic fuel injection.
Vittorazi displayed its Cosmos 300 EFI for the first time this week at Sun ‘n Fun.
The carbureted version of the 36 horsepower two-stroke is a favorite for PPG applications. Vittorazi’s team leader and developer for the EFI version, Santino Genovese, says the company focused on adding to what made the carb version so great.
“Simplicity was our goal,” Genovese said. “Not only for the EFI unit of the engine, but for the user too.” To this end, Genovese points to the engine’s ability to recognize when it’s being started ‘cold,’ and that it’s probably not a good idea for the throttle to be forward very far at that point.
“With this engine there won’t be a runaway trike or a paraglider knocked down because the throttle was mistakenly set at full during startup,” explains Genovese.
Flybreezy—A Wind-Powered Generator
Having an action camera on your wing can add to the fun of flying. Keeping that camera charged during longer flights so you have something to look at later… not so much.
But Flybreezy, a company based in California, has a new product aimed at making battery charging less of an issue for pilot videographers.
“We took the idea of a Ram Air Turbine and miniaturized it to create a detachable, wind-powered USB charger,” details Flybreezy inventor Steve O’Connor. “It generates 15 watts and can power two GoPro cameras if you’re flying above 64 mph, or a single camera at 55 mph.”
The 3x4x6” device weighs about a pound and can be mounted to an aircraft with just about any commercially available GoPro compatible mount. You can affix it and the camera together or mount it away from the camera(s) and run cables. Type ‘A’ and ‘C’ USB ports are standard.
Dingo—a Single Seat, Open Cockpit Biplane
On display in Paradise City (the show’s area for light planes and ultralights) are a pair of “Dingos” – a relatively new ultralight kit design from Future Vehicles, a manufacturer located in the Czech Republic (futurevehicles.eu/dingo). The Dingo is a single seat, open cockpit biplane weighing in at approx. 210 lb without engine. The airframe is riveted from sheets made of aluminum 6061 and 2024 alloys. The ailerons and elevator are operated by rods and the rudder is controlled by cables. All sheet metal parts are already drilled and it is only necessary to rivet them (matched-hole technology utilized). The construction manuals with breakdowns and part numbers are in PDF format and are available on their website for public viewing. Also, videos of each stage of construction, showing the proper sequence of assembly, are provided on the Future Vehicles website.
Rick Bennett, of Bluff City Aircraft LLC (bluffcityaircraft.com) is the US distributor for the Dingo.
A First Look at Sun ‘n Fun — LSA, We Got ‘em!
Editor’s Note: Here again let’s take a quick look at some of the LSAs we’ve seen so far at Sun ‘n Fun and welcome Mark Timney to our contributors for this show.
The first-day crowd at Sun ‘n Fun 2024’s Paradise City was a little smaller than usual according to long-time attendees, but what the event’s light sport area might have lacked in numbers it made up for in aircraft evolution.
Of particular note: A sleek, new low wing from Italy’s CFM Aviation that could set the bar for tomorrow’s MLSAs; Magni Gyro’s long awaited M26 Victor; and, a speedy new ultralight flexwing from FlyLight called the ‘Nine. ‘
The hustle and bustle of opening day prevents a detailed report on these aircraft at this time… only an entry-level tease of what Sun ‘n Fun is offering up this year.
The Nine trike, which Great Britain’s Flylight sells through Blue Collar Aviation (BCA) in the US, is distinguished by its 56 mph hands-off cruise speed.
Live (Sort Of) From Sun ‘n Fun — The Sun’s Out and Stuff’s Happening
It’s delightfully warm and getting even better here in Lakeland, Florida, for the 50th running of the Sun ‘n Fun. What’s happening? Lots. Why haven’t you read much of it here yet? Good question.
Truth is, I was stuck on the Experimental side of the situation—not a bad place to be, actually—for the first day of the show. But that doesn’t mean there isn’t news to report. Junkers unveiled its new radial-engined A50 today. I spent some time with Dynon Avionics to talk about the new 12-inch version of the SkyView HDX. (See the video I did for Kitplanes below.) And there’s much more to come, with an important opening reception tonight centered on the LSA market. Plus a few of the hardy souls who reached out with an interest to write for this site have been turning in their fine words.
Sun ‘n Fun, from a working perspective, is a whirlwind.
Junkers Goes ‘Round — The Scarlett 7U Radial A50 Heritage Is Here!
Editor’s Note: This is a quick preview of the new A50 from Junkers we thought you should hear about ASAP. After we catch our breath, we’ll try to update the story with more detail on such things as pricing and availability. In the mean time, welcome Amy Wilder, editor of our sister publication Plane & Pilot, who is helping out here at Sun ‘n Fun.
Last year at Sun ‘n Fun, Junkers Aircraft Corp. unveiled its A50 Junior design, a revitalized take on the classic 1929 design by Hermann Pohlmann. The refresh featured the classic design, with a Rotax 912 engine.
Based on consumer feedback and requests, the company today unveiled its A50 “Heritage” model, which the company said in a release “meticulously captured the essence of Hugo Junkers’ imaginative and original design” with its Scarlett 7U radial engine and two-piece glass windscreen.
Stay tuned for a video of the press event from this morning’s unveiling at the expo.
Light Sport Accidents — New LSAs vs. Legacy Trainers
Editor’s Note: This is the second part of Ron Wanttaja’s survey of LSA safety (here’s the first). This time, he takes a close look at how modern LSAs compare with legacy trainers as epitomized by Cessna’s 152, both in terms of accident rates and the kinds of mayhem they succumb to. Let’s dive in!
In the previous safety review, we looked various forms of LSA—SLSA, ELSA and Experimental/Amateur-Built. For this article, we’ll look only at SLSA airplanes. We’re not addressing powered parachutes, weight shift or other SLSA classes—just traditional flying machines with wings and a motor. Call them “SLSA-A,” or “SLSA-As” for plural. We’ll address their accidents from 2005 through 2021.
To identify the SLSA-A accidents, I cross-referenced the NTSB accident database with FAA registrations, including both active and inactive aircraft.
What to compare them to? Let’s pick the near-ubiquitous Cessna 152. It’s close to the general definition of Light Sport, other than exceeding the LSA gross weight requirement.
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