SAB’s Vulcan isn’t entirely new. The design has existed in Europe and arrived in the USA more than two years ago, but stealthily avoided our radar as a Special Light-Sport Aircraft until the 2012 Midwest LSA Expo at the Mt. Vernon, Illinois airport. The secret is out now and Vulcan C-100 has been added to […]
Cessna tops LSA market list
Anticipation is always high for the latest market share information and I am happy to provide an update, thanks to my European associate Jan Fridrich who does the hard work of sifting through FAA’s database. I remind you that his efforts are not merely tallying whatever FAA publishes. In fairness, Jan has to evaluate many […]
From yawns to very cool
Does the idea of electronic circuit breakers (ECB) make you yawn and look around for something more interesting? I understand, but this is truly a cool product. ECB developer Vertical Power also offers a related and extremely compelling product. After visiting with Marc Ausman at SUN ’n FUN, again at AirVenture 2012, and then with […]
LSA news wrap — Rotax-Icon-Tecnam-More
Another busy week in the Light-Sport Aircraft world. Here are just a few brief news stories from the LSA space: ROTAX “EMERGENCY AD?” — Aviation media was all over the Rotax “Emergency AD” story, but is that entirely accurate? Aren’t LSA subject to manufacturer-issued SBs or Service Bulletins rather than Airworthiness Directives, which are normally […]
Cirrus returning to LSA? Well, yes…for Icon
Icon Aircraft and Cirrus Aircraft recently announced a deal for the general aviation composite aircraft producer to build parts of the Icon A5 and the news introduced dates for the A5 to come to market. Several years ago I traveled to Cirrus’ Duluth, Minnesota, plant in the company of the Icon top leaders, including CEO […]
Remarkably priced, fully built & powerful CH-750
So, if you’ve been one of those lamenting the high cost of LSA, well, you have a few other worthy choices, but TennAir brings a new one.
The cost of certification
Again, I repeat, the preceding is merely a discussion, but one with many plot twists. It will certainly be interesting to watch how the FAA rules on either exemption mentioned above and how companies and organizations pursue their goals. More importantly, how will the market — that is, you pilots — demand each kind of certification? Only time will tell.
Electric! Gorgeous! Freedom!…4th generation ULS
Randall Fishman virtually invented the electric aircraft. That’s a rather big statement, yet I stand behind it. Randall first showed a functional electric trike at Oshkosh 2007. He’s been on a tear ever since and his ULS is his present state-of-the-art, his fourth generation of electric aircraft design. I use three words to describe ULS […]
What’s expected at Oshkosh from our LSA expert
I have several targets on my radar for follow-up at this year’s AirVenture, which kicks off tomorrow, July 23. Here’s a beforehand review; details will follow. LSA seaplanes will generate plenty of interest, I think, with Icon’s latest announcements and the dreamy new Lisa Akoya. Both are superslick but not to be outdone by the […]