• READ MORE: Triple Tree: How To Get There

Grass: CubCrafters Carbon Cub SS

CubCrafters took an iconic design—the Piper Super Cub—and turned it upon its ear, so to speak, with an ongoing evolution of models that both fit the initial airplane’s backcountry purpose and take it into the modern age. The most quintessential of these designs is perhaps the Carbon Cub. While you can get one in a kit, you can also opt for the Carbon Cub SS, which is factory built under the light-sport umbrella.

Made from roughly 50 percent fewer parts than the original, the Carbon Cub SS weighs more than 300 pounds less than the Super Cub too—and that means more features (and payload) can be packed inside and stay within LSA rules. It will climb as fast as 2,100 fpm, and take off and land in distances less than 120 feet under ideal circumstances.

Depending on the model of engine up front, Carbon Cubs will cruise between 110 and 132 mph (or 95 to 114 knots). You’ve seen Carbon Cubs rip it up in STOL contests—they will make easy work of the grass at Triple Tree, or wherever your journey to the region takes you.

Modern: Flight Design F2

Another option in the light sport category, the carbon-fiber Flight Design F2 gives you the modern age both in aerodynamics and in the panel. With forgiving stall and slow flight characteristics, the F2 offers the pilot a sporty and friendly flying companion.

• READ MORE: Triple Tree: Fly-In for ‘Fun, Fellowship, and Hospitality’

Powered by a 100 hp Rotax 912iS up front, driving a three-blade composite prop, the F2 easily makes a cruising speed of 115 kias. With an empty weight of 835 pounds, you have 485 pounds of fuel, people, and bags to put on board. At 7,500 feet msl, and dialing back to 55 percent power and 100 kias, range is a healthy 850 nm off of 34.3 gallons of fuel, according to the company.

Up front, the brains of the S-LSA F2 are in the dual Garmin G3X avionics suite, with the GTR 225 com radio, GTX 345 transponder, GMA 245 audio panel, and GFC 507 digital autopilot. A BRS airframe parachute system rounds out the list of safety features for a sweet ride that looks after its own.

Soaring: Pipistrel Sinus Flex

Want the ultimate in fun flying to put in your hangar? Pipistrel, with its long history of creating both airplanes and motorgliders, has created a new option for pilots who want to have it both ways, with the Sinus Flex LSA. The new model takes the Sinus motorglider—with its 30:1 glide ratio and up to 7.5 hours of endurance—and makes its wingtips interchangeable with the Virus cruiser. This knocks the wingspan down by 9 feet, and makes it easier to fit into the home hangar.

The Sinus uses the 80 hp Rotax 912 powerplant to get aloft, so you’re not dependent upon a towplane to reach your soaring grounds. Fuel tanks come standard at 16 gallons with a long-range option of 26 gallons—but when you find the right conditions, you can shut down the engine and pick up “free” lift from thermals or ridges.

This article was first published in the 2022 Southeast Adventure Guide of FLYING Magazine.

The post LSAs: Perfect Aircraft for a Fly-In at Triple Tree Aerodrome appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Quicklook: Light Sport Aircraft Models

• Evektor Harmony: A good option for instrument-rated pilots 
• Tecnam P92 Echo MkII: A good option for luxury seekers
• Tomark Aero Viper SD4: A good option for pilots on a budget 
• Flight Design CTLS: A good option for flight schools
• Rans S20 Raven: A good option for pilots interested in kitplanes 

5 Light Sport Aircraft Options

When choosing a light sport aircraft keep in mind how you’ll best use the airplane. Engine type, useful load, and fuel range are important factors to take into account before purchasing. You will also want to consider how the aircraft will be serviced, including the availability of parts, and how well it will hold up to extensive use. The best option for one purpose may not suit another.

Evektor Harmony

A Czech Republic-made LSA aircraft, the Evektor Harmony, is available in three engine configurations. The corrosion-proof design is good for pilots who do not pay for hangar space or are frequently in the sky. The Harmony is also available in a full-IFR version best suited for instrument-rated pilots. 

Recommended for: Instrument-rated pilots 

Engine Options: Rotax 912 ULS/S, Rotax 914 UL Turbo, and Rotax 912iS Sport

Useful Load: 634 lbs

Top Speed: 115 kts, 130 kts, or 115 kts, depending on engine choice

Range with Full Fuel: 700 nm, 600 nm, and 750 nm, depending on engine choice

Climb Rate: 900 ft/min and 1,250 ft/min, depending on engine choice

Special Features: 

• Advanced Garmin or Dynon glass panel 
• All-metal, anodised, and corrosion-proof airframe 
• SL version available as an E-LSA 200-hour quick-build kit

Benefits: 

• Low operating costs
• Easy maintenance 
• Spacious cockpit 

Disadvantages: 

• Low availability  

Price Range:

• Used: $68,000-plus
• New: $125,000-$168,000

Tecnam P92 Echo MkII

The Italian-made Tecnam P92 Echo MkII is a lighter, more fuel-efficient alternative to Technam’s other aircraft. It’s available in two configurations and comes at a reasonable all-in cost. The relatively new airframe is considered to be a luxury option in the LSA market for its sleek design and attention to detail.

Recommended for: Luxury seekers 

Engine Options: Rotax 912ULS or Rotax 912 iS Sport 

Useful Load: 610 lbs

Top Speed: 115 kts

Range with Full Fuel: 430 nm

Climb Rate: 1,220 ft/min

Special Features: 

• Glass cockpit  
• Optional ballistic parachute

Benefits: 

• Wide cockpit
• Built-in Bluetooth connection

Disadvantages: 

• No used aircraft on the market at this time

Price Range:

• Used: N/A
• New: $201,999 

Tomark Aero Viper SD4

The Tomark Aero Viper is a two-seat, all-metal LSA designed specially for recreational flying. For an LSA, the interior is quite roomy and features LCD navigation and communication systems. The relatively low price tags for both new and used models make the Viper one of the best choices for pilots on a budget.

Recommended for: Pilots on a budget

Engine Options: Rotax 912 ULS

Useful Load: 445 lbs

Top Speed: 130 kts

Range with Full Fuel: 380 nm

Climb Rate: 1,180 ft/min

Special Features: 

• Galaxy recovery system/parachute 
• Can be bought as a kitplane 

Benefits: 

•  Available in six models
•  2,000 hours between overhauls

Disadvantages: 

•  Short range

Price Range:

• Used: $50,000-$70,000 
• New: $85,000-$150,000

Flight Design CTLS 

The Flight Design CTLS is one of the most popular LSAs for flight schools to use. The carbon fiber airframe allows for a reduced empty weight without sacrificing rigidity, performance, and aesthetics. The new base model price is quite affordable and may be one of the best options for pilots looking to purchase their first aircraft with many additional features to upgrade to. 

Recommended for: Flight schools

Engine Options: Rotax 912iS or Rotax 912

Useful Load: 603 lbs

Top Speed: 130 kts

Range with Full Fuel: 970 or 1,080 nm, depending on engine choice 

Climb Rate: 805 ft/min

Special Features:

• Airframe emergency parachute system (AEPS)  
• Ample sitting height in cockpit allowing for tall pilots to enter and exit easily

Benefits: 

• Low operating cost  
• High-wing airframe
• Exterior access baggage compartment 

Disadvantages: 

• High used prices

Price Range:

• Used: $99,000-$199,000 depending on specifications 
• New: $132,000-plus

Rans S20 Raven

The Rans S20 Raven is great for someone who has always wanted to own and fly an airplane and also build one. Rans is one of the popular kitplane manufacturers and makes four different airframes. The S20 Raven LSA can be built in approximately 1,000 hours and flown by sport pilots. With a low all-in price, S20 Raven may be the best choice for your next hanger project.

Recommended for: Pilots interested in kitplanes 

Engine Options: Rotax 915ULS

Useful Load: 588 lbs

Top Speed: 130 kts 

Range with Full Fuel: 497 nm

Climb Rate: 900 ft/min

Special Features: 

•  Customizable kitplane
•  No welding required

Benefits:

• Build Time: 700 to 1,000 hours 
• Fun project   

Disadvantages: 

• Can only buy assembled used 
• Engine price is separate  

Price Range:

• Use: $65,000-$115,000
• New: $65,000 all in 

What Is a Light-Sport Aircraft? 

Light sport aircraft (LSA) meet FAA weight, size, and performance requirements of simple, low-performance, low-energy aircraft that are limited to 1,320 pounds maximum takeoff weight for aircraft not intended for operation on water; or 1,430 pounds maximum takeoff weight for aircraft intended for operation on water. 

Do I Need a PPL to Fly LSAs?

No. To fly an LSA, you must be at least 17 years of age, possess a driver’s license (for medical compliance purposes) and a sport pilot certificate, and follow all FAA rules and regulations. The sport pilot rule allows a pilot to fly an LSA without the need for an FAA medical certificate. 

S-LSA vs Experimental LSA (E-LSA)

The difference between an S-LSA and an E-LSA is the assembler of the aircraft. S-LSAs are assembled by the manufacturer while E-LSAs (kitplanes) are assembled by amateur builders and are considered to be experimental aircraft. The aircraft is certificated as experimental amateur-built and must be operated in accordance with the operating limitations issued to the aircraft at the time it receives its airworthiness compliance certification.

What To Consider With an LSA

When choosing an LSA, understand what you will be using the aircraft for. Picking an aircraft that can meet your needs of useful load, cruising speed, range, passenger load, and price is important before purchasing.

Useful Load

Useful load in aviation means the difference between the gross weight and the basic empty weight. It includes the pilots, passengers, usable fuel, drainable oil, if applicable, and cargo. If the aircraft will be used for things such as family trips or cross-country flying, choose a LSA with a high useful load. 

Cruising Speed

Best economy cruise speed on an aircraft is the speed at which it is most economic to fly long distances. For short hauls, cruising speed will make a negligible difference in overall trip time, but on longer hauls, a higher cruising speed will make a large difference in trip time. Choose an LSA with a cruise speed that will best fit your needs. 

Range

The range of an aircraft is the maximum distance an aircraft can fly between takeoff and landing. This is directly correlated to the fuel burn of the aircraft and the amount of fuel it can carry on board.

Passenger Load

Passenger loads of LSAs are two people. This is because of the total weight of the aircraft, including useful load, having to meet specific requirements by the FAA to be considered an LSA. 

Price

Prices of LSAs vary depending on the manufacturer, but overall, LSAs are more affordable than traditional aircraft of similar sizes. The cost of a LSA can be between $80,000 to $400,000, depending on the make and model.

Light Sport Aircraft To Meet Your Flying Needs

Now that you have a better understanding of what LSAs are and what they can offer, you can choose the aircraft that will suit your needs. For more information on all things LSA and aviation, subscribe to FLYING Magazine. 

FAQ

The post Light Sport Aircraft Options appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Work crews finished hauling away the largest of the rocks and muddy stumps only a few days ago, turning what had been a leafy hill behind the Just Aircraft factory in tiny Walhalla, South Carolina, into a rutted, scarred clearing barely the size of a football field. Even my host, company co-founder Troy Woodland, doesn’t condescend to calling this a runway. He banks steeply, turning short final in his lime-green and silver SuperSTOL kitplane, diving for the red-hued earth with what suddenly seems like questionable sanity.

“If this doesn’t make you a little nervous your first time out,” Woodland tells me over the intercom, “there’s probably something wrong with you.”

I’m not ashamed to admit it: I’m slightly nervous as the ground begins to rush all around us.

“But really,” he says, “you shouldn’t be nervous.”

He pours in a burst of power and smoothly pulls back on the stick. The SuperSTOL rises to follow the contour of the hill until Woodland abruptly chops the power. The world goes eerily quiet as the SuperSTOL announces it is finished flying—from a height of several feet and at a discomfortingly fast rate of descent we are falling. I brace for impact, but there is no bone-crushing arrival. Instead, the SuperSTOL’s nitrogen-charged shock absorbers and 29-inch tundra tires cushion the brunt of the abuse from our unorthodox landing. Woodland immediately gets on the brakes, glancing at me as we trundle over rocks and tree branches.

I am sitting in the left seat, grinning like an idiot.

This basic sequence is repeated perhaps two dozen times throughout the day as we drop into impossibly small parcels of land in and around Walhalla. Once firmly planted on the ground, Woodland wastes no time in putting his foot into the rudder to spin us back toward whence we’d come, applying full power and with effortless motions jabbing the stick forward for a brief instant and then wrenching it back while grasping the flap handle on the floor and raising it one notch. The combination of sudden forward momentum and additional lift from the flaps propels us into the air. We climb sharply. The airspeed indicator shows 35 miles per hour. The sensation is similar to being in a helicopter.

No other airplane I’ve flown can do what the SuperSTOL can. STOL, as you know, stands for “short takeoff and landing.” SuperSTOL, then, implies really short takeoffs and landings, made possible by the airplane’s huge 45-degree fowler flaps and self-deploying leading-edge slats, designs borrowed from the Helio Courier bush plane and scaled to fit this diminutive two-seat experimental amateur-built kitplane. The only vehicle I would confidently take on the mess of a surface we first landed on would be a farm tractor or a backhoe, I think to myself. Yet here we are in a rag-and-tube taildragger, lumbering over deep grooves, muddy furrows and jagged rocks as though it’s all perfectly normal.

Somehow, in this airplane, it is normal. By the end of the day I feel comfortable with everything we are doing. The nervousness has faded—and the reason is simple. The SuperSTOL lands at such slow speeds and has such a sturdy structure that, with each takeoff and landing, my confidence in the airplane’s incredible capabilities grows. What would have seemed unusual, in fact, would have been landing on an actual paved runway. Instead, Woodland and I drop into farm pastures, neighbors’ yards and steeply graded grass and mud fields bordered by trees, lakes and rivers underneath a 2,000-foot overcast lording over the smoky foothills of the Appalachians. What a way to spend a day.

Birth of the SuperSTOL

What’s truly amazing about this kitplane is that, if you have a few hundred feet of space in your yard and an extra $75,000 on hand [in 2014 dollars], you too can own this incredible airplane.

The world got its first glimpse of Just Aircraft’s SuperSTOL at Oshkosh in 2012, where it was an instant hit when Woodland and his business partner, Gary Schmitt, demonstrated the airplane in public for the first time. The SuperSTOL had actually been on the drawing board for close to 10 years. Woodland knew it was only a matter of time before he would build it. Just Aircraft had been selling a kitplane called the Highlander that offered many of the attributes Woodland saw as desirable for a personal bush plane, such as light weight, decent power, slow landing speed and available tundra tires. But to create the ultimate budget bush plane, changes were needed—radical changes.

The first modification Woodland designed for the SuperSTOL was its unique A-frame landing gear, a setup borrowed from the Pilatus Porter and further modified to incorporate shocks similar to those found on off-road trucks and ATVs. Next Woodland whipped up the engineering drawings for the SuperSTOL’s slats, which are designed to extend automatically any time the airspeed drops below 55 knots. As on other slat-equipped airplanes, they allow the wing to continue flying at a higher angle of attack and, in turn, a slower airspeed. In normal operations, Woodland says, the SuperSTOL’s tail actually stalls before the wing does—and it happens at an indicated airspeed of just 28 knots.

Woodland says he’s tried to get the airplane to spin but hasn’t succeeded yet. For the wing to stall, the SuperSTOL has to be at such a wild nose-up deck angle that he doesn’t try that very often either. The normal procedure for landing is to chop the power, hold the stick full aft and let the airplane drop, at 500 to 1,000 feet per minute, all the way to impact with the ground. There is no flare. There is no float. It’s the sort of abuse that would break most other airplanes. For the SuperSTOL, it’s routine.

Another key piece of the development effort was convincing Sensenich to develop a new 82-inch climb prop to pair with the SuperSTOL’s Rotax 912ULS engine. Woodland’s personal airplane, a self-described test mule, has a Kiev climb prop built in Ukraine and a big-bore kit for the engine that bumps horsepower from 100 to 110. The combination allowed us to get off the ground in about 100 feet on the shortest runs, though Woodland says he generally likes to use every foot of available takeoff space before hauling the SuperSTOL into the air. Some early SuperSTOL kit builders have opted for much larger engines, up to 200 hp, which should provide mind-blowing short-field performance, especially with the new Sensenich prop.

Even a SuperSTOL with the stock Rotax 912ULS engine has a published takeoff ground roll of just 275 feet at the airplane’s max gross weight of 1,320 pounds, the typical limit for LSAs. Another thoughtful design element is the airplane’s folding wing, which allows easy storage in a garage or shed. With the wings folded back, the SuperSTOL measures 21 feet, 8 inches long and just 8 feet, 6 inches wide. Landing ground roll is about 100 feet with help from the SuperSTOL’s big Matco disc brakes, meaning this truly can be a backyard airplane for a good number of people.

Still, it’s not the ideal choice for long-haul travel—or even medium-haul travel. Typical cruise speed with those big tires hanging in the breeze is a leisurely 87 knots. But with its 24-gallon gas tank and the Rotax’s economical fuel burn, endurance is exceptional. And in the air the SuperSTOL feels like a lot of LSAs we’ve flown. The controls demand a light touch, especially the ailerons. To keep the ball centered, it’s best to lead turns with the rudder, applying almost imperceptible input in the direction of the turn with the stick. I noted the airplane we flew rode a little nose-high in cruise, something Woodland said he’s working to tweak through adjustment of the horizontal stabilizer’s angle of incidence.

Carolina Bush Flying

Where the SuperSTOL shines brightest, of course, is during takeoff and landing. My introduction to the airplane came at Sun ‘n Fun in Lakeland, Florida, this past spring. Woodland and I flew a customer’s airplane from Paradise City, the small grass runway reserved for ultralights, LSAs and small helicopters. We couldn’t leave the area due to a TFR blanketing the airport during the afternoon airshow, so we were stuck in the pattern, where the breezy crosswind had swung around to become a 10-knot tailwind. Even so, Woodland had the SuperSTOL down and stopped in about 100 feet. Even though the conditions weren’t ideal, the airplane intrigued me. I agreed to come to Walhalla for some real bush flying.

When I showed up at his door a couple of weeks later, Woodland delivered on his promise to show off the SuperSTOL’s unrivaled capabilities in its true elements. After we’d made several takeoffs and landings on the newly cleared strip behind the factory and on another grass runway running from a lake in a ravine to the top of the hill in front of the one-story concrete-block factory, we headed for the Tugaloo River on the border with Georgia, the site of our next improbable landing.

“I’d like to drop in and say hello to a friend,” Woodland said, setting up for final toward another hill with a thin cutout in the trees, atop which sat a white plantation-style mansion. The handsome home had black shutters and a grand entryway flanked by four tall columns. As we slowed for final, the slats deployed with a subtle clunk—it wasn’t really jarring, but no matter how many times it happened throughout the day, it was always a surprise to me.

Descending below the tree line, Woodland pulled the power and eased the stick back. The SuperSTOL dropped onto the lawn and rolled to a stop in the shadow of two enormous oak trees. He shut the engine down and we climbed out to greet the home’s owner, Chip Angel, who offered us handshakes and fresh-brewed coffee. As we chatted and began looking over the airplane, Troy and I noticed that we’d been flying around with a 5-foot-long tree branch entwined in the tailwheel. From the reddish color of the dried mud there was no doubt that we’d picked it up on a previous landing back at the Just Aircraft factory. Woodland gave the branch a good tug and tossed it aside — to the delight of Angel’s golden retriever, who joyfully snatched it with his teeth and bounded up onto the porch.

With the offending stick removed and our coffee cups emptied, we bid farewell to our host and climbed aboard the airplane, rocketing back into the sky and banking sharply for home. After several more takeoffs and landings on the muddy hill, we shut down and headed inside the 32,000-square-foot factory for a closer look at the Just Aircraft operation. It was a surprisingly busy place, with dozens of workers and customers cranking wrenches.

Woodland and Schmitt founded Just Aircraft in 2002, starting out with a kitplane called the Escapade that’s reminiscent of a Kitfox. That airplane evolved into the Highlander, which quickly earned a reputation as a decent STOL performer. Still, Woodland knew that he and Schmitt could do better. Working from a pile of engineering drawings at home on his kitchen table, he started with the basic pre-welded steel frame from the Highlander and began incorporating all the touches that turned a fine STOL airplane into a SuperSTOL. The prototype was completed just days before the start of Oshkosh 2012.

After seeing the airplane in action, would-be customers began lining up asking when they could buy one. That set into motion plans for full-scale production of a kit, demand for which is exploding. Woodland said nearly 100 SuperSTOL kits have been shipped so far, and production is nearly sold out for the rest of this year. About 90 percent of all new orders are for the SuperSTOL versus the Highlander, Woodland said, despite the Highlander’s lower price.

Building the SuperSTOL

Only a handful of SuperSTOLs have been completed so far, but more are taking to the sky all the time. Build times are expected to average between 500 and 1,000 hours, which is typical of several other homebuilt models. The basic kit [in 2014 dollars] costs $36,650 and includes everything from the firewall back, save for the cockpit instruments. The base engine, prop and cowl add $27,000 to the total price, while the instrument panel can set a builder back anywhere from $5,000 to perhaps $15,000. To save money, Woodland said he pieced together his lime-green SuperSTOL using a rebuilt engine and used tires.

As for the true performance of the airplane, early SuperSTOL pilots are still in test-pilot territory. Woodland said it took him hours of flying the airplane with the flaps and slats extended before he truly began to appreciate just what the SuperSTOL can do in the air. With around 800 hours under his belt, he has a pretty good feel for its capabilities. Still, he said Just Aircraft plans to hire an independent flight-test company soon to really wring out the airplane and define the full performance envelope.

One thing is for certain: The SuperSTOL couldn’t achieve its performance goals without the clever technology Woodland has incorporated into the design, especially the slat design. What was a little unnerving about the slats to me is that they often deploy asymmetrically, with only one slat popping out initially followed a moment later by the other. It doesn’t really affect controllability, however, and when the slats are deployed for landing they stay out. Unlike the design of the Helio Courier, which has slats that slide out on tubes, the SuperSTOL’s slats pop in and out on short arms that fold flush against the wing at higher airspeeds. It’s an ingeniously simple setup that saves on weight, cost and complexity.

The SuperSTOL’s shock absorbers, meanwhile, are built in California by a company called Fox Factory Inc., a name well known to ATV and off-road enthusiasts. Woodland says the shocks, with 6 inches of suspension travel, were carefully tuned through trial and error to dampen them and allow for drop-in landings. The design works perfectly, with no chance of a bounced landing and little danger of a nose-over even with maximum braking. Proper transition training, of course, is an absolute must for pilots new to the SuperSTOL.

Visibility from the cockpit is superb, with all-Plexiglas doors and even a Plexiglas ceiling that lets in lots of natural light. The interior is roomy for an LSA, with plenty of elbow room and a large baggage area just behind the seats. Woodland said there’s no worrying about how much weight is loaded into the rear cargo area (as long as you stay under max gross, of course) and that the airplane flies better with some weight in the back.

The Verdict

As I toured the factory, finishing touches were being put on the first of two SuperSTOLs preparing to compete this year at the Valdez STOL competition in Alaska. While the SuperSTOL wasn’t intentionally designed for Valdez, it may as well have been. I wouldn’t be surprised if in the future this airplane dominates the competition there — especially as Just Aircraft and clever builders incorporate further enhancements and refinements into the design.

The SuperSTOL isn’t for every pilot, but if what you crave is a go-anywhere bush plane that’s built like a tank — and you have the patience and mechanical aptitude to build your own airplane — there’s probably no better choice. The price is reasonable compared with most production LSAs, and there’s not another airplane out there that can do what the SuperSTOL can. Woodland said he likes to think of it as an aerial ATV. And really, that’s the perfect description. You can fly a SuperSTOL from your yard and head off on excursions and adventures that will introduce you to a side of aviation unlike what most other pilots will ever get to experience. Best of all, you’ll be having so much fun you won’t be able to wipe the grin off your face.

The post We Fly: Just Aircraft SuperSTOL appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

It also pays to consider fuel consumption when buying an aircraft. Like cars, some airplanes seem to sip fuel while others guzzle. More so than with cars, though, finding an airplane with a minimal appetite for fuel often comes with compromises that affect your mission or even scuttle it altogether.

Making light aircraft fuel efficient might mean giving up cabin space, useful load, and several knots in cruising speed. Cars can more easily make large gains in miles per gallon while still carrying the whole family to far-off destinations in thickly padded comfort. Of course, part of the reason for this is that they never have to leave the ground.

Still, there are aircraft that operate in a sweet spot where speed and fuel burn combine to yield far more nautical miles per gallon (range) than other models of similar size and capacity. We looked at performance figures for dozens of airplanes in a range of categories from light sport aircraft (LSAs) to midsize jets and were surprised by some of the differences we found.

While an individual pilot’s technique—and variations even among aircraft in the same model line—can affect fuel consumption, it is clear that certain models have advantages over others. 

Using information from operating handbooks, manufacturers’ data, pilot reports and industry analysts, including Conklin & de Decker and others, we compiled the following list of aircraft that top their categories, and their fuel economy in nautical miles per gallon.

Most Fuel Efficient LSA Aircraft

Aeromarine Merlin PSA: 28.3 nmpg
As a single seater, the Merlin keeps things especially light and achieves economy-car fuel efficiency. The company notes that many pilots spend nearly all of their time flying solo anyway. 

Flight Design F2: 24.4 nmpg
A light sport pioneer, Flight Design struggled for decades to shore up funding for development and production until its acquisition by Lift Air, a division of Lift Holdings, in 2017. 

Remos GX: 23.2 nmpg
Like many LSAs, the Remos GX is a European design, in this case from Germany, that is available as a kit for amateur builders or fully built and ready to fly.

Most Fuel Efficient Piston Singles

Mooney M20G: 15.8 nmpg
The Mooney M20 series was around for so long that not everyone agrees which model is the best. However, the 180-horse versions were famous for squeezing the most speed out of limited power.

Cessna 172P: 15 nmpg
Being slow is among the many things for which the classic 172 is known. Fortunately, it uses very little fuel in the process, so its efficiency is still higher than for most GA airplanes.

Cirrus SR20: 12.9 nmpg
The less-powerful Cirrus piston model is still no slouch. Stepping up to the brawnier SR22T would get you there faster but would also use more fuel per mile.

Most Fuel Efficient Piston Twins

Tecnam P2006T: 17.8 nmpg
Twin Rotax engines burning about four gallons per hour each help this twin post impressive fuel economy numbers. Many piston twins burn two to three times as much.

Diamond DA-62: 12.6 nmpg
Automotive-derived engines help this twin reach nearly 200 knots while burning only slightly more fuel than older twins with far less performance.

Piper PA44 Seminole: 12.2 nmpg
Long a standard for multiengine instruction at flight schools, the Seminole is still among the most economical twins although modern designs with advanced engines offer more speed for the same amount of fuel.   

Most Fuel Efficient Turbine Singles

Daher TBM 900: 4.4 nmpg
The TBM burns about the same 70 gallons an hour as the Pilatus but scores better due to its higher cruise speed—just over 300 knots. 

Pilatus PC-12 NG: 3.7 nmpg
Popular for charter service, business, and personal transport, the Pilatus posts attractive fuel economy figures, due mostly to its cruise speed of around 260 knots.

Quest Kodiak: 3.3 nmpg
Piston pilots have to brace themselves for a shock at the fuel pumps when transitioning to turbine power. Even a relatively economical utility model like the Kodiak burns 45 gallons per hour.

Most Fuel Efficient Turbine Twins

Piaggio P.180 Avanti: 3.3 nmpg
This unusual twin-pusher design from Italy is renowned for outpacing many jets while cutting costs. It also makes a unique sound passing overhead.

Piper Cheyenne II: 3.2 nmpg 
In the oldie-but-goodie category, Piper’s turbine rework of its long-running Navajo still has a following, in part, because it represents a relatively inexpensive route to turboprop speeds.

Beechcraft King Air B200: 2.7 nmpg
Among the many King Air models, this is about the most economical to operate, burning just over 100 gallons of fuel per hour.

Most Fuel Efficient Light Jets

Cirrus SF50: 6.0 nmpg
It took a while to certificate the unusual Cirrus single-engine jet, but many feel the wait was worth it in order to have a jet that nearly doubles the fuel economy of some turboprops.

HondaJet HA-420: 4.2 nmpg
Honda definitely brought some of its economy-car experience to the jet market. Its HA-420 is among the fastest light jets but manages to keep the fuel burn reasonable.

Embraer Phenom 100: 4.0 nmpg
Embraer’s decades of experience building economical military trainers and regional jets translated well to its Phenom series, which set a high bar in the small-jet category.

Most Fuel Efficient Midsize Jets

Cessna Citation II: 2.0 nmpg
Arguably the jet that started it all, at least for economy-minded operators, the Citation models from the 1980s continue to be among the least expensive to operate.

Gulfstream G200: 1.9 nmpg
With seats for eight, this long-running Gulfstream model has the range to make Atlantic crossings. It made its first flights in 1997.

Hawker 900XP: 1.7 nmpg
This model, built from the late 2000s to the early teens, was popular for its roominess— comfortably seating eight—and its reasonable overall operating costs.

The post The Most Fuel-Efficient Aircraft appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Founded in 2017 at South Texas Regional Airport in Hondo, Texas, startup Texas Aircraft Manufacturing (TAM) made a splash at last summer’s EAA AirVenture Oshkosh when they introduced their new-generation Colt Light Sport Aircraft (S-LSA). Now, just months later, the company has announced that the Colt has received full FAA ASTM (American Society for Testing and Standards) certification.

The Colt is powered by a 100-horsepower Rotax 912 ULS engine, and cruises at 105 knots at 75 percent power while burning just 4.9 gallons of fuel per hour. Takeoff and landing distances are both just over 1,000 feet, with a “full flap” stall speed of 38 KIAS. The Dynon SkyView HDX avionics suite with advanced state-of-the-art ergonomic design features an intuitive 10” EFIS touchscreen interface for increased situational awareness and usability.

In testing, TAM stressed the Colt’s wings up to 6gs, which is higher than what is required by ASTM S-LSA standards. Now that the Colt is approved, TAM will focus on ramping up production. “We want to manufacture something around six Colts this year and ramp up to one a month next year. By the end of the year, we intend to bring it to two or three a month,” TAM’s co-founder, Matheus Grande said.

The company takes great pride in the fact that many of its skilled assembly technicians are ex-U.S. military aircraft maintainers, all tasked with using the latest modern technologies and design elements to produce a Light Sport airplane that will be affordably priced. “The Colt is a robust flight trainer, and interest is high with flight schools. Really though, anyone can learn to fly in a Colt and have lots of fun,” Grande added.

The Colt-S is priced at $156,000, and the Colt-SL with autopilot, airframe parachute and full paint is $167,000.

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The U.S. Sport Aviation Expo in Sebring, Florida, got off to a sunny and warm start on Wednesday with temperatures in the low 80s and a stiff wind not deterring demo pilots showing of the latest light sport aircraft.

Thursday was another story as colder temperatures and rain swept across central Florida, putting a damper on outside activities and causing organizers to cancel Thursday morning forums due to high winds.

The local Sebring community was also rocked on Wednesday when a lone gunmen at a SunTrust Bank allegedly opened fire, killing five people inside. Route 27, the main highway that runs through town, was closed for several hours as a police swat team stormed the building and took the suspect into custody. Police said the general public was in no danger during the incident, which was contained to the bank.

The weather in Sebring was forecast to improve on Friday with high temperatures in the mid 60s. More than 100 exhibitors are on hand for the Expo, which runs through January 26.

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An increase in the weight limit for LSAs from 1,320 pounds to more than 3,000 could be coming before the end of 2019 or in 2020 according to news published by both the EAA and AOPA. Should that weight limit become a permanent part of the LSA guidelines along with a number of expanded pilot privileges, a sport pilot certificate holder might be able to fly an aircraft that weighs considerably more than the current legal weight limit. But the intricacies of a weight change are just one possibility under the FAA’s Modernization of Special Airworthiness Certificates rulemaking efforts rolled out by the agency during AirVenture 2018.

Both EAA and AOPA have told their members over the past few days that the FAA plans to publish a notice of proposed rulemaking as early as January 2019 that will address LSA weight limits as just one of a number of maybes, designed to allow pilots additional flexibility in the construction of kit aircraft. The NPRM is also expected to look at ways to possibly add electric aircraft to the LSA category.

While a 3,600-pound weight limit has been making the rounds on social and traditional media, that number is far from an absolute at this point in time. “The discussions thus far have been about concepts,” an EAA spokesperson told Flying. “It’s also important to note that this is the light-sport aircraft certification for the aircraft, not to be confused with sport pilot certification for the pilot. Right now, under the current LSA/sport pilot rule, the 1,320 pound weight limit is the maximum weight of aircraft that can be operated under a sport pilot certificate. If that linkage would remain in any new rulemaking,” some aircraft heavier than 1,320 pounds that meet specific performance parameters would be eligible for operation by sport pilots. “Stall speed, complexity, cruise speed and other factors would be in play as well, so it’s not as simple as weight = sport pilot eligibility,” EAA added.

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Van’s Aircraft, well known for a long-line of two and four-place kits now numbering more than 10,000, will soon begin building complete aircraft on a new assembly line the company is creating in Aurora, Oregon, for future RV-12iS and RV-12-iST SLSA models. The move is seen as the next step in a plan Van’s began several years ago to implement a comprehensive SLSA program to deliver the RV-12 as a ready-to-fly, certified light-sport aircraft for individual and flight school use. Over the last year that program has grown to include the next-generation SLSA RV-12iS and, most recently, the RV-12iST trainer aircraft. As the RV-12 SLSA program matured, Van’s expanded its workforce and capabilities to include marketing and production aircraft construction, improving processes and technologies along the way.

Since the launch of the RV-12 SLSA program Van’s has offered finished aircraft through its assembly partner, Synergy Air that now includes the RV-12iST trainer. Van’s said Synergy Air will continue expanding into the builder-assist arena and has already expanded beyond its Eugene, Oregon facility, recently opening a second builder-assist center in Georgia. Van’s Aircraft said all SLSA aircraft will continue to be fully-supported by the company’s technical and business support teams.

The post Van’s Aircraft Now Building the SLSA RV-12iS and RV-12iST appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Yakima, Washington-based CubCrafters can now start shipping its certified XCub to Canada and Japan as the company has achieved validation for the Type Certificate in the two countries. CubCrafters already delivered the first Japanese airplane after the Japan Civil Aviation Bureau (JCAB) validated the TC of the two-seat taildragger. Transport Canada Civil Aviation (TCCA) also signed off on the validation and CubCrafters expects to start delivering both the wheeled and seaplane versions of the XCub there soon.

“The growing list of approvals for the XCub from international aviation authorities is an important part of our plan to expand the market reach of the CubCrafters product line,” says the company’s vice president of sales and marketing, Brad Damm. “With delivery commitments for new XCubs now on five of seven continents, there is world-wide interest in the utility, safety, and best-in-class STOL performance that our aircraft offer.”

The XCub was certified in the U.S. in June of 2016. The airplane was also signed off by EASA earlier this year, allowing customers in countries within the European Union to take delivery. CubCrafters currently has 30 service centers in the United States and one in Europe.

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A handful of Pipistrel Alpha Electro two-seaters are operating in the United States, but because of the shortsightedness of FAA regulations for light-sport aircraft they can’t be used for paid flight training. Now, the Slovenian maker of the battery-powered airplane thinks the rule will be amended by early next year, a change that would usher in an age of electric-powered ab initio training at U.S. flight schools.

When the FAA wrote the regulations for LSAs more than a decade ago, the words “reciprocating engine” were specifically added to the new class of airplanes to prevent manufacturers from dreaming up turbine-engine conversions. Few within the aviation industry expected electric propulsion to approach being ready to enter the mainstream quite as quickly as it has.

Some flight schools are eager to add lower-cost electric airplanes to their fleets now that suppliers like Siemens are providing the means for manufacturers to do so. The FAA is revisiting LSA rules to allow small electric airplane to be used for flight training at a time of unprecedented demand for commercial pilots.

The Alpha Electro can stay aloft for about an hour on a single charge, perfect, says Pipistrel, for ab initio training through first solo. Price of the airplane is just under $140,000, while the cost to charge the batteries for an hour’s worth of flight time is just $3. Even accounting for the cost of maintenance, depreciation and eventual battery replacement, Pipistrel claims the hourly operating cost of the Alpha Electro is $25, a figure that is far below that of gasoline-powered trainers.

At EAA AirVenture Oshkosh, Pipstrel is showing off a new rapid charging station that will replenish the batteries quickly in between lessons. The manufacturer also is showing off a $40,000 virtual reality simulator that offers a compelling training environment for students to take advantage of the cost savings of “flying” while still firmly planted to the ground.

The Alpha Electro trainers flying in the United States now are operating under Experimental certificates. As soon as LSA rules are updated to reflect the current state of electric propulsion technology, the first batch of paying students will begin training in a whole new way.

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