Liberty Aerospace, manufacturer of the IFR-certified Liberty XL2, received its production certificate May 1 from the FAA.
The Melbourne, Fla.-based company also entered the European general aviation market in April. As the XL2 is based on the Europa, a British light aircraft, the XL2 is “returning to its European roots,” according to Liberty President Tony Tiarks.
The XL2 is the only production aircraft powered by a piston engine equipped with a full authority digital engine control (FADEC). The sleek little two-placer is built of carbon composites and offers a 48-inch wide cabin and cruise speeds of up to 132 knots (150 mph), while burning only 5 gallons per hour, Tiarks pointed out.