In the late 1990s, the Italian JetFox 97 flew as an evolved ultralight-style aircraft. The two-seat design resembled the American FlightStar, which sold around 1,000 units in all configurations.

Unlike Flightstar, JetFox 97 fully enclosed the engine and cabin, giving it a more finished look. Instead of the simple tail boom on Flightstar, the European microlight had an aft fuselage and other refinements.

However, as Light-Sport Aircraft erupted into the marketplace in 2005, JetFox appeared to quietly fade away. U.S. representation of the design moved on to other pursuits.

Yet worthy ideas can be recycled and revived. Such appears to be the case for FX1. [Read more…]

In barely over a decade, Light-Sport Aircraft have had an enormous impact on the world of aviation.

Is that too strong a statement? “Where are all these LSA,” you might ask? How on Earth can I justify writing “…had an enormous impact?”

Fair questions, all. Let me answer. [Read more…]

“It simply won’t work,” say too many pilots. “You cannot run a business making only 50 airplanes a year. To build good, safe airplanes, you must operate a large enterprise.”

If you are one of those naysayers, are you sure about that?

I write about the world of light aviation, a segment of recreational aircraft spanning hang gliders to Light-Sport Aircraft (LSA). In that space, we have only a few companies that make 100 aircraft a year; most are far smaller.

Are these micromanufacturers too small to build reliable aircraft or to provide a reasonable living for their employees and owners?

Based on many years of writing about these companies, I can attest they are not too small. One proof of their right size is that many of these small companies boast very low employee turnover. Another is their steady innovation. [Read more…]