Belite Aircraft reports that Melody Aircraft, of Alberta, Canada, will exclusively distribute Belite’s aircraft and kits throughout Canada. “In order to meet the needs of the Canadian market, we’re upgrading our ProCub Lite model with a gross weight increase to 285KG (625 pounds), a larger 10 gallon fuel tank and a four stroke engine,” said James […]
Light Sport Aircraft
The next decade of LSA innovation
At AirVenture Oshkosh this year, the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) mounted a very visible celebration of Light-Sport or Sport Pilot-eligible aircraft. The exhibit drew dense traffic throughout the week by offering a large cross section of the aircraft types and configurations available since the FAA loosened its control over the process of approving new aircraft […]
For sale: SAM Aircraft
LACHUTE, Quebec, Canada — Just a year and a half after the first flight of the prototype SAM aircraft, President Thierry Zibi has put the company up for sale. Why, after so much work – design, fixturing, successful flight test, certification, and orders – would that be a good time to sell the company? Zibi says, “I came […]
Van’s names new Southern service center
Van’s Aircraft has tapped US Sport Planes of Denton, Texas, to provide factory authorized service for the RV12 SLSA Light-Sport aircraft. Servicing most the major LSA aircraft, US Sport Planes has been a Rotax Service Center for several years and have more than 20 A&P mechanics on staff. “We received good comments from our customers about US […]
Bearhawk LSA Kit completes maiden flight
AUSTIN, Texas — Bearhawk Aircraft’s first kit-built Bearhawk LSA aircraft has completed its maiden flight. The Bearhawk LSA made its debut at AirVenture 2012 as a prototype constructed by its designer Bob Barrows. The Bearhawk LSA, available as a quick-build kit, is manufactured by Bearhawk Aircraft of Austin, Texas. Bearhawk Aircraft owner Mark Goldberg completed the […]
First production ICON A5 flies
OSHKOSH — The night before EAA AirVenture opened, ICON Aircraft unveiled the first production A5, an aircraft the company refers to as Engineering Serial Number 1 (ESN-1). This is the first A5 built from the production design, with production tooling, and using production methods and components. ESN-1 was built over a five-month period, from January to […]
Van’s debuts Dynon Skyview touch panel for RV-12
Just in time for EAA Airventure Oshkosh, Van’s Aircraft and Dynon Avionics have introduced the dual-screen Dynon Skyview Touch option for the factory-built RV-12, available Sept. 1. The dual-screen option provides a larger view of mapping, the ability to share information across screens, and redundancy in the rare event that one of the screens fail, company officials said. […]
All-metal folding-wing Groppo Trail now available in U.S.
The Italian Groppo Trail is now available in the U.S. The high-wing light-sport or amateur-built kit features tandem seating, all-metal construction, and wings that are foldable in less than five minutes by one person. Experimental Light-Sport (ELSA) and amateur-built kits are available starting at $28,250. The ready-to-fly Special Light Sport (SLSA) Trail is available for $79,900. […]
Is this the new GA?
The word “legacy” is often used to refer to products that are dominant today but threatened by disruptive influences. Legacy airlines, for example, are today’s largest carriers but ones burdened with aircraft bought earlier and with labor contracts negotiated years ago. Legacy connotes power, but also vulnerability. The same logic can be applied to general […]