READERS PLEASE NOTE: Australian Flying was unable to test every aircraft for this guide. Aircraft performance figures are those claimed by the importer or manufacturer and as such are usually best-case numbers. Aircraft buyers should thoroughly evaluate each model themselves before making a purchase.
Fantasy Air Allegro 2007
Named after the Italian word meaning “happiness”, the Allegro certainly has a reputation to live up to, and by all reports is making a decent fist job. Largely, it is a version of the Allegro 2000 modified in accordance with customer feedback. Another aircraft from the Czech Republic, the Allegro has a fibre-glass laminate fuselage with metal wings and control surfaces. It is a high-wing, T-tail, which is an unusual configuration for any GA aircraft, but the enlarged tail surface has added stability in rocky weather. Fantasy Air boasts that aileron/rudder co-ordination is not needed and a pilot can easily turn an Allegro using either one alone.
A lot of work has also been done in the cockpit, adding an extra 100mm to the shoulder measurement and 80mm to the head clearance. This makes for a larger front cockpit area than a C172. The doors are semi-domed, which gives you plenty of opportunity to see what’s below you and are supported by gas struts when open. Control is via a cental joystick that also houses the hand brake lever.
The Rotax 912 80hp engine swings a three-bladed ground-adjustable prop, which drags the Allegro along at 95 knots at cruise power. A 100hp Rotax can be slotted in, but the manufacturers don’t recommend it unless you are somewhere high and hot. Curiously, the standard belly fuel tank only holds 63 litres, but that can be improved by specifying long-range wing tanks that will stretch the fuel to 103 litres and the range to 700nm. Comfortable and easy to fly, the Allegro 2007 looks like it lives up to its name.
Distributor: X-Air Australia, www.mcp.com.au.
Flight Design CT range
Designed in Germany and built in the Crimea, the Flight Design CT range of LSAs combines engineering and customer feedback to offer three aircraft to cater for the diverse needs and wants of LSA pilots. The basic design of all three is that of a snub-nosed high-wing with tricycle undercarriage. The doors are gull-wing and the cockpit offers plenty of room with large windows that afford excellent visibility for the crew. Control is via dual sticks and the necessary levers are to be found on a centre console. Flaps are electric, operated via a set-position switch and the brakes are hand-operated. The instrument panel can be a number of configurations including EFIS and GPS installations.
The “base” model is the short-fuselage CTSW (pictured above), easily recognisable by its drooping wingtips. Manufactured from composites and fitted standard with a 100hp Rotax 912ULS, the SW will return 112 knots at 75 per cent power and with 130 litres on board will stay airborne for about seven hours. The cabin is a roomy 1.24 metres across and the aft cargo area can hold up to 50kg of luggage. Electric flaps can be set from -12 to +40, which is enough to cover just about any operation imaginable. There are no wing struts on the CTSW, which makes it an ideal platform for aerial photography and further adds to ease of entry and exit. It is also a huge advantage when mustering or surveying crops.
The next step up is the longer, sleeker CTLS (pictured above). Nearly half-a-metre longer than the SW, the LS is more stable in pitch and is fitted with winglets rather than the drooping tips. Also made of composite, the LS features a rock-steady composite main gear that is said to absorb 50 per cent of the energy in the first bounce. In combination with the urethane polymer shock absorbers in the nose wheel, the main gear has the goods to help smooth-out even the most aggressive arrival. Standard power is the 1200cc Rotax 912UL. This engine runs more economically than the 1300cc 912ULS, using 16 litres per hour in contrast with the 18-19 of the ULS. This economy necessarily means a lower cruise TAS of 125 knots, but with the same 130-litre fuel capacity as the SW, the range stretches beyond 1000nm.
Completing the CT range is the most recent addition, the all-metal CTMC. Introduced as an alternative for the SW and LS, the MC is targeted at those pilots who want a more economical aircraft without sacrificing durability and shoulder space. Indeed, the MC cockpit is 1.31 metres wide, larger than both the SW and the LS. The wing is the same aerofoil section as used on the LS, but the MC has a wing area of 11.3m2, an extra 1.3m2 over the composite models. By necessity, the wing is strutted, but the attachment points are behind the door opening and therefore no obstruction to getting on board. Winglets adorn each wingtip. For the metal version, buyers have the choice of an 80hp Rotax 912 or 100hp Rotax 912ULS. The economy of the 80hp engine may sit better with those seeking range as the MC only carries 100 litres of fuel, where as the thirstier 912ULS will limit the range but get you there faster. Standard-fit prop is a two-blade composite rather than the three-bladers that haul the SW and the LS.
Distributor: Sports Aircraft Australia, www.sportsaircraft.com.au.
Fly Synthesis Texan Top Class 600
When it came to producing a certified LSA, Fly Synthesis’ Texan 550 was so close anyway that all it needed was a few tweaks to meet the needs of the increased MTOW, and the Texan Top Class 600 was born. A two-seat low-wing with tricycle undercart, the Texan TC 600 looks like it was built to go fast, and with a 100hp Rotax under the cowl, its 114 knot cruise speed puts it among the fastest in its class. The engine is also fitted with reduction gears and the Rotax airbox to ensure you get the maximum grunt.
The Texan TC 600 is almost totally composite, with the fuselage and laminar-flow wings made from carbon fibre and honeycomb sheets. Stainless steel has been used for the firewall to accommodate the engine mount bolts. The landing gear legs are aluminium. Hydraulic disc brakes fitted to the main wheels are actuated from toe brakes on both the pilot’s and passenger’s rudder pedal. The brakes are also used to steer the castoring nose wheel on the ground; there is no steering mechanism.
Inside the bubble canopy the Texan TC 600 has two joysticks for control and a centre-mounted throttle that is easily used from either seat. The cockpit and cowling were redesigned to be more aerodynamic, which is a major difference from the 550 model. Fuel is held in two 50-litre tanks integrated in the wing shells. At the projected 18.5 litres per hour, the Texan TC 600 will keep you above the earth for an estimated 620nm.
Distributor: Fly Synthesis Australia, www.flysynthesis.com.au.
Foxcon Terrier 200
With the quality of LSAs available in this country, Foxcon’s claim that the Terrier 200 is the most advanced in Australia is a bold one indeed. However, it may certainly take the prize for being one of the most innovative. Designed and manufactured in Australia from vacuum-moulded composite, this high-wing aircraft is one of the very few in the class that does not sport a Rotax engine as standard, being powered instead by a 100hp Subaru EA 81 coupled to a reduction drive. According to the spec sheets, the Terrier will cruise along at 110 knots, with a maximum rate of climb of 1500 feet per minute, and a take-off run stated at 100 metres.
The Subaru engine is cooled jointly by air and water, so there is something else to check in the pre-flight, but it does necessarily mean a large radiator intake at the front. There is no mixture control; the carburettors mix the fuel/air by weight, not volume, so the mix stays at the optimum as you change altitude. Command of the composite control surfaces is via a short, centrally-mounted joystick with a moulded handle, although twin yokes will be fitted on demand. The cabin is spacious as the manufacturers intend the Terrier to be a serious touring aircraft, and the doors are the gull-wing type.
Fuel capacity is only 80 litres, but at best economy cruise the Subaru only uses 13 lph, which means you still have six hours of flying ahead of you before needing to head for the bowser. Other variants include a Rotax-engined Terrier and a C (for “camper”), which has quick release bucket seats and a also a two-metre-long fold-down bed - perfect for air shows and fly-ins!
Manufacturer: Foxcon Aviation, www.foxcon.com.
Jabiru J170
Bundaberg-based Jabiru is one of Australia’s iconic aviation manufacturers. They have been building their composite recreational aircraft since 1988 and have developed an immense knowledge base. For them, certification to LSA was not a huge step.
The J170C is based on the smaller J160 “ultralight” that is used in many flying schools around the country. In response to the needs of operators in high and hot climates, the J160 fuselage was mated with the wing of the larger J230 to create the new LSA model. The longer wings are said to help float during landing. Large ailerons and winglets provide excellent crosswind capability. Powering the J170 is Jabiru’s own 2200 four-stroke engine that weighs a paltry 60kg, but still throws out 85hp at 3300 RPM. The engine is fitted with a pressure-compensating carburettor, which automatically adjusts the mixture. Bolted to the front is a wooden laminate propeller made from Australian Hoop pine.
Fuel capacity is 135 litres, swallowed by the engine at a rate of 15 lph at 75 per cent power. That setting will give you 100 KTAS and a range of 850nm. Like most Jabs, the J170 features a central control column forked into two handgrips, so the aircraft can be easily controlled from either seat. For those that remember the early Jabirus, the throttle is now on the instrument panel rather than between your legs, which makes it more comfortable to use. The cockpit itself is 1.14 metres wide. Options for the instruments are myriad, including Dynon EFIS, Garmin 496 GPS and AvMap EKP-IV GPS. A jumbo-sized panel can also be installed if you like lots of clocks.
Manufacturer: Jabiru Aircraft, www.jabiru.net.au.
Jabiru J230
The other LSA offering from Bundaberg is the J230. Longer than the J170, the J230 has plenty of room in the cabin for extra bags. Essentially, the fuselage is the same as the J430, but without the rear seats. The centre console is narrower and modifications to the panel have created more knee room. Access to the baggage compartment is via a large cargo door on the left side. Power is supplied by a 120hp Jabiru 3300 engine, which boosts the cruise TAS to 120 knots. The engine draws 20-25 lph from the 135 litre capacity, which brings the range back to about 700nm, but that still means seven hours in the air.
Like the J170, the undercart is tricycle with a steerable nose wheel and the braking system is hand-operated hydraulic discs. J230s can be NVFR with the right instrument and lighting package selected and VH registration. The NVFR panel includes a 175mm (7”) Dynon EFIS and 100mm (4”) engine management system. An EKP-IV GPS will be installed if optioned. The light package adds to the aircraft dual 55 W landing lights, wingtip LED nav lights, LED beacon on the tail fin and interior instrument and map lights. Other options to add a touch of comfort include adjustable rudder pedals and leather upholstery.
Manufacturer: Jabiru Aircraft, www.jabiru.net.au.
Just Aircraft Highlander
An old-style, high-wing taildragger, the Highlander boasts very impressive STOL characteristics, and if the videos coming from the USA are any indication, you should need a runway of only 100 metres or so for the ground roll. The fuselage and wings are fabric-covered welded steel and the undercart can be fitted with conventional tyres or the balloon-like Alaskan bush tyres that will settle on most surfaces without much trouble, but will bounce just as easily. They are also proving popular as a floatplane.
Standard aircraft are fitted with the 100hp Rotax 912, although larger engines such as the Rotax 914 turbo or Jabiru 3300 are available as options. With the 100hp engine attached, the Highlander will only pull about 87 knots, but this aeroplane was not intended to be a slick aircraft anyway. Its forte is low, slow with maximum visibilty. That performance is largely thanks to the high-lift aerofoil and barn-door flaps. Together these features combine to give a stall speed around the 23 knots mark and account for the incredible STOL capability. The wings can be folded back for trailering in only two minutes and no lines or wires need to be disconnected. Fuel is stored in the wings with a capacity of either 68 or 100 litres.
The cockpit is surrounded by Perspex on three sides and the doors have bulging windows to increase the already cavernous cockpit. Two individual joysticks provide the means for control and the throttle is mounted in the centre of the panel. The standard panel is unimaginative, but reflective of the ethos of functionality that clearly drove all aspects of design. However, EFIS systems will be installed on demand.
Distributor: Alpine Aircraft, www.alpineaircraft.com.au or www.justaircraft.com.