Let the LSA guide begin
Neither CASA nor RAAus can provide a definitive list of LSAs available in Australia. This is an effect of the manufacturer doing the certification; the administering bodies don’t know what is and isn’t LSA until they register one. The team at Australian Flying has raked every corner of aviation to try to compile the most definitive list of S-LSAs possible. Such is the category burgeoning that every time we declared the list complete another manufacturer added another model to the list.
And so we found ourselves necessarily applying some limits before the job got very big on us. Included are powered S-LSAs that have an MTOW above 544kg. This guide is meant to show new aeroplane buyers what to look for when considering an LSA, and although not comprehensive, covers the models most likely to fulfil that need.
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.
Aeroprakt A22LS Foxbat
A more muscular version of the popular A22L, the LSA Foxbat ticks all the boxes of what a good sport aircraft should be. It is easy to fly, not uncomfortable for cruising and has a very respectable useful load. The high-camber, forward swept wings are mounted at the top of the canopy and add considerably to the model’s remarkable ability for low, slow flight with plenty of margin above the stall.
Construction is a combination of aluminium, fabric and composite, with Aeroprakt choosing the best material for the component. The cockpit has been designed for excellent all-around vision, which makes it a good fit for mustering and aerial observation tasks. Powered by the 100hp Rotax 912ULS, the Foxbat promises a TAS of 105 knots and delivers a respectable 800fpm climb rate.
Distributor: Foxbat Australia, www.foxbat.com.au.
Aeropro Eurofox
Out of Slovakia comes the very capable-looking Aeropro Eurofox. A high-wing aircraft with tricycle undercart and angular windows in the doors, the Eurofox could be easily mistaken at first glance for a Skyfox Gazelle.
The Eurofox has a welded chrome-moly steel frame covered with fabric, with composite and fiberglass used for the flaperons and leading edge respectively. The flaperons are a Junkers-type, which is to say that they are suspended slightly below the trailing edge of the wing and have very short chords. The wings can be folded for storage or transport.
Under the cowl is a Rotax 912ULS (a standard 80 hp Rotax 912 is also available), which gives the Eurofox a cruise of 100 KTAS and a take-off ground roll of a meagre 154 feet. This STOL performance is helped by a three-blade Fiti competition prop. With 85-litre tanks fitted, the range is about 570nm. The undercart features a steerable, trailing link nose-wheel with hydraulic, hand-operated brakes on the mains.
Inside, the Eurofox has clearly been designed for simplicity and function rather than comfort; the panel and interior contains little superfluous material. Aileron and elevator control is via dual control sticks and the flaps are mechanical. The throttle is mounted in the lower centre of the panel. Instruments in the Australian version are Dynon D-100 EFIS and AvMap EKP-IV GPS. With an MTOW of only 570kg, the Eurofox is slightly down on the LSA maximum, but this aircraft has clearly been designed with STOL performance as a priority. If the published figures are correct, the little Aeropro is certainly very good at that.
Distributor: Horsham Aviation Services, www.horshamaviation.com.au.
Aerospool WT9 Dynamic
Possibly the most under-exposed aircraft in Australia, at the beginning of 2010 there was only one example in the country. Aerospool first certified the WT9 with a MTOW of 550kg before the 600kg LSA regs were introduced, but they’ve since certified the aircraft with a MTOW of 600kg.
Yet another aircraft from the flourishing Eastern Europe manufacturing cluster, the Dynamic was designed using experience gained from years of glider repairing and finishing. The airframe consists of sandwich shells of advance composite and carbon components. Of sleek, low-wing design, the Dynamic carves through the air at 118 knots, which makes it one of the faster models in the LSA category. However, the most stunning statistic of this aircraft is its 1300fpm rate of climb!
The undercart is tricycle type with laminated-spring main gear and steerable nose wheel attached to firewall by bungee cord shock absorbers. Hydraulic disc brakes on the mains are hand-operated via a lever on the centre console, which also serves as the park brake. The controls are individual joysticks that protrude up through each seat fighter-plane style, and the flap and trim levers are mounted on the centre console. There is plenty of elbow room inside; the cabin is 1.15 metres wide.
If you opt for the standard model, you will get the usual array of analogue instruments. However as this is a totally custom-built aircraft, there is a huge range of optional extras, instrumentation and avionics available to the customer.
Distributor: Drake Aviation NZ, www.aerodynamic.co.nz.
Australian Lightwing Speed SP-2000
Hughes Group, based in the NSW coastal town of Ballina, has a respectable record of safety and a reputation for engineering outside the T-square. Their Australian Lightwing Speed range combines innovative thinking and solid construction to produce a quality LSA aircraft and a four-seater GA model.
The Speed SP-2000 is a nippy low-wing, tricycle-undercart aircraft (tailwheel option also available) made from a combination of metal, Ceconite fabric and glass-reinforced plastic (GRP). Aluminium has been used for the wing structure and most of the skin, with fabric covering the outboard underside. Fuselage is welded light-weight steel with semi-structural GRP. All control surfaces are GRP. Under the hood is a Rotax 912s that will give you 105 KTAS with a fixed-pitch or 115 with ALW’s own variable-pitch prop. An option for more mumbo is the Rotax 914 turbo.
In the cockpit are fully-adjustable seats and rudder pedals, with primary control through side-sticks. The entry doors are the gull-wing style, so access is largely unhindered, even for those in the upper echelons of height or girth. As the same fuselage is used for the SP-4000 four-seater, the SP-2000 has plenty of space behind the seats for your travelling kit. The panel has been designed for EFIS, and a number of systems can be installed to suit the buyer’s preferences.
Externally, the SP-2000 is not an unattractive aeroplane, and there is a range of options for the primary colour. Australian Lightwing is very big not only on safety and longevity of their products, but also on function. The SP-2000 is just the sort of aircraft to be considered for either private flying or flight training. For those who prefer their wings a bit higher above the wheels, ALW also offers the GR912/Sport 2000. Details are on the website.
Manufacturer: Australian Lightwing (Hughes Group), www.lightwing.com.au.
Brumby 600
With the advent of LSA came an influx of new aircraft into Australia. The majority of those originated overseas, but it also gave rise to Australia’s own Brumby Aircraft in July 2007. Based in Cowra, NSW, Brumby is producing LSAs the equal of most of those made offshore. This family-owned company used years of component manufacturing experience to engineer the Brumby 600, an all-metal low-wing aircraft that has all the hallmarks of a classic private aeroplane.
Solid-riveted internals and an athletic undercart with nose-wheel steering should serve this aeroplane well on Australia’s uncultured airstrips. The forward-sliding bubble canopy provides excellent visibility all around and ample head room for the average occupant. Inside the cockpit you will find two comfortable bucket seats, dual joysticks, a centre-mounted throttle on the panel and traditional trim wheel between the seats. Conventional dials are standard-fit, but an EFIS system can be specified with the Dynon product having been installed in the past.
Up front, engine options include the Rotax 912, the J3300, and the new Lycoming IO233. The aircraft performance will vary with what engine you select, but as a rough guide, a Brumby 600 with Rotax 912 will cruise at 110 KTAS at 75 per cent power and drink about 18 litres per hour. With 130 litres of fuel on board, the maths says you will stay in the air for about seven hours and cover 800nm whilst you are up there. In accordance with the philosophy that every aircraft owner is different, each Brumby 600 is different too, with custom paintwork a large part of the Brumby Aircraft ethos.
Manufacturer: Brumby Aircraft; www.brumbyaircraft.com.au.
Brumby 610
Next on the cards from Brumby is the high-wing Brumby 610. At the time of writing, the 610 prototype was still in the build stage, but the company was predicting a public debut for Natfly at Temora this Easter. Essentially, the 610 is a modified 600, sharing the all-metal construction and tricycle undercart. The fuselage aft of the cabin will be the same at its low-wing sibling, as will everything forward of the firewall. The wing will be a parallel design rather than taper and the cockpit will be completely different.
Control yokes will be standard instead of sticks and the door will be hinged at the top and swing upward. Entry and exit will be made easier with the struts attached aft of the door opening.
Production 610s are expected to be fitted with the Lycoming engine, but as they won’t be available until May, the prototype will run a J3300. Brumby Aircraft has predicted the Lycoming motor will give the 610 a 75 per cent power cruise of 105-110 KTAS and consume 22-23 litres per hour. With a fuel capacity of 140 litres, that equates to a projected range of six hours and 640nm. Real figures won’t be available until the prototype begins flight testing later this year. Images of this aircraft are not currently available.
Manufacturer: Brumby Aircraft; www.brumbyaircraft.com.au.
Cessna C162 Skycatcher
Since the concept was introduced at Oshkosh in 2006, Cessna’s LSA has been one of the most eagerly awaited models of aircraft. It is intended to capture the market last held by its venerable C150 and C152, both of which ceased production over 20 years ago.
Given Cessna’s past success with aluminium light aircraft, it is perhaps not surprising that they have opted to shun composites and fabrics for their new challenger. In times when the leading LSA manufacturers are embracing new materials, it is this move by the Wichita-based company that will no doubt engender loyalty in owners still lamenting the loss of the original two-seater. The engine too will bring back memories: a Continental O-200D, the same marque that powered the C150. Initially, Cessna was to have installed the Rotax 912, but flying schools preferred the Connie because it had an extra 500 hours between overhauls.
Where the Skycatcher leaves its predecessors behind is in the cabin. The instruments are Garmin G300 EFIS developed especially for this aircraft, with matching radio and transponder. The pitch trim is electric, but the flaps revert back to the Cessnas of the 1960s with a manual lever between the seats. Most welcome is the extra space in the 1.14 metre-wide cabin; 11 per cent more than the C152. Most curious is the selection of the control column: short centre-sticks that protrude from the instrument panel directly in front of the pilot. It helps to create more room, but students that cut their teeth on the C162 may find the controls of the conventional yokes of the C172 very different indeed.
To make access easier, the doors are the swing-up type and the wing struts have been attached behind the door. However, unlike most LSAs with this type of door, the Skycatcher cannot be flown with the doors open. Despite an order book of 1000 before the first one was delivered in late 2009, the first Skycatcher is due to arrive in Australia in the second quarter of 2010.
Distributor: Aeromil, www.aeromil.com.au and Airflite, www.airflite.com.au.
Colyaer S100 Martin 3/Gannet/Freedom
There is a very good reason why the aircraft in the Colyaer range of S100 LSAs all look remarkably similar: each one basically represents an evolutionary step in development. By no means a corporate behemoth, Spain-based Colyaer has less than 10 employees, but has taken a quality-engineering approach to achieving their original aim: an LSA amphibian with a decent cruise speed. Today that aircraft is known as the S100 Freedom, but the journey also produced the Martin 3 land plane and the Gannet hydroplane. The performances of all three are very close together, give or take a knot or two.
Basic construction is pusher-type, high wing with a T-tail and side-by-side seating. For those that remember, the style is very reminiscent of the Republic RC-3 Seabee, with a slab-sided cabin leading to a pencil-thin fuselage. Entry to the Colyaer is via a tilt-up canopy hinged at the front and supported by gas shock absorbers. The material used is corrosion-resistant composite. Seating in the roomy cabin is side-by-side with individual joysticks for control. A contoured instrument panel affords plenty of visibility down both sides of the nose. The clocks themselves can be analogue or EFIS.
All three aircraft have options for 80–100hp Rotax engines, or you can select the 914 turbo. This will mean a large variance in TAS, but with the 100hp Rotax the Martin 3 will cruise at 108 knots and the two seaplanes at 105 knots. Both the Gannet and the Freedom benefit from a 650kg MTOW.
The Martin 3 (pictured above) has tricycle landing gear with the mains a hybrid carbon/glass crossbow style, which was designed to withstand the most aggressive braking forces. The nose wheel is damped by a rubber shock absorber. According to the manufacturer, the undercart is capable of handling the most adverse runway conditions. Remarkably, the Martin 3 has a 23:1 glide ratio thanks to the 12.4-metre trapezium wing, which means you can find a good thermal, shut down the Rotax and you’re gliding!
The next step in Colyaer’s journey is represented by the Gannet hydroplane (pictured above). After working out most of the aerodynamic and design bugs on the Martin 3, the engineers effectively ran a bandsaw the length of the cockpit, discarded everything below the water line and substituted a planing hull. Side floats were attached to each wing and the canopy water-sealed with an elastic gasket. According to Colyaer, the V-shaped hull enables the Gannet to be landed on waves heights up to 30cm, with landing distances between 100 and 200 metres. The flap range is -5° to +50, which covers most operations from cruising flight to short landings. All components are either Grade 316 stainless steel or anodized aluminium.
Once the Gannet proved the integrity of the water-borne design, Colyaer moved on to the next stage, the S100 Freedom LSA amphibian (pictured above). The Freedom’s Rotax engine is fitted with a reversible prop for manoeuvring into and out of docking areas. The water rudder is connected to the nose-wheel steering mechanism and is positioned such that it doesn’t need to be retracted for landing.
Unlike most LSA seaplanes, the landing gear on the Freedom retracts into the hull and is stored behind gear doors, making for a slippery aerodynamic fuselage. They operate electrically via stainless steel actuators and are fitted with detectors that give you gear indication for both up and locked or down and locked. Hydraulic brakes are fitted to the main gear.
Competition forced Colyaer to offer an alternative landing gear arrangement, adding a simple relocatable system that stores the wheel up and out of the way, but does not hide them behind gear doors. This aircraft is referred to as the Freedom Up and the standard model has been re-badged as a Freedom Classic.
Distributor: Silent Wings Aviation, www.colyaer.com.au.
DynAero MCR Pick-up
Named after the American term for what we call a “ute”, the DynAero MCR Pick-up has the cabin of a four-seater with the rear seats removed to make a cavernous cargo space. Further still, the designers at DynAero have achieved it without sacrificing performance. The result is a low-wing, T-tail LSA that is likely to turn heads once it reaches our shore.
Most attention will no doubt be focused on the wing. It has a high aspect ratio, double-slotted Fowler flaps and aggressively up-turned tips - a design that offers speed, drag or lift at all the right moments. All control surfaces and the flaps are made of carbon fibre, as are the control stick, connecting rods and levers. This saves an estimated 50 per cent of the weight of steel components.
Access is via a forward-tilting canopy that covers a 1.2 metre wide cabin. Inside the Pick-up the crew sit in comfortable buckets staring at an expansive instrument panel that has a shape biased toward the pilot. All instruments are installed in compact arrangement on the left and the right side is free for storage. Not that you would need more; behind the seat is a whopping 2000-litre space that will cope with the more awkward luggage like a push-bike or golf clubs. With the seats tipped forward, the bed space is two metres long.
Almost uniquely in the LSA category, the tricycle undercarriage is damped with pneumatic oleo struts. According to DynAero, this gives up to 85 per cent shock absorption compared to the 50 per cent of spring steel designs. There are a number of powerplant options, the most popular being the Rotax range with the 80hp 912, 100hp 912 and the turbo 914. A Jabiru 2200 can also be installed if you wish. The prop can be either fixed or CSU.
DynAero is claiming a very impressive set of figures for the MCR Pick-up: cruise TAS of 132 knots, take-off distance at 190 metres and a rate-of-climb of 1000 feet per minute. If you VH-register your plane, you will be able to get up to 8000 feet, at which level the Pick-up will squirt along at 142 KTAS at 75 per cent cruise.
Distributor: Love4Aviation, www.love4aviation.com.
Evektor Sportstar
Evektor’s sexy Sportstar was one of the first two LSA aircraft to be registered in Australia. A low-wing all-metal aircraft, the contoured fuselage certainly turns heads and up-turned wingtips add to both performance and mystique. In addition to their seductive look, Sportstars boast a degree of toughness and practicality that has seen them selected for service with 13 flying schools around Australia, both GA and RAAus.
One reason for this might also be the expansive 1.18-metre-wide cabin that can handle a couple of 90kg heavyweights without too much elbow-clashing. The forward-hinged canopy is also tinted to save your face from UV rays and there is also an optional sliding sunscreen. Obviously the Czech designers wanted you to fly in comfort. The Sportstar is powered by the Rotax 912ULS engine, giving 100 KTAS at 75 per cent power, ramping up to 115 KTAS if fuel consumption is not a problem. With 120 litres in the tanks, you’ll cover roughly 700nm at cruise power. Take-off is estimated at less than 150 metres, and landing at less than 135 metres.
Construction is all metal with joints riveted, bonded and glued, and the tricycle undercart has been designed with mis-treatment in mind. The wheels and tyres are the wide-tread type and therefore compatible with rough strips and the mains are suspended by fibre-glass legs. The nose wheel is steerable and is damped by a rubber-suspended steel leg.
Uncommonly, the Sportstar boasts split flaps that extend downward from under the wing, leaving the upper surface with its original camber. This means steeper approaches with increased visibility over the nose. The instrument panel can be adorned with the standard clocks, or EFIS systems like the Dynon D100 and D180 can be optioned. A Garmin 296 is fitted as standard.
Distributor: Evektor Australia, www.evektor.com.au.