The light aircraft manufacturer has been working toward CAAC validation for some time, reporting in November that it had passed an engineering audit designed to confirm certification specification compliance with the agency. According to Flight Design, plans are also in place for China-based company FX to build the F2-CS23 in Shenzhen. FX entered into a partnership with Flight Design at the beginning of the F2 project.

• READ MORE: Flight Design Passes CAAC Audit

“This is a great achievement and related to the very good cooperation between CAAC, EASA, and our team,” said Matthias Betsch, head of Flight Design’s EASA design organization. “The F2 is the first model of the F Series which follows the safety requirements of the new EASA CS23 certification specification and [provides] outstanding safety, performance, space and comfort for this kind of private-use and training airplane.”

Flight Design is also pursuing FAA validation for the F2-CS23, which earned its EASA type certificate in December 2021. Offering a top speed of 233 kph (126 knots), 2,000-kilometer (1,080 nm) range with 30-minute reserve, and maximum takeoff weight of 1,320 pounds, the model was developed as a certified version of Flight Design’s F2 special light sport aircraft (SLSA). Powered by the Rotax 912iS engine, the F2-CS23 comes equipped with Garmin G3X flight displays.

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Flight Design noted that successfully completing the audit represents a significant milestone in the CAAC validation process for the company’s F2-CS23 two-seat piston aircraft. Designed to confirm compliance to a certification specification, the inspection was conducted by a four-person, on-site team from the agency and a Flight Design team led by head of design organization Matthias Betsch, head of airworthiness Christian Majunke, head of quality management Alexander Kosolapov, and head of  general aviation China Wu Xiao Dong.

• READ MORE: Flight Design’s F2 is An All-Around, All-Composite Light Sport Aircraft

“We are very pleased [with] the result of the F2-CS23 on-site inspection by the CAAC this week,” said Betsch. “Our design organization is located in Eisenach, Germany, but our team of engineers are truly international. The fact that their great work has now been accepted by EASA and CAAC is a testament to their professionalism and hard work.”

• READ MORE: Flight Design Ramps Up Production of F2, CT Series Aircraft

A certified version of Flight Design’s F2 SLSA, the F2-CS23 received its type certificate from the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) in December 2021. The model has a top speed of 233 kph (126 knots), a 2,000-kilometer (1,080 nm) range with 30-minute reserve, and a maximum takeoff weight of 1,320 pounds. It is powered by the 100 hp Rotax 912iS engine and comes equipped with Garmin G3X flight displays. Base price for the F2-CS23 is listed as 214,900 euros ($227,150).

The F2-CS23 is also undergoing validation by the FAA.

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• READ MORE: Triple Tree: How To Get There

Grass: CubCrafters Carbon Cub SS

CubCrafters took an iconic design—the Piper Super Cub—and turned it upon its ear, so to speak, with an ongoing evolution of models that both fit the initial airplane’s backcountry purpose and take it into the modern age. The most quintessential of these designs is perhaps the Carbon Cub. While you can get one in a kit, you can also opt for the Carbon Cub SS, which is factory built under the light-sport umbrella.

Made from roughly 50 percent fewer parts than the original, the Carbon Cub SS weighs more than 300 pounds less than the Super Cub too—and that means more features (and payload) can be packed inside and stay within LSA rules. It will climb as fast as 2,100 fpm, and take off and land in distances less than 120 feet under ideal circumstances.

Depending on the model of engine up front, Carbon Cubs will cruise between 110 and 132 mph (or 95 to 114 knots). You’ve seen Carbon Cubs rip it up in STOL contests—they will make easy work of the grass at Triple Tree, or wherever your journey to the region takes you.

Modern: Flight Design F2

Another option in the light sport category, the carbon-fiber Flight Design F2 gives you the modern age both in aerodynamics and in the panel. With forgiving stall and slow flight characteristics, the F2 offers the pilot a sporty and friendly flying companion.

• READ MORE: Triple Tree: Fly-In for ‘Fun, Fellowship, and Hospitality’

Powered by a 100 hp Rotax 912iS up front, driving a three-blade composite prop, the F2 easily makes a cruising speed of 115 kias. With an empty weight of 835 pounds, you have 485 pounds of fuel, people, and bags to put on board. At 7,500 feet msl, and dialing back to 55 percent power and 100 kias, range is a healthy 850 nm off of 34.3 gallons of fuel, according to the company.

Up front, the brains of the S-LSA F2 are in the dual Garmin G3X avionics suite, with the GTR 225 com radio, GTX 345 transponder, GMA 245 audio panel, and GFC 507 digital autopilot. A BRS airframe parachute system rounds out the list of safety features for a sweet ride that looks after its own.

Soaring: Pipistrel Sinus Flex

Want the ultimate in fun flying to put in your hangar? Pipistrel, with its long history of creating both airplanes and motorgliders, has created a new option for pilots who want to have it both ways, with the Sinus Flex LSA. The new model takes the Sinus motorglider—with its 30:1 glide ratio and up to 7.5 hours of endurance—and makes its wingtips interchangeable with the Virus cruiser. This knocks the wingspan down by 9 feet, and makes it easier to fit into the home hangar.

The Sinus uses the 80 hp Rotax 912 powerplant to get aloft, so you’re not dependent upon a towplane to reach your soaring grounds. Fuel tanks come standard at 16 gallons with a long-range option of 26 gallons—but when you find the right conditions, you can shut down the engine and pick up “free” lift from thermals or ridges.

This article was first published in the 2022 Southeast Adventure Guide of FLYING Magazine.

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