Then… Russia invaded Ukraine and the global markets trembled.

The General Aviation Manufacturers Association released information recently showing positive results for 2022 in every category they report. The closest corollary to light sport aircraft and sport pilot-eligible kitbuilt aircraft is GAMA’s “piston airplanes” category, which showed an 8.2 percent gain over 2021.

When we examine only U.S. aircraft information and omit multiengine aircraft, the single-engine piston category shows 1,005 U.S. aircraft deliveries. In comparison, the overall light aircraft market totaled 738 new registrations, or 73 percent of what GA builders delivered. Note that deliveries and registrations may differ in any given year, but tend to converge over time.

Despite a year of war, plunging stock markets and sky-high energy prices, protests and riots in multiple countries, huge increases in freight cost, plus ongoing supply chain challenges and lingering COVID-19 fears, the light aircraft market nonetheless grew by a very healthy 18 percent, as compared to a rising 10 percent in 2021. The industry is now performing better than in 2019, the last year of relative stability before COVID.

Let’s Unpack the Numbers

I am using a different approach for analysis this year, partly to give added perspective, given the challenging start to the 2020s. You can get more detail on the Tableau Public market share data by visiting bydanjohnson.com.

Here I cover only aircraft called out in the adjacent table—including light sport aircraft and kitbuilt aircraft a pilot can operate using sport pilot certificate privileges, significantly meaning no medical is required. The data rely 100 percent on FAA registration records, which are then closely reviewed by industry experts. This report offers aircraft registration data current through the end of 2022—professionally analyzed by computer database expert Steve Beste. Category explanations are provided below.

I grouped all the light aircraft data into these categories:

• Combined Results, All Categories, includes fully-built, kitbuilt, ELSA (experimental light sport aircraft), and also portrays how the FAA’s 1990s-era primary category touches this segment.
• SLSA (special light sport aircraft) and ELSA arepresented as a group because all must ship conforming to the SLSA model first accepted by the FAA. After an ELSA owner takes delivery, that person can make changes without factory approval but then loses the chance to offer compensated flight instruction or rental of their aircraft.
• SLSA Only covers only ready-to-fly aircraft, separate from ELSA. SLSA can be used for compensated operations like flight instruction and rental.
• EAB (experimental-amateur built) and ELSA are shown as a group because in both cases the owner can alter and maintain the aircraft.
• EAB Only separates the ELSA out of the strictly homebuilt segment.
• ELSA are also shown separately, as they can become quite different from the SLSA model in which they began life. An owner can change avionics and interiors, add equipment, or even change the engine. 

Two remaining categories include experimental-exhibition, used mostly by Pipistrel for its motorglider models in this context; and the primary category that presently counts only AutoGyro as an OEM. Models that pursued primary category certification back in the 1990s (such as the Quicksilver GT500) have not continued with that approach.

Changes in Light Aircraft Categories: 2020-2021-2022

Which Models Sold Best?

The best-selling model overall came from Van’s Aircraft with their RV-12 series (with the original Rotax 912-powered model and the newer version with the Rotax 912iS), which supplied 61 of the best-selling single model of light aircraft in the FAA registry for 2022. Of these, 13 were fully-built SLSA models; the balance of 47 RV-12s were ELSA (plus one more registered as EAB). Most ELSA left the factory essentially complete, as I understand it.

Going the ELSA route has attracted a certain type of buyer interested in fully maintaining or modifying their aircraft. The RV-12 alone accounts for 43 percent of all such aircraft registered in 2022. 

In what I term “alternative aircraft” in this sector, powered parachute manufacturer Powrachute accounted for another 15 ELSA, and Wild Sky Goat (a weight-shift aircraft) registered six more. The remaining18 ELSAs were produced by 12 other producers.

One note reveals the presence of two fully-built Bristell USA aircraft that were registered ELSA to permit IFR operations (yes, that is possible; more on that in future articles in FLYING).

The best-selling SLSA (fully-built) comes as no surprise, so I’ll skip the suspense and tell you it was ICON’s A5, which registered 33 aircraft in 2022 to lead the ready-to-fly pack. In second, fourth, fifth, and sixth places were Tecnam (19 SLSA), Vashon (15), Sling (13), and Super Petrel (11). The third most-registered brand deserves a special mention for 2022. Despite a war in its Ukraine homeland and suffering direct damage from the conflict, Kyiv-based Aeroprakt added 17 aircraft to the FAA registry in 2022. Good U.S. partners help. 

One interesting factoid in the database is the 2022 registration of two Cessna 162 Skycatchers. Since the modelis long out of production—in fact, all remaining brand-new, partly-finished Skycatchers were chopped up and crushed in 2016, so one wonders how a pair of them were added to the database last year.

The best-selling kit builder is another ongoing winner. Zenith, with 91 registrations, has led the pack almost as long as I’ve followed these statistics. Zenith has several models, but their Sky Jeep CH-701 and -750 series contribute to the bulk of the company’s kit deliveries. Remember, kit sales don’t precisely relate to registrations, as owners have to assemble them first. This can take months to years.

Trailing Zenith rather closely are the usual producers: Rans (59 kits; plus 2 SLSA), Sonex (45), Kitfox (38; plus 2SLSA), and Just Aircraft (30). Right behind is Magni (16) because gyroplanes—other than AutoGyro’s primary category models (five registered in 2022)—must be built as kits until the MOSAIC implementation corrects this FAA oversight. AutoGyro also sells kit versions (15 registered). LSA seaplane builder Progressive Aerodyne built Searey kits (10) plus 6 SLSA models.

Among “alternative aircraft” in this space, Powrachute powered parachutes registered 25 aircraft, including 16 kits and 9 SLSA models. In the weight shift category, Evolution Trikes was the leader with 11 registrations, of which seven were SLSA. The company also reports good sales of its non-registered Part 103 aircraft, adding to their total.

The post-COVID period has been kind to the lighter aircraft segment. With some deliveries already quoting into 2024, industry players hope the good news can continue through 2023.

This article was originally published in the April 2023, Issue 936 of  FLYING.

The post The Light Aircraft Sector Shines appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

A Cross-Country Machine

That ’s exactly the market space Bristell’s U.S. importers and sales representatives seek to serve. BRM Aero—which builds the Classic and its special light sport aircraft (SLSA) version—is based in the Czech Republic. Roughly 800 models have been delivered globally, with 100 in the U.S. flown by private owners and flying clubs. 

Bristell national sales manager John Rathmell thinks the model has found an excellent niche. Rathmell explained the SLSA: “It just fits in as an excellent all-around airplane for multiple reasons. Quality, performance, comfort, and cost efficiency—without the need for a medical.”

BRM Aero launched the SLSA 10 years ago in a customizable way, with a series of engine and avionics choices to select depending on where the airplane is based and the specifics of the mission. We flew two of the SLSA versions, both IFR-ready, with the higher-powered, turbocharged Rotax 915iS option.

With the wide cockpit—130 cm or 51.2 inches—and clear expanse of canopy, the SLSA feels from the outset more like a cross-country machine that has been designed with comfort in mind. For example, the thoughtfully placed vents (an option) and the ability to taxi with the canopy open give relief on hot days. Rathmell cautions, “If you want to load the plane up with a ballistic recovery system, long-range tanks, and IFR avionics, you must keep in mind the 1,320-pound LSA weight limit has not yet changed, so you can find yourself bumping up against the max weight during the build spec phase.”

On the Bristell website, design options just scratch the surface of what is possible. It also lends itself to browsing through the company’s other models, the B23 and B23 Turbo, and the upcoming high-wing B8. When MOSAIC passes, BRM is positioned to serve U.S. customers with faster, heavier aircraft that suit the cross-country market with even greater flexibility.

A. The Garmin G3X Touch provides the interface for most functions of the aircraft’s brainpower.

B. The throttle control sits next to the hand-actuated braking system.

C. The rudder pedals are adjustable while the seats are fixed in place, giving a comfortable yet sporty ride in the airplane.

D. The SLSA models flown for this report come with a Garmin autopilot and enhanced stability protection (ESP) to help keep the pilot upright in the event of an upset.

E. The angle of attack presentation is customizable by the pilot, and the entire glare shield’s red LED lighting flashes on brightly when an exceedance is imminent. You cannot miss it.

Power Up Front

The SLSA series comes from the factory with a choice of Rotax engines. The baseline 912 ULS delivers 100 hp on a normally aspirated powerplant with a reduction gearbox, and it creates a standard LSA that most folks understand and complies with ASTM standards as well as the FAA’s light sport guidelines in the U.S.

The basic empty weight of the SLSA model is 725 pounds, and is designed for a maximum takeoff weight of 1,320 pounds (roughly 600 kg), allowing for operations in the EU in the UL category as well.

However, the enticing 915iS in the SLSA prom-ises more power, speed (at altitude), and operational flexibility. The turbocharged engine offers up to 141 hp (135 hp at max continuous power and 5,500 rpm), allowing the LSA to slide into the outside lane. That extra capability up front translates into a wider performance margin—also benefiting from the SLSA’s 100-pound lighter empty weight than its competitors. The four-cylinder 915iS integrates a beefier reduction gearbox and supports the more advanced electrical system needed to power the SLSA’s avionics. The engine also prefers an MTV-34-1-A hydraulically adjustable three-blade constant-speed propeller. However, the regs require a ground-adjustable prop. We flew with both the DUC 4-blade and Sensenich 3-blade options, with the DUC giving a bit more speed in cruise.

Brains—And Safety Modes

On the flight deck, the Bristell LSA features a standard package tailored to suit customer needs within the personal transportation realm. The panel is designed around dual Garmin G3X Touch integrated flight displays. Options include the Garmin 750, dual remote radios, audio panel and intercom, and a G5 electronic flight instrument to provide additional backup. A GMC507 autopilot panel provides 3-axis functionality. With the magic boxes up front, the full enhanced stability protection (ESP), Safe Glide, XM weather and music, and angle of attack (AOA) info comes along, enabled by the Garmin avionics suite and a heated AOA probe.

The safety modes can be configured to present data on the display(s) in various ways, and ESP maybe turned off to facilitate the advanced maneuvering required for flight training—or, as in our case, a thorough demo flight profile to fully explore the performance envelope.

First Take

Rathmell wanted to introduce me to the model prior to our date down south for the photo mission, so he flew a customer airplane over from the company’s U.S. headquarters in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. N247BW came dressed a bit differently in a red, white, and blue American flag-inspired color scheme.

With the steerable nose wheel and a hand-actuated braking system, it didn’t take long for me to get the hang of taxiing and ground maneuvering. We also briefed the emergency use of the BRS ballistic recovery system, with its bright red aluminum handle located at my right knee.

It was a bumpy day in the traffic pattern, with winds gusting in the high 20s, generating rough air down low. We took three trips around—one demo landing, one with me on the controls and Rathmell coaching, and one on the long runway to demonstrate the 90-degree-crosswind prowess of the airplane, which is significant.

It was a great way to judge how the model handles moderate chop, like a much heavier airplane. With the tightly-coupled, center-mounted control stick low-slung in my lap, it was natural to brace against my inner legs to dampen erratic movement caused by the chop. And we vowed to fly more in better conditions.

The sporty interior can feature high-voltage styling , while the Rotax 915iS up front delivers the goods. [Credit: Leonardo Correa Luna]

Flying Style

The coastline south of Marco Island, Florida, shows few signs of the devastating Hurricane Ian that pummeled its way through the Fort Myers area to the north. A few mangroves reveal tumbled-over trunks and branches in bunches teetering right above the level of the gulf waters that inundate southwestern Florida.

We can see this clearly as we circle lower and lower—1,000 feet, then 800 feet above the water—to capture the backgrounds against which the highway-stripe-yellow and silver-gray mantle of the Bristell we’re flying will surely pop, accentuating its sleek and speed-parlaying lines. 

During the aerial photo mission, Rathmell flies off the AirCam, then hands the controls over to me so that I can see how the Bristell SLSA handles in close formation flight. This is where you find out how deftly you can manage the throttle in fine increments and how balanced the controls feel in slow flight—because we ask strange things of the ailerons, rudder, and elevator to stay on station and make the airplane do what the photographer asks.

The throttle is not big even in my relatively small hands, and fine movements are possible but perhaps not as easy as when using a throttle lever with a longer throw. Still, the solidness of the stick means it takes intention to induce roll and pitch—and that’s a good thing. After the sun hits the horizon, sinking into the west, we’re done taking photos—but we still have at least 45 minutes before full-on darkness arrives. So Rathmell and I break off and climb so that I can taste the “high work”: the maneuvers that form the baseline of my process in sampling an airplane.

First off, our climb starts with setting the power back up from station-keeping to max continuous (5,500 rpm) so that I can see a climb at best rate (84 kias)—we get an average of about 1,400 to 1,600 fpm from 1,500 feet to 3,500 feet msl. Once at altitude, I set airspeed below VA (97 kcas) to get my groove together for a couple of steep turns to the left and right.

Then it’s on to slow flight, and I relax the throttle back to bleed off airspeed while I hold a level attitude. We’re aiming first for 75 kias, the top of the white arc, so we can deploy flaps, incrementally to full. Doing so induces almost no pitching moment—a point Rathmell had demonstrated on one of our takeoffs on the earlier flight by showing what a non-event it was if you forget to bring the flaps up before you start a takeoff roll and dump them all at once right after takeoff. Those flaps—along with the stabilizer—are large and efficient. The airplane wallows around a bit at low speed—the AOA gets cross with us, and the glare shield’s red LED under-panel lighting flashes on. You can’t miss the fact you are deep into the low end of the scale. It takes a sharp pull back to get the airplane to break in the power-off stall, and it’s more of a mush at roughly 43 knots on the tape. With power on, there’s a wing drop to the left for us, at about 47 knots indicated.

I also put the sporty airplane through a few back and forths in lazy 8s to feel the Bristell’s control coupling and arc through low speed to high as we slice an 8 on its side through the horizon. The view from the left seat allows for a broad look around, with no struts. We level at 3,000 feet and set power at 4,400 rpm and 23.3 inches for the cruise back to KAPF, giving us 36 percent power. We’re loafing along at 103 knots indicated (109 ktas) as a result. We have been sipping fuel all along, but this shows us at 4.5 gph in eco mode—full power translates to 10.5 gph. The wing tanks hold a total of 16 gallons (21.6 gallons with extended-range tanks) per side for an endurance of 6.5 hours plus VFR reserves at best economy power. All of my initial landings came together easily within 900 feet of ground roll on the runway—and the nearly-night landing back at Naples was even shorter.

BRM Aero Bristell SLSA

• Price (fully equipped, as tested): $366,000

• Engine: Rotax 915iS, turbocharged

• TBO (or equivalent): 1,200 hours

• Horsepower: 141 hp, maximum continuous

• Propeller: Sensenich 3-blade composite

• Seats: 2

• Wingspan: 9.13 m, 29.53 ft.

• Length: 6.45 m, 19.68 ft.

• Height: 2.28 m, 6.56 ft.

• Cabin width: 130 cm, 51.2 in.

• Baggage Weight: 55 kg, 121.25 lbs.

• Basic Empty Weight (U.S. SLSA): 725 lb.

• Max Takeoff Weight (U.S. SLSA): 1,320 lb.

• Basic Useful Load: 595 lb.

• Fuel: 120 liters/ 32 gal., 28.5 gal.usable (standard tanks); 43.2 gal. total(extended range tanks)

• Max Rate of Climb: 1,500 fpm

• Max Operating Altitude: 23,000 ft.

• Stall Speed (flaps extended): 43 kias

• Max Cruise Speed:120 ktas, at sea level,max continuous power

• Max Endurance: 6.5 hours plus VFR reserves at best economy power

• Takeoff Distance, Sea Level (over a 50 ft. obs.): 331 m, 1,086 ft.

• Landing Distance, Sea Level (over a 50 ft. obs.): 391 m, 1,283 ft

Interior Details

The two-seat airplane has low-slung seats, placing you in drive mode, with adjustable rudder pedals. The comfort factor is real, not just reported, with a cockpit layout that puts everything in reach. The baggage compartment is accessible in its entirety from the seats, with a 15 kg (about 33 pounds) capacity. Two wing lockers hold an additional 20 kg (about 44 pounds) apiece but cannot be reached in flight unless you pull a wing-walking move (not recommended).

The interior selections run from utility to luxury leather options, with a sporty theme informing the ones in those models we tested for this report. Details include map pockets and a stash box in the central armrest. 

Every Bristell comes with a custom tool kit that Rathmell says is designed to facilitate happy cross-country flying, from minor maintenance adjustments to being able to tie down on unfamiliar ramps.

The Family Behind the Bristell

John Rathmell figures he now has as many hours in Bristell aircraft as anyone in the U.S. With more than 800 aircraft delivered worldwide, that distinction is sure to change in the coming years. The Czech company runs a boutique-style shop, crafting about 120 custom aircraft in total each year, with a couple dozen of those headed for the U.S. from its headquarters in Kuňovice. It’s a solid production run that ensures a personal touch on each airplane that’s built.

Family Founders

The name “Bristell” derives from Bristela, the surname shared by the father and son who established and run the company. Father Milan Bristela, founder and CEO, earned his degree in aircraft certification and production from the Antonín Zápotocký Military Academy in Brno, Czech Republic. He’s been in aviation since 1983.

The BRM models resemble another light sport airplane—the Sport Cruiser/PiperSport. Milan worked on that design with Czech Sport Air Works prior to its U.S. introduction. However, Piper’s LSA partnership never gained traction, and Milan knew he could improve on that design with his own evolution. Therefore, with son Martin, he founded BRM Aero S.R.O.in 2009 with the intention of creating LSA and ultralight category-leading aircraft for personal use and pleasure. Martin is a full partner and also the COO, with a background in racing automotive maintenance and the instrument/commercial pilot license he ‘s secured—and we expect he’ll take the reins as his dad spends more time in the design department.

BRM Aero has produced a retract model, not available in the U.S., the Bristell RG, and a “spur gear” airplane, the Bristell TDO. The OEM built its own state-of-the-art facility at the Letiště Kunovice airport (LKKU). Today, it employs more than 130 people, and it plans to increase production by 50 in the next two years.

International Growth

The Bristelas had long set their sights on reaching farther than the EU’s borders with their designs, so in 2012, they connected with their first U.S. importers and continued that with the establishment of the relationship with Lou Mancuso, of Sport Flying USA, with whom Rathmell has partnered, along with Rich Maisano and others. They represent a steady support structure for the U.S. market, stocking new engines and significant parts inventory. Each aircraft comes with an 18-month, 200-hour factory warranty and post-warranty service plan, which includes mods as well as required maintenance and repair work.

The fit and finish of the models we tested speaks to why pilots have raved about the Bristell SLSA ever since.

Better Training

One key area in ensuring both the customer’s satisfaction and their safety lies in good training. After we flew, Rathmell handed me a challenge coin marking my induction into the ranks of Bristell pilots. On the reverse, it’s stamped with the acronyms “DFGAP,” “GPA,” and “PLC.” These mnemonics stem from Mancuso’s “Landing Doctor” training program developed for light sport aircraft and refined for the Bristells. They stand for “defined go-around point,” ground proximity awareness,” and “personal limitations checklist.”

Mancuso and Rathmell intend for pilots to carry this tangible reminder in their pocket—and take those safety points to heart.

This article was originally published in the April 2023, Issue 936 of  FLYING.

Shop new and used Bristell SLSA’s on aircraftforsale.com

The post We Fly: BRM Aero Bristell SLSA appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Powered by a turbocharged Rotax 915iS turning a DUC 4-blade or Sensenich 3-blade prop, the Bristell uses that 135 horsepower at max continuous to leap off the runway, as it did both in Editor in Chief Julie Boatman’s test flights and during the photo shoot for the feature in FLYING shot down at Naples Airport in Florida.

The post Watch the We Fly Bristell SLSA appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Junkers Aircraft—now the parent company to the WACO marque as well—hosted the event at its WACO Kitchen at the Sheltair FBO at the Lakeland Linder International Airport on the afternoon prior to the official opening of the show on March 28. 

A Throwback and Leap Forward

Taking the 1929 design from Hugo junkers and updating it to the modern era, Junkers Aircraft has begun manufacturing the two-seat, low-wing, aluminum-skinned sport airplane at its U.S. facility in Michigan. The original 80 hp Armstrong-Siddeley Genet radial engine has been swapped out for the 100 hp Rotax 912iS with a two-blade, ground adjustable MT propeller. In the rear cockpit—from which the airplane is flown when solo—the Garmin G3X with a 10.6-inch display provides aircraft control and navigational power, with a companion 7-inch G3X display up front.

Other safety improvements over the traditional design include a Beringer braking system and a Galaxy ballistic recovery parachute. The airplane already came in under SLSA parameters with a max takeoff weight of 1,320 pounds and suitability to the training environment.

The first 29 aircraft are offered at 179,000 euros or about $193,500 at today’s exchange rate. Look for an upcoming We Fly pilot report in the pages of FLYING.

Junkers A50 Junior Specs

Price: 179,000 euros (roughly $193,500)

Engine: Rotax 912iS, 100 hp, fuel-injected

Propeller: two-blade MT, ground adjustable

Recovery System: Galaxy GRS 600 airframe parachute

Seats: 1 + 1 (solo from the rear)

Day VFR Only

Wingspan: 32 feet, 4 inches

Length: 24 feet, 4 inches

Height: 9 feet, 6 inches

Max Takeoff Weight: 1,320 pounds

Empty Weight: 840 pounds

Useful Load: 480 pounds / 310 pounds with full fuel

Fuel Capacity: 27 gallons

Fuel Consumption: 4 gph at best economy

Range: 680 nm

Cruise Speed: 75 knots

Stall Speed: 46 knots

Max Crosswind Component: 15 knots

Takeoff Distance, Over 50-ft. Obstacle: 984 feet

Landing Distance, Over 50-ft. Obstacle: 1,355 feet

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If you’re like me, you walk the rows of these E/ABs and are envious of the builders who possess the skills to complete these airplanes. While being comfortable in saying that I doubt I have the mechanical ability to complete an E/AB airplane project, I know there is still a great way to own one and fly it with confidence.

Just buy the fully-assembled special light sport airplane (SLSA) version of the popular Van’s Aircraft RV-12iS.

In the Room Where It Happens

The Aircraft Assembly Division (AAD) is a large, well-lit portion of the Van’s Aircraft factory in Aurora, Oregon. Here, employee builders dedicated to the AAD work through all of the steps it takes to go from stacks of wooden crates full of thousands of parts to a signed-off RV-12iS SLSA ready for a new owner to fly home. At several workstations, airplanes are in various stages of completion, while other areas of the AAD are dedicated to paint, installing cabin upholstery, and avionics installations.

The pace inside the AAD seems calm but focused, as the bright fluorescent lighting provides assemblers with a good look at every part. It is not a noisy factory setting with people slapping together airplane parts on an assembly line, it is more of a laid-back atmosphere, where talented builders handcraft each airplane with as much care and attention as if they were building it for themselves.

If the inside of the AAD looks like any of the private shops of E/AB builders, that’s because, for all intents and purposes, this is just a big version of the same thing, says Van’s Aircraft vice president and COO, Greg Hughes. “All the parts used to build the SLSA version of our RV-12iS are made in the same factory, by the same people, as the kits we ship to builders worldwide. The same inventory of parts that go into the AAD goes into crates we ship to customers. The parts are delivered to the AAD effectively as a customer. The process for building is nearly identical to that of a private builder—it’s the same airplane built from the same kit.”

Hughes did however explain that while the finished product is identical to an amateur-built RV-12iS, the factory process is slightly different. 

“We do pre-build or pre-configure certain parts and have those staged, and we can have different sections of the airplane being built simultaneously by different people in the AAD. So while we may not be following the exact steps an amateur builder follows, we are still doing the exact same work,” he said.

Built to Exacting Standards

Van’s Aircraft has perfected the process of designing, manufacturing, and shipping airplane kits for its RV line of E/AB models. Hughes says the Van’s parts picking and crate packing teams ship between 65 and 80 “sub-kits” each week all over the world. “An RV-7 has four sub-kits for the wings, empennage, fuselage, and finishing. So 80 sub-kits in theory represent about 20 airplanes. Just to give you some historical reference, we were shipping half that amount just a year ago,” he said.

Those same sub-kits are the ones that end up in the AAD to be assembled into ready-to-fly RV-12iS SLSAs. And every nut, bolt, and rivet is assembled with strict adherence to ASTM standards, the set of requirements developed for checking and maintaining quality. “Even though the parts are manufactured in another area of our facility,” Hughes explained, “we check each part carefully to ensure they are acceptable to ASTM standards. In the unusual event we find a part that is questionable in some way, those parts are quarantined and not used. We have all of the standards-based controls and requirements in place to guide our dedicated team of people, who do nothing but build the RV-12iS airplanes.”

Flight Tested and Buyer-Ready

Once an RV-12iS SLSA has been assembled, Van’s test pilots run it through the same types of flight tests as builders who have put their kits together themselves. As I toured the AAD, I saw a gorgeous RV-12iS in a blue and white paint scheme just inside the closed hangar door, ready for final inspections. It had completed full-flight testing and was about to be inspected with experienced eyes by the AAD staff. Once any squawks have been remedied, the airplane would be polished to appear “showroom perfect” and its new owner would be summoned to come to Aurora and pick up their new ride.

Demand Is Strong

The order book is at high levels across the entire Van’s product line, and that holds true for the RV-12iS SLSA as well. Current lead time on the fully-assembled RV-12iS is a “moderately conservative” 20 months, Hughes said, with a $5,000 deposit due upon ordering to get in line. An additional $55,000 deposit is due upon commencement of aircraft construction, with the balance due upon delivery. The length of that “line” varies according to order loads and delivery schedule.

The post Van’s RV-12iS SLSA: They Build it, You Fly it appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Fast forward to 2016, and the out-of-state business I was using the 235 to service dried up, and at 12 gph, Katy became quite an expensive hamburger chaser. Factor in the cost of maintaining a 1963 model, and it was obvious that selling the 235 was a smart move.

Since N8527W taxied away for the last time, I have not had any stick time in any airplane. I do try to keep my “stick-and-rudder” skills fresh in my X-Plane flight simulator, but I had not been PIC for about six years. So yes, some rust might have been forming on those skills. I wanted to see just what would happen when a 750-hour rusty pilot tried out one of the latest generation of SLSAs, the Van’s RV-12iS. What skills had atrophied, and what knowledge and muscle memory were retained would be quite evident in a model like this SLSA, which had the Garmin G3X touch panel with dual displays, and a sweet Rotax 912iS fuel-injected 100 hp engine.

I met up with Van’s vice president and COO Greg Hughes at the company’s factory at Aurora State Airport (KUAO), in Oregon, and we planned a hamburger run to Independence State Airport (7S5) in the 12iS. While it would be a relatively short out and back, there would be sufficient time for me to take the controls and see how much rust had indeed accumulated over the years.

Let’s take a look at my experience.

First Impression

The RV-12iS looked gorgeous parked outside Hangar India at KUAO awaiting our departure. The fit and finish looked perfect, and the paint was superb. With the canopy open, I gingerly climbed into the right seat. You do not jump into an RV like you do a Cherokee or Skyhawk—it takes a certain amount of finesse to work your feet around the control stick while avoiding stepping on the seat. But once I wiggled down into the laid-back position of the seat, the airplane fit me wonderfully.

Being careful not to elbow my PIC, I strapped in and began drooling over the Garmin panel. From the rather haphazard design of my Cherokee’s old-school, six-pack avionics, this was my first up-close meeting with a G3X system. Once Hughes fired up the electrical system, before me on the dual displays was an almost endless amount of engine and navigation information, including our pre-takeoff checklist.

When it came time to fire up, doing so in a Rotax-powered machine is a non-event. The RV-12iS started fast, more like a Honda Accord than any airplane I had ever been in before. When the Rotax starts, you know it with a distinct rumble, and the smoothness was almost unsettling.

Aren’t airplane engines supposed to cough, spit, and protest as you coax them to life? Not this one, as I could not even count the few blades of the prop go by as it sprang to life. After what amounts to a “mag” check when the PIC cycles the two “lanes” of the engine computer to check for proper operation, and with a minimal amount of touches with his finger on the G3X display to tune the comms, Hughes had us off the ground fast, and we held a nice 90 kias, 1,000 fpm climb out. The takeoff was as undramatic as you can get, as the RV-12iS seemed to want to launch from the moment the PIC pushed the FADEC engine control forward.

So far, this was nothing like flying my Cherokee. This was going to be an interesting day.

Stick and Rudder

Since all airplanes follow the same general rules of aerodynamics, I knew pretty much what to expect comparing the RV-12iS to my Cherokee 235. Push the throttle forward and the houses get smaller, right?

Wrong.

After Hughes departed Aurora, we soon hit the bumpy air of a warm day over the Willamette Valley. Even though I knew the airplane was getting punched around, it did not feel like it from the right seat. After Hughes handed the airplane off to me, I found out why.

You see, in my Cherokee—and every other airplane I had flown in my 750 hours—you had to really work the yoke to keep things straight and level in a turbulent sky. But within seconds of my hand touching the RV’s control stick, I realized that the precise handling of the RV line means you do not horse the airplane through rough air—you just think about correcting when a wing drops. With every smack upside the head from another gust, I would make a tiny flick with my hand and the RV-12iS would respond so quickly the gusts were a non-issue. I was able to easily stay on course and hold altitude to private pilot check ride standards.

I can only describe the handling of the RV-12iS as driving a Miata with sticky Bridgestone tires down a twisty mountain road instead of lumbering along in an old Chevy truck. The airplane’s flight characteristics were so intuitive, it seemed so far that there might not be all that much rust I needed to knock off.

A few “S” turns confirmed that this airplane handled like a dream. It was on rails in turns…crank it over into a turn and it just stayed there obediently; it was happy turning until you nudged the stick back with an almost imperceptible input to come back to wings level. Hughes said the RV-12iS is an “honest” airplane, and I cannot argue with that. It does what you want without drama, making flying it a pure joy.

The Airplane Is Smarter Than I Am

After enjoying a couple of $100 hamburgers that probably only cost $35 because of the Rotax’s polite fuel efficiency, we departed Independence and again Hughes climbed out and turned the RV over to me. The gusty conditions had worsened, but still, it was incredibly easy to stay on course and hold altitude. He demonstrated the Garmin autopilot, and we followed the magenta line towards Aurora where the PIC made a greased, uneventful landing.

I came away from this demo flight knowing two things. First, it would take this rusty pilot more time to learn the Garmin G3X touch avionics than it would for me to remember how to fly an airplane. This panel has so much capability, it requires a learning curve that would be significant to an old “steam gauge” pilot like me; but I also know that once mastered, this system would be as good as it could get in GA avionics.

And second, I learned that despite not flying for six years, the Van’s Aircraft RV-12iS SLSA would be a perfect choice for someone who wants to get back into flying. It is modern, well-engineered, and so easy to fly, any rust that has built up would quickly disappear once a new owner picked up a few hours of transition training.

Rusty pilot? Nope, not me. Sure, maybe a little out of currency, but with this airplane—or any of the modern LSAs—someone who has not flown in a while can get right back in the air, which we all know is where they truly belong.

The post Knocking Off the Rust in a Van’s RV-12iS appeared first on FLYING Magazine.