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LSA Buyer’s Guide

Vanilla, chocolate, strawberry or Fudge-Ribbon Granola-Mocha Delight? How’s a pilot to choose which bird to buy?

REMOS GX
Remos (#7 in U.S. sales), another German builder, expands on its successful G-3 design with the GX. The carbon-fiber high-winger has a useful load of 650 pounds, new fuselage, ground-adjustable prop, and +4 and -2 G-load rating. The Dynon EFIS D100 glass panel is standard. The aircraft features slotted flaps, five-minute folding wings, a roomy 46.8-inch-wide cabin, electric flaps and trim, a 112-knot cruise speed and a 1,050 fpm climb rate. Power is via a 100 hp Rotax 912 ULS. Price: $120,500. Contact: Remos Aircraft, (877) REMOS-88, www.remos.com.

CESSNA SKYCATCHER
The all-metal, high-wing Cessna 162 will be produced in China and assembled/tested in America. First deliveries: 2009. The aircraft will come standard with a Mode C transponder, VFR GPS, 121.5 MHz ELT and Garmin’s G300 MFD, SL40 COM radio and GTX 327. The 162 features two-spar metal wings, slotted flaps, steel-tube landing gear and a useful load of 490 pounds. The 100 hp Continental O-200D delivers a 118-knot max cruise speed and an 890 fpm climb rate. Price: $111,500. Contact: Cessna Aircraft Company, (800) 4-CESSNA, www.cessna.com.

CIRRUS SRS
Like Cessna’s Skycatcher, the graceful, all-composite SRS is still in development. First deliveries are projected for 2009/2010. Powered by a 100 hp Rotax 912S, the aircraft will cruise at 120 knots, have a 500-pound useful load and carry 18.6 gallons of onboard fuel. A Cirrus Airframe Parachute System (CAPS) is standard. The sculpted, single-piece canopy opens to a cabin width of 45 inches. The SRS will offer a four-point safety harness, castering nosegear, electric flaps and “advanced avionics.” Price: $125,000. Contact: Cirrus Design, (888) 750-9927, www.cirrusdesign.com.

ICON A5
No LSA made a bigger visceral impact than the Icon at EAA AirVenture 2008. Marketing for the amphibious S-LSA is aimed at the sport vehicle owner. The production version will weigh in at 1,430 pounds, with an estimated 450- to 530-pound useful load. Its prototype flew in July 2008, and the company projects FAA approval sometime in 2010. Power is delivered by a 100 hp Rotax 912 ULS; range is 300 nm. The wings fold for trailering. Price: $139,000. Contact: Icon Aircraft, (424) 201-3505, www.iconaircraft.com.

JABIRU J230-SP
(www.usjabiru.com)
An upgrade of Jabiru’s popular J250 (ranked #5 in U.S. sales), the J230-SP offers improved cabin room and comfort. The smaller and higher-aspect-ratio wings enhance the aircraft’s low-speed performance. Additional features include a 120 hp Jabiru 3300 cc engine, a 120-knot cruise speed and an 800 nm range. Price: $104,900.

CZAW SPORTCRUISER
(www.sportaircraftworks.com)
This U.S.–designed, Czech-produced low-wing monoplane has a wide-ratio (4.5:1) speed envelope (stall is 26 knots, top speed is 117 knots). Climb rate is 1,200 fpm, and range is 745 nm. Price: $95,000.

FANTASY AIR ALLEGRO 2007
(www.fantasyairusa.com)
The Czech-built Allegro 2007 has an all-metal wing, a center-section truss, a Kevlar/composite fuselage and two Rotax 912 power options (80 or 100 hp). The T-tail bird has a 105-knot cruise speed, a 34-knot stall and a 350 nm range. Price: $84,000.

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