O/T - Sebring LSA Show Report

[Bob Patterson]

Hi All !

Just back from Sebring, Florida, and the LSA show -
there was a LOT of new, neat stuff !!!

NO sign of the Raptor diesel, or whatever the new name is ...
BUT we DID find the Gemini, from Powerplant Developments,
in England - looks VERY interesting ! Size is about a 912, 3 cyl.,
6 pistons, installed weight about 190 lb, hp is 100, or 125 with a turbo...
They have models all the way up to about 450 hp, with more
cylinders/larger bore.... PRICE about $18,000 US !!!!
No website I could see - email to: info@jadeair.co.uk
US Cell phone: 214-404-3981 -- might still be here.
Fax: +44(0)1444 400745 West Sussex
Mention it's for a Murphy .... ;-)

The Cessna booth was VERY quiet - not many visitors !
They recently announced they were going to build the Flycatcher 162
(ooops - Skycatcher .. ;-) ) in CHINA !!! Price going to $111,000+ USD.
Talk about shooting yourself in the foot ! They dumped the
Rotax 912 for the Clunktinental to appeal to the buy-local masses,
ending up with slower cruise & less useful load, but gathering
orders --- then chase everybody away by building offshore !!
They could at least have kept a bit quiet about it ....

The Lambada motorglider folks have redesigned a bit, and certified
as LSA - with 100 lb of luggage space ! They had one in the booth,
and one on the line, flying all day long at $50 a pop - sold several !
http://www.urbanairusa.com/lambada.php
Company demo pilot was John Dunham - west coast distributor.
New empty weight 585 lb., 2 sets of wing tips - 15 meters gives 30:1 L/D,
and 13 meters giving 26:1 - and 105 Kt cruise with the 80 hp. 912 ...
Stressed for 12 G .... VERY nice !! LSA - AND gliding/soaring,
AND very cheap cross-country capability - price is about $110,000 USD.

The Electric Aircraft Corp. had 2 aircraft on display - one FLYING !!!
http://www.electraflyer.com/
They flew the TRIKE - (drag city !!) for 1 1/2 hours on battery only,
every day ! Everyone else has theories - they are flying !!!
Prices $6,700 - $16,800 ... and you can buy just the motor & controller.
The interesting airplane was a modified Monnet Moni single-seat motorglider -
they added standard gear, and installed the 18 hp electric motor
and batteries where the fuel tank was.... It's VERY close to Part 103
legal - IF the FAA can figure out what to do with it !! If you consider
the batteries as "fuel", then it meets the regs -- without the batteries !!!
Price might be in the $20K - $25K range. What cheap flying !!! ---
Plug in, charge in 6 hours, for 60 CENTS, and fly for 1 - 2 hours -
and you can soar all afternoon !! LOTS of interest !

There were several 'concept' displays - some might actually fly later !

There were NO airplanes there that could touch the Rebel for room
inside, the space to sleep in back, comfort, performance, or price !!!
I just HAVE to get down there with an LSA Rebel (or 2, ideally) !
..... maybe for Sun 'n Fun this year ?? ;-) :-)

The weather was pretty marginal - cloudy, strong cross-winds, rain
showers off and on all 4 days, but crowds were steady. The biggest
complaint was the RACES !! This has never happened before -- they
were running car races right across the road on the Sebring Track,
on Thursday and Saturday - too wet on Friday - and the NOISE was
unreal !! Vendors had to shout to talk to prospects - several said they
would NOT return if this was going to happen again !! The Show people
apologized - said they had arranged everything in advance, but the
race guys are 'tenants', and decided to run anyway ....

All in all, a very good show - glad I went ! It might move to April,
like S n F, eventually - just for the weather ...

Here's a good overview ....
http://www.bydanjohnson.com/index.cfm?b=6&m=1

I flew down with my old friend Jim, who put money down on
a spiffy European composite kit at the show TWO YEARS AGO -
he wanted to ask when he might get delivery !!! They said it
would be this year - maybe by summer.... This is a large
manufacurer, been in business for many years, and a kit that
cost over $117,000 USD --- and folks are grumbling about
Murphy being a few months late, when they are getting
a great airplane kit for $20,000 .... !

Whew !! My typing finger is sore !!! :-)

-
......bobp
bobp@prosumers.ca
http://www.prosumers.ca
http://bpatterson.qhealthbeauty.com
http://apatterson2.qhealthzone.com
http://apatterson2.ordermygift.com




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