Aeroprakt has announced the release of a brand new aircraft in its range – the A32.
The 600 kgs gross weight LSA-compliant 2-seat A32 will be built in limited numbers alongside the popular A22LS and A22L2 ‘Foxbat’ aircraft.
Bearing a strong family resemblance to the A22, the new aircraft has been in development for over three years, with particular attention to the aerodynamics of the airframe and ergonomics in the cabin. As a result, the cabin is spacious and quiet and the aircraft will happily cruise in the 110-115 knots range, without affecting its slow speed docile handling characteristics.
Full details will soon be on the Foxbat Australia website (which is being significantly re-designed) and I’m expecting an A32 demonstrator to arrive in Australia late in June. There will be a formal launch of the new aircraft in Australia, probably at Tyabb Airport, during July.
First customer deliveries of the A32 are expected later this year. Prices have not been finalised but will probably be around A$110,000 fly-away, including registration and GST.
One of my spies has sent me this somewhat blurry photo – the aircraft looks a bit like an A22 Foxbat but even through the blur it’s possible to see some marked differences – no little tailwheel, all-flying tailplane, different rear fuselage, windshield level with the top surface of the wing and maybe a different engine cowling…more to come when I have better photos.
This is a non-fictional account of aviation in the 20th century, originally published in 1997. Allowing for the almost 20 years since its publication, this is an still an engrossing account of flying and aeroplanes – from the early pioneers like Saint-Exupéry and Markham and their lonely solo flights through to breaking the sound barrier with Chuck Yeager and many before, after and in between. Even including Biggles! It’s not a cheap book at over A$75 (if you can find a new one) but is completely absorbing and a marvellous compilation which you can dip into time and again and still find something new. Searching the usual book websites will turn up secondhand copies of varying qualities from as little as A$5 but make sure you know who you’re ordering from before leaping to buy!
Against a backdrop of flying the mail routes in the Sahara and South American Andes, Saint-Exupéry writes of friendship, death and heroism. The book describes his exploits and, in particular, his near fatal accident in the Sahara Desert, when he and his navigator/engineer almost died of thirst and dehydration after surviving the initial crash. The book was originally published in French in 1939 but was soon translated into English – and, shortly afterwards, significantly changed, as the author felt some of the content was not appropriate for its USA readers. In French, the book was titled ‘Terre des hommes’ (‘Land of men’) with the English ‘Wind, Sand and Stars’ suggested by the translator. Although the translation is many years old, the book is still a good read, telling of times when aviation was still an extremely risky business.
Another non-fictional account of flying across the USA in a small aeroplane – this time a 1950 Luscombe Silvaire (registered Zero 3 Bravo of the title), which, to the uninitiated, is a 2-seat metal high wing aircraft with a cruise speed of about 85 knots. This is the true story of 60 years-old Mariana Gosnell, who set out in the early 1990’s for a three-month trip from New York across the USA to the west coast and then back again. It recounts her experiences of the people she met along the way and is well-illustrated with photos she took. It’s one of those books that are very enjoyable and easy to read – the only downside (if you’d call it that) is that it will start you dreaming of (even planning) your own trip! Highly recommended.
I suppose no collection of aviation books would be complete without the amazing tale of the first solo flight across the Atlantic Ocean in a single-engined aeroplane. This is the book, written by Lindbergh, which was published many years – in fact over 25 years – after his epic flight. It won the Pulitzer Prize in 1954, the year after its publication. Apart from covering the flight itself, the book also describes in detail the preparation and planning for the flight and, in particular, overcoming the almost insurmountable problem of building an aircraft with enough speed, yet still able to carry a pilot and enough fuel for the journey. In the end, the aeroplane was filled with over 450 US gallons of fuel (that’s over 1,700 litres) and just about managed to take off at almost half a ton overweight – that’s a lot for a small single engine plane. How Lindbergh stayed awake during his long solitary night flight towards Europe is recounted so well, you could almost be there yourself. New copies of the book can still be found with a little digging – it was reprinted at least in 2003. Here’s a link to s short video, with subtitled commentary on the take off: 
Last but not least is this funny, charming, part fiction, part autobiographical tale, of a young man and his friend (only one of whom knew how to fly) who decide that owning an aircraft will make them chick magnets (his words, not mine). So they set out to buy a microlight/ultralight in the form of a tube, fabric and wire ‘Thruster’ aircraft – described as a flying lawn mower with two plastic chairs. Along the way, he learns about and makes lists of all the various microlighting paraphernalia and in particular, falls in love – not with a lovely young damsel – but with being up in the air and the sheer joy of flight. Captivatingly amateur in its approach, this is at the root of the book’s appeal, along with all the views of the world common to young men. In a way, it’s a ‘coming of age’ story which is well-told and, in parts, hilarious along the way.
When customers ask me about the Foxbat, the question I hear most is not ‘How fast?’, ‘How far?’ or ‘How much?’ but ‘What makes your Foxbat better than any other (or sometimes a specific) recreational/light sport aircraft?’ While I understand the reason for asking the question, it’s a bit like asking which is better: a pick-up/ute, a sports car or a sedan.
For example – a farmer/landowner wants a strong landing gear and good safe slow speed handling so they can take-off and land in small spaces on unprepared paddocks. Outright top speed is likely not a key decider. The aircraft needs to be robust and reliable, because it’s going to be used a lot, and down-time is potentially lost money. And it probably needs to be easy and safe to fly near to the ground. And quick and easy to fix if it breaks down or gets broken.
Another example: if you are a big person, you’ll need to be able to fit into the cabin – it’s a good job the Millennium Falcon had a roomy flight deck! And if you are heavy, you’ll need an aircraft that can carry you, a reasonable amount of fuel and probably a passenger. There are light sport aircraft on the market that can legally carry less than 200 kilos – that’s everything: pilot, passenger, baggage and fuel. Put two 90 kilo people on board, no bags, and that leaves you 20 kilos for fuel – about 28 litres, which will last about 75 minutes.
Then there are the speed freaks – as long as they can say it goes faster than yours, it’s the one for them. But to go fast in an aeroplane demands compromises – smaller cabins, so there’s less drag; landings are potentially faster, longer and trickier; and the airframe has to be stronger (read: heavier) to cope with rough air at higher speeds…reducing the load carrying capacity. As one famous old American flying ace commented: ‘Unless you’re going at least 50% faster than the others, after a very short time you won’t notice any difference’. And next month someone else will buy one just a bit faster.
So an important thing to think about, when deciding which aircraft, is what’s best for you – and be realistic! How often will you really fly it? Will you usually take a passenger with you or fly alone? How far will you really go on a typical flight? Are you really going to fly round Australia in it, one day? Will the aircraft really carry the weight you need it to? Why is speed important? Is getting there 10 minutes quicker, probably using more fuel, really that important?
Probably the single most important factor in choosing an aircraft is safety – and it’s usually the most overlooked and under-rated aspect of an LSA.
But first – ergonomics
This can lead to bent or even collapsed nose legs. So some aircraft designers have stuck with (or even reverted to) castering nose wheels, steered by main wheel differential braking – either by feet or hands. This gives slightly trickier ground handling especially when it’s windy but reduces the chances of bent gear when landing cross wind. Castering nose wheels usually have a smaller turning circle than direct steering, a particular advantage when back-tracking and turning on narrow runways. There are advocates of both systems – try both and take your choice.
What about the stalling characteristics? Most LSAs stall very benignly, the nose goes down gently and rarely does a wing drop – something caused when one wing loses lift before the other, for a variety of reasons, but usually because the aircraft is being flown out of balance, with the slip ball not centred. Stalling with a wing drop is most dangerous when making that low-level turn onto final approach before landing. There are a few aircraft which can bite unexpectedly when stalled – if you are an experienced pilot and aware of what’s happening, prompt action can save you. But if the characteristic is particularly vicious and/or you are a low-time pilot, the chances are you won’t survive a finals turn stall with a wing drop. Check this aspect of the aircraft with someone familiar with the type and maybe even ask an instructor to take you up high and try stalling in turns.
