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January 14, 2007

New Light Sport Aircraft Abound At Expo

By Tim Kern, Special Correspondent

New airplanes were everywhere at the U.S. Sport Aviation Expo. The undisputed star of the show was the proof-of-concept Cessna LSA. Expect some changes if it goes into production -- the wing is slated to move down and rearward and engine cooling will be refined (there were a new cowl outlet and NACA inlet duct in evidence at Sebring). Cessna will announce whether it will join the LSA market before Sun 'n Fun. Avia brought its A-16 Sport Falcon tandem-seat trainer and said an amphibious version is in the works. LSA America was there showing its Czech-built Mystique, which is now available in 80- or 100-hp 912 versions. Jim Stewart (S-51 Mustang) showed his new metal twin-boom S-LSA pusher design dubbed The Horizon.

The Dynamic WT-9, in its familiar retractable version, was being shown by Sport Aircraft Works. It will be available later this year in a stiff-leg S-LSA version at $84,000. FK Lightplanes had its new-version FK-9, which now sports a foldable wing, allowing hangar sharing and easy storage. RANS showed refinements to its S-LSA S-7 ($80,000 with a Garmin or King moving map GPS and transponder) and E-LSA Super S-6, which comes complete with battery, clecos and pliers, pre-drilled struts and added comfort and trim. The least-expensive E-LSA at Sebring was the fiberglass-hull Corsario from Brazil. Sport Air Aviation has just introduced the light sport aircraft to the U.S. market, and buyers will certainly be happy with its price -- $41,000, including the Rotax 912S and three-blade prop ($1,500 less with the 80-hp engine).

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