New LSAs in the Works from Brazil, Spain, and Italy
Right by the entrance at Sun ‘n Fun in Lakeland, Fla., the pretty little SeaMax amphibian attracted a lot of attention from showgoers this week. The airplane has been in production in Brazil since 2001, company rep Carlos Bessa told AVweb, and 55 copies are flying. Brazil-based AirMax is now working to introduce the airplane in the U.S. as a light sport aircraft. “We hope to have completed the S-LSA process by July or August,” Bessa said. The fuselage is all composite, so there is no corrosion issue. Price starts at about $137,000. Also new this year is the Toxo by Composite Aeronautic Group of Spain. The airplane meets the U.S. regs for an LSA, and should be available by the end of the year, according to Director General Juan Carlos Ortiz Villajos. The airplane has flown just 15 hours, and a second prototype is in the works, Villajos said. The airframe is all carbon fiber for “an impressive strength-to-weight ratio,” he said, and the interior is roomy and comfortable. Options include a glass panel and ballistic parachute. “And the design, is something they love to see,” he added, noting the clean sweeping lines of the fuselage. Price will run about $148,000 fully loaded. From Italy, “only for lovers of old-fashioned airplanes,” Aerolab brought an open-cockpit design to Sun ‘n Fun.
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| AirMax's SeaMax from Brazil |
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| Composite Aeronautic Group's Toxo Sportster from Spain |
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| Aerolab's airframe design from Italy |
Right by the entrance at Sun 'n Fun in Lakeland, Fla., the pretty little SeaMax amphibian attracted a lot of attention from showgoers this week. The airplane has been in production in Brazil since 2001, company rep Carlos Bessa told AVweb, and 55 copies are flying. Brazil-based AirMax is now working to introduce the airplane in the U.S. as a light sport aircraft. "We hope to have completed the S-LSA process by July or August," Bessa said. The fuselage is all composite, so there is no corrosion issue. Price starts at about $137,000.
Also new this year is the Toxo by Composite Aeronautic Group of Spain. The airplane meets the U.S. regs for an LSA, and should be available by the end of the year, according to Director General Juan Carlos Ortiz Villajos. The airplane has flown just 15 hours, and a second prototype is in the works, Villajos said. The airframe is all carbon fiber for "an impressive strength-to-weight ratio," he said, and the interior is roomy and comfortable. Options include a glass panel and ballistic parachute. "And the design, is something they love to see," he added, noting the clean sweeping lines of the fuselage. Price will run about $148,000 fully loaded.
From Italy, "only for lovers of old-fashioned airplanes," Aerolab brought an open-cockpit design to Sun 'n Fun. The display showed just the bones of a fuselage, but company founder Francesco Rizzi said he hopes to have a flying copy on display at EAA AirVenture in Oshkosh in July. The airplane will be available in three variations -- monoplane, biplane or parasol wing. An LSA version should be available by the end of this year, Rizzi said. Kits will be available also. A full kit sells for about $45,000.
