The Lisa Akoya amphibian is continuing flight test at home in France, CEO Benoit Senallart told AVweb at EAA AirVenture on Friday, with the aim of achieving LSA certification in early 2017. The tests are meeting expectations, Senallart said. “We’re doing a lot of water-taxi testing, on smooth and rough water,” he said. “The seafoil fins provide a lot of safety and ease in the water handling.” The airplane lands on the hull, and is equipped with two airfoil surfaces on the forward fuselage that project into the water. These surfaces provide a gradual lift out of the water, Senallart said, and cut through the waves, providing a comfortable and easy takeoff. The aircraft also has retractable gear with wheels and skis for landing on runways or on snow.
The airplane cruises at speeds up to 113 knots and burns just 3 gph at 110 cruise, Senallart said. The biggest market for the airplane is here in the U.S., he said, and he hopes to bring the airplane back here for a flying demo as soon as he can. So far the company has a list of about 100 interested buyers, also including Europe, China and Australia. It sells for about $330,000, fully equipped, including a ballistic chute, full training and three years of service and warranty. The Lisa folks are staffing a booth in the Innovation Center, where they have video about the airplane and a steady stream of curious visitors.
