Cirrus Design has begun taking orders for its SR Sport aircraft, a certificated and upgraded version of the FK-14 Polaris light sport aircraft (LSA) built in Poland for Germany's FK-Lightplanes.
Cirrus says it is “pleased” with the response so far to its new LSA, with a steady stream of $5,000 deposits coming in via the company website and at the US Sport Aviation Expo under way in Sebring, Florida.
The low-wing, two-seat composite aircraft is powered by a 100hp Rotax 912S engine and comes complete with an airframe parachute. Cirrus says the SRS will cost between $105,000 and $110,000 and deliveries will start in first half of 2009 from the company’s plant in Duluth, Minnesota.
© Cirrus Design
Cessna, meanwhile, says it is gearing up for first flight of its all-metal SkyCatcher LSA “in the next few months”. The 100hp Continental O-200-powered high-wing two-seater is expected to cruise at speeds up to 118kt. Cessna is offering the first 1,000 aircraft for $109,500, and says it will adjust the price for aircraft 1,001 and beyond.
The company plans to build three airframes – a prototype, first production and a test article – to meet the American Society for Testing and Materials standards for the aircraft, the certification rules for the light sport category. Production aircraft will be built in China by Shenyang Aircraft.
Cessna also announced three US service centres where China-built and -tested aircraft will be reassembled and delivered to customers: Eagle Aviation in South Carolina; Yingling Aviation in Kansas and Southwest Platinum Aviation in Nevada.
Source: FlightGlobal.com
