Lisa Airplanes has flown the second and final Akoya prototype and says it is aiming for US certification and service entry of the two-seat amphibian in 2018.
The light sport aircraft made its debut sortie in June and has so far accumulated 10h of flight testing at Lisa’s Chambéry Savoie Mont Blanc airport headquarters in southeast France and at the nearby Lac du Bourget.
The latest Akoya features a new, retractable landing gear, fitted with electronically adjustable skis and wheels, enabling the Akoya to operate from land and snow. The aircraft’s “seafoils” – patented technology developed by Lisa and based on hydrofoils used in racing boats – enable the Akoya to take off and land on water, the company says.
Lisa Airplanes
The upgrade is among the last design changes to the two-seat, Rotax 912 ULS-powered type, which was launched in 2007 with a proof-of-concept aircraft. An initial prototype made its debut sortie in 2011 and had flown more than 100h before the global financial crisis pushed Lisa into receivership the following year.
The firm was rescued in 2013 by a Chinese investor who continues to fund the programme.
Lisa Airplanes
The $560,000 Akoya is targeted at owner-flyers looking for what Lisa describes as “the ultimate in personal transport”.
The aircraft features an emergency parachute and foldable wings that enable it to be easily stored and transported. It has a maximum speed of 135kt (250km/h), a range of 1,080nm (2,000km) and consumes 5.6 litres (1.5USgal) of fuel per 100km (54nm), which Lisa describes as “unprecedented for a seaplane”.
Source: Flight International
