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Aviation History
1997
1997 - 0085.PDF
ION The Australian rules, developed earlier, are more restrictive than Europe's joint airworthi ness regulations for very-light aircraft 0AR/ VLA). Australia sets a maximum stall speed of 45kt (85km/h) in cruise configuration, but imposes a maximum take-off weight limit of 450kg, which may be increased to 480kg if the stall speed is lower than 40kt. Australian aircraft limited by that constraint, however, may (and do) operate there if certificated under the less restrictive JAR/VLA rules. Australia is also about to adopt the US Primary Category, which means that the European and US rules will eventually replace the Australian standard. Eraser Anning, who markets the Queens land-built Skyfox series, is now convinced diat some industry participants are overlooking sig nificant future opportunities for die manufac ture of commercial-use aircraft: "ICAO [the International Civil Aviation Organisation] did a survey six years ago, and identified diat an extra 33,000 two-seat training aircraft were needed worldwide at that time. So far, nobody has even scratched the surface," he asserts. Anning says diat one reason is diat first-time manufacturers seriously underestimate the task of demonstrating compliance, even widi new standards representing a notably easier certifi cation path than does US Part 2 3 certifications. That seems to be borne out by the small number of aircraft certificated by Australian, European and US audiorities; and by die number of stalled applications. To date, Australia's CASA has certificated only the Skyfox and Jabiru ST under its own rules, and the Eagle XT-S under JAR/VLA. JAA official Alain Leroy says that the Skyfox CA-2 5, earlier certificated under the Australian rule, was the first type to gain JAR/VLA certifi cation — which has thus far also been extended to Diamond Aircraft's Katana, the Italian Sky Arrow, and the Australian-designed Eagle XT-S, now being built by Malaysian interests. PRIMARY CATEGORY The FAAls Primary Category is far more accom modating, providing for up to four seats and offering ample scope to certificate variants of prominent homebuilt types such as die Lancair. Rules covering Primary Category aircraft, which have been in effect in die USA since 1992, define them as those "for personal and recre ational use, accommodating up to four, weigh ing up to 1,225kg maximum gross weight, powered by a naturally aspirated single engine, with an unpressurised cabin, and a maximum stall speed of 61kt. Primary aircraft can be used for flight training and for rental, but cannot carry passengers for hire." The improvement on die FAAs Normal Category Part 23 process is that applicants for Primary Category certification can customise die certification specifications to meet the intended use of die aircraft. "The objective was to provide die flying public widi access to aircraft at lower cost than has been die case in die past, with die same level of safety," says die FAA. "There is a growing interest in diis category among new- start companies, and diose in die FAA Small Aircraft Directorate in Kansas City who have been working in diis area sense diat diey will be seeing many more applications soon." The US-built Quicksilver GT500 was the first Primary Category aircraft to gain FAA cer tification in July 1994, in the "Sport Plane Class", weighing less dian 545 kg, and comply ing widi Transport Canada's TP10141E design standards. To date, no odier aircraft have been awarded Primary Category certification, al- diough die FAA has eight more current applica tions, for die Avtech Jabiru ST, Legato, Merlin TD912, Rans S-7C, Seabird Seeker SB7L- 360A, Seawind SW300, Sky Arrow 1200L, and Titan Tornado II. Of these, the Legato, Merlin, and Titan projects are "inactive at this time". The FAA has also certificated die Zenair CH2000, the Austrian-built DV 20 Katana and its Canadian-built counterpart Diamond DA 20-A1 to die JAR-VLA requirements. It is pro cessing applications for six others. The certification of aircraft such as die Eagle, Katana and Skyfox under more dian one stan dard signals their makers' recognition of signif icant commercial markets for dieir aircraft; and dieir determination to be among die first ar rivals in those markets. Diamond has built over 500 of its sports trainers in Austria and Canada, and has sold 480 in die USA, including 2 0 to one school. Production is now one aircraft per day. Having achieved JAR/VLA certification in Australia, the new Malaysian owners of die Eagle XT-S are gearing up for major produc tion at Langkawi, clearly widi die burgeoning Asian training market in dieir sights. Eagle has, however, not yet detailed its production plans. Skyfox, which plans initially to double its production rate to two a week, has sold several aircraft in Switzerland and die UK, and 12 in Thailand. Anningsays diat his firm's problem is its current low production capacity. "I'd like to go into Asia with an order book, but right now, we can't build enough for die Australian mar ket." Anning, however, resists die proposition of selling off manufacturing rights. "Some peo ple on our board think we should sell die tech nology and get some money in, but for die first time in the company's history, we're making a good profit. Why sell off our technology to get ourselves anodier competitor?" he asks. All manufacturers are conscious of die poten tial Asian VLA market for recreational and commercial pilot training, with instructor training also a looming priority; and die proba bility diat aircraft widi sufficiently low operat ing costs will offer new opportunities to meet that demand and expand local training in the region. Already Japanese students training for private licences in Australia are paying A$120 ($95)/h for dual instruction in a Cessna 150, compared with the A$550 they pay in Japan. A limiting factor for most manufacturers in the VLA category is the shortage of available Skyfox (top), Katana (middle) and Jabiru (below).- established in the commercial-training market certifiable engines and propellers. Aldiough JAR/VLA aircraft must be fitted with a JAR2 2H certificated engine and a JAR22J certificated propeller, few manufacturers have taken the trouble to pursue certification, perceiving die market as negligible compared with that for engines in non-certificated light sports aircraft. Bombardier Rotax dierefore now com mands an estimated 95% of the market widi its 60kW (80hp) 912 engine. Jabiru, which was forced to design and build its own engine when . KFM, its Italian supplier, ceased production, has now developed an improved 60kW model for which certification is all but complete. The company has already sold 120 uncertificated engines internationally, including several to Italy, and is clearly emerging as a meaningful competitor to Rotax, selling at a ready-to-install US price of $8,950, compared with Rotax's $11,000 for an equivalent installation. Jabiru's extensive use of automotive engine compon ents, which allows die company to offer a guar anteed engine-overhaul price of $2,500, will ensure it a place in a growing market where diere is mounting pressure to hold down prices. For die same reasons, die aircraft most likely to attract the flying training industry are the lower-priced types now becoming available in the VLA and Primary categories. • FLIGHT INTERNATIONAL 8 - 14 January 1997 31
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