A production-conforming prototype of the Lisa Akoya will enter production next year with a redesigned landing gear, the France-based manufacturer says.
The two-seat amphibian will retain its classic taildragger configuration, with a small tail-wheel behind the main landing gear under the cockpit.
But the original landing gear system proved “tricky” to manoeuvre on runways, so will be improved with increased damping.
The landing gear tweak is among the last design changes as Lisa prepares for a year-long certification campaign. The company’s goal had been to obtain a special-light sport aircraft certificate in the USA for the Akoya in 2016, followed by a CS-LSA certification in Europe. But the schedule has slipped slightly, into early 2017 for the US certificate, and still later for the European approval.
The company launched the programme with a proof of concept aircraft in 2007, and an early production prototype started flying four years later. That model included several changes, including one intended to offset a sharp pitching moment when the single-engined aircraft accelerated in water.
Lisa’s engineers added a control surface to the horizontal stabiliser, which functions like a trim tab to automatically offset the pitching moment as thrust is increased.
The aircraft still has about 100 reservations and commitments for orders, the company says, with most of the demand coming from the USA and Europe.
Source: FlightGlobal.com
