Explore Plane & Pilot Magazine’s Aircraft section for trusted reviews, detailed pilot reports, and expert comparisons. From legendary trainers to cutting-edge designs, we help pilots evaluate performance, specs, and ownership experiences to make confident decisions in the air and on the ground.
SportairUSA, run by proprietor Bill Canino, has long been an innovator in the LSA business. His company doesn’t build Light-Sport airplanes but Bill has triggered several interesting add-ons: he was one of the first (along with Flight Design USA) to install parachutes on all StingSports; he developed the GreenLine engine monitor system, he offered the […]
The Diamond Twin Star now has its own Austro AE300 turbo diesel engines
Bringing the fun back to flying with our picks for exciting light-sport aircraft
Source: Diamond Aircraft 2010 DIAMOND TWIN STAR DA42-NG Engine make/model: Austro AE-300 turbo diesel Horsepower 168 (2) TBO (hrs.): 1000 Propeller type: CS, full feathering Fuel type: Jet A Landing Gear: Tri./Retr. Max takeoff weight (lbs.): 4189 Empty weight, std. (lbs.): 3119 Useful load, std. (lbs.): 1070 Usable fuel, std. (gal./lbs.): 76/516 Payload, full std. […]
Metal/composite construction, gorgeous lines, top-o’-the-line luxury’splendid!
TECNAM P2008 Base Price: $155,000 Engine make/model: Rotax 912 ULS2 Horsepower 100 Max takeoff weight (lbs.): 1320 Empty weight, std. (lbs.): 780 Useful load, std. (lbs.): 540 Wing tank capacity (gals.): 29 Wingspan: 28.9 ft. Wing area (sq. ft.): 130 Cabin width (in.): 46.8 G-load factor, ultimate: +6/-3 PERFORMANCE Max cruise speed (kts.): 120 Vs […]
Whoopsie. In my last post on the Phoenix motorglider, I had some incorrect info that Jim Lee set me right on, so here’s the skinny. *** Urban Air USA, which Jim represented and which imported and marketed the Lambada motorglider is being purchased, he said, “with plans to return the Samba XXL (composite low wing […]
Recently, I blogged about a Tennessee town that welcomed Skykits from Canada, providing a brand-new facility for them to use. A town in Florida also saw the potential of a light aircraft manufacturer and had a new building with lake access available. *** Arguably the most successful light aircraft seaplane producer is Progressive Aerodyne and […]
One of the oft-repeated questions about this new thing called Light-Sport Aircraft is: “When will the shakeout occur? When will some of these 75 companies [who certified a SLSA] disappear… and which ones will fail?” *** First, my ability to see the future is no better than anyone else. We’ve lost a few suppliers (Taylorcraft, […]
Get the latest Plane & Pilot Magazine stories delivered directly to your inbox
SUBSCRIBE
