Flight Design CT Series

On June 1, 2007, Indian Air Force pilots Rahul Monga and Anil Kumar set out to fly around the world in a single-engine airplane. But not just any airplane. This would be the first circumnavigation of the globe by a light sport aircraft (LSA)—the Flight Design CT. 

As reported in Plane & Pilot at the time, Kumar, who participated in most of the flight, flew commercially across the Atlantic to allow his partner enough fuel for the crossing. Thus, Monga completed the entire circumnavigation in 79 days, logging nearly 250 hours, and setting the record as the first LSA to do so. 

So where did this remarkable little airplane’s story begin? 

Vince Lombardi, the famed football coach of the Green Bay Packers, used to say that “luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity.” That certainly applies to one of the standard bearers of the LSA movement—the Flight Design CT series. 

This cute all-composite design, with its distinctive egg-shaped fuselage, raspy Rotax engine, and amazing fuel economy, range, and endurance, has always been a bright spot in the LSA industry. So, let’s take a few minutes and figure out how long it took for this overnight success to become a reality. 

Much of the excitement this year at EAA AirVenture surrounded the visit by Secretary of Transportation Sean Duff y and his announcement that the eagerly anticipated Modernization of Special Airworthiness Certification (MOSAIC) rule had become the law of the land. This announcement followed the original light sport aircraft final rule by nearly 21 years. 

The 2004 LSA rule opened the door to an entire class of 1,320 pound or less, two-seat aircraft that nearly anyone could own and fly with a driver’s license and sport pilot certificate. The explosion of new LSA designs which followed, while offering a lot of variety, did not expand the industry as many hoped. 

However, the United Kingdom and many European nations had long since acknowledged an ultralight/microlight (UL/ML) class of aircraft. The original Flight Design CT was designed to meet this specification in 1996, nearly a decade before the American LSA rule. 

The product of this 30-year-old design effort is a near perfect balance of comfort, speed, range, and safety. The Flight Design CT fuselage resembles a drop of water as it flows through the air, thin at the tail and suitably wide where the pilot and passenger reside, then narrowing again at the prop. 

Coupled with the CT’s smooth composite construction, this configuration allows both low aerodynamic form drag and one of the widest crew compartments in both the LSA- and Part 25-certified worlds. The wing, owing to Flight Design’s experience designing and building gliders, features a high aspect ratio and is constructed of carbon fiber and Kevlar. 

Ailerons and stabilator are actuated by control rods, connected to dual control sticks. Power is provided by carbureted 80 hp Rotax 912 UL and carbon-fiber propeller in earlier models, and the 100 hp Rotax 912 ULS in later higher end models. The fixed landing gear, covered by aerodynamic wheel fairings, is quite sturdy with wheels that would look right at home on a small wheelbarrow or farm trailer—light, functional, and strong. 

The CT series cruises at 112 knots, maxes out at 120, and stalls at 35. Range is over 1,000 miles with the economical Rotax burning less than 4 gph. 

So, the question needs to be asked: Would any pilot or passenger want to sit in this airplane for over five hours? 

Measured between the removable clam-shell doors, the cabin spans a hefty 49 inches wide, about the same as a Cherokee Six. With a ballistic recovery parachute (BRS) installed, there is a small baggage compartment suitable for an overnight or long weekend. The cabin comes equipped with large windows and an expansive windshield, good for watching the world go by at a couple miles a minute. 

One of the main selling points of the light sport and homebuilt aircraft market is the wide variety of modern avionics available. The stricter certification requirements for Part 25 aircraft seem to ensure that the LSA and homebuilt markets have the newest glass panels, autopilots, and other gadgets. 

All told, Flight Design, and its U.S. and international subsidiaries, have sold nearly 2,000 of the CT series and its many variants. However, it has not always been an easy path. 

Flight Design, headquartered in Germany, developed production facilities in the Ukraine and later in China. The Russian invasions of Ukrainian territory in 2014 and then again in 2022 posed a significant problem for the manufacturer. 

To Flight Design’s credit, its first priority was the safety of its 200-strong Ukrainian workforce. Soon, the company regained its footing and located a new production facility in the Czech Republic. 

Unfortunately, this move and break in production left Flight Design dealing with insolvency and restructuring. With a full order book, strong product line, and proven product, the company seems to have weathered the storm. It would not be the first GA manufacturer to deal with financial challenges. 

So, what is the future of this amazing little airplane line? 

Once again, Flight Design seems to have anticipated where the market is headed and designed the Flight Design F2 to meet the moment. Although an all-new design, the family gene pool is readily apparent in the newest model. 

Looking like a stretched CT, the F2 features a longer nose, tail, greater wingspan, and larger cabin that includes room for an eventual back seat. It’s just the right combination for the new world guided by MOSAIC. 

Once again, maybe luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity. 

So how does it fly? Well, just like my beloved Cessna Cardinal with its wide doors, entry and exit are easy. The visibility through the expansive plexiglass is amazing. 

The Dynon/Garmin instrument panels are simple and easy to operate. Numerous pilot reports speak of responsive controls, an initial climb rate of over 800 fpm, and responsive handling. 

With a comfortable cabin, modern avionics, great visibility, and an around- the-world flight in the record book, the Flight Design CT series might just qualify as an incredible plane.