Plane & Pilot 2017 Buyer’s Guide: Light Sport Aircraft

From amphibians to trainers, there's an LSA for everyone.

Gemini Sparkle

Key Takeaways:

  • The Light Sport Aircraft (LSA) category has significantly diversified since its debut, offering a wide array of models from high-performance backcountry planes and amphibious aircraft to efficient touring and utility designs, thanks to eased certification standards.
  • These LSA models frequently maximize performance within regulatory limits (e.g., 120 knots top speed, low stall speeds) and often integrate modern features like glass cockpits, advanced engines, and optional ballistic parachutes, catering to diverse pilot preferences and flying styles.
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Sport Cruiser
Sport Cruiser

Sport Cruiser

One of the most popular LSAs is the Sport Cruiser, manufactured in the Czech Republic and distributed by U.S. Sport Aircraft in the U.S. The Sport Cruiser (look for a full pilot report soon) is a two-place, all-metal, side-by-side low-winger with a huge glass canopy. It’s a blending of conventional materials with modern design to come up with a rugged and great-looking little plane. It’s optimized to be a cruiser, with good forward speed (120 knots, the maximum allowed under LSA), a stall speed of just 31 knots (thanks to the slotted flaps), and a range in excess of 500 nm and with a fuel flow of less than 5 gph. There are even a couple of hidden small luggage bays in the wings. The Sport Cruiser SVT comes with leather upholstery, flat-panel avionics and a BRS whole airplane recovery parachute system, so even though it’s an LSA, it’s still a serious traveling machine.

Niche: Low-wing sport

Base Price: $160,000

Competitors: Tecnam Sierra, Bristell NG 5 LSA

Sport Cruiser Specifications

Learn more at Czech Sport Aircraft.

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