Swoopy Nexaer LS1 Takes to the Air

bydanjohnson

Saturday, October 28, 2006 at 03:04 PM ET

Verified

Key Takeaways:

Nexaer successfully completed the first flight of its new LS1 Light Sport Aircraft (LSA) on October 16th, designed specifically for Sport Pilot.
The LS1 boasts the widest cabin among LSAs at 54 inches, along with generous 21-inch wide seats, and a "no-flap design" to reduce pilot workload.
With a gross weight of 1,320 lbs and 27 gallons of fuel, it offers multiple engine choices including Jabiru, Rotax 912, Continental O-200, and Lycoming O-235.
Nexaer plans to showcase the new LS1 at the AOPA Expo in Palm Springs from November 9-11.

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The LS1 is, as its name implies, the first offering from Nexaer. Besides its sweeping fuselage, the LS1 boasts the widest cabin among LSA. The 54-inch-wide cockpit is nearly a foot broader than a Cessna 172. Email Nexaer.

On October 16th, Nexaer took a first flight in their new LS1, an LSA designed precisely for Sport Pilot. Lifting off at Meadow Lake Airport in Peyton, Colorado, test pilot Bill VonDane followed a conservative test plan of crow hopping just a few feet above the runway, setting back down on the far end. Nexaer boss Paul Klahn plans to show the new model in the LSA area of AOPA Expo in Palm Springs Nov. 9-11. *** LS1 grosses at 1,320 lbs., has a 750-lb. empty weight (depending on options), 27 gallons of fuel, and each seat is a generous 21 inches wide. Nexaer says engine choices include two Jabiru models, Rotax 912, Continental O-200, or Lycoming O-235 (though the latter may cut useful load). LS1 is described as a “no-flap design for…reduced pilot workload.” Dual full controls are available, but standard left-seat-only controls produce an interior more closely resembling an automobile.