While there is burgeoning interest in the Light Sport Aircraft market, a lot of the most popular designs are from Europe. There are quirks and design variations in the aircraft that are different from what most U.S. pilots are used to and probably the most common complaint is about brakes. Many of the imports have hand brakes and some don’t have differential braking. At least one German manufacturer has altered its brake design to suit American tastes and the Breezer II comes with toe brakes. Breezer Aircraft also announced some other changes to make the aircraft more attractive in the U.S. market at AOPA Expo in Hartford.
The European models are built to European standards, which allow about 100 lbs. less in gross weight. Breezer is making the 100 hp. Rotax 512 ULS engine standard to give the aircraft the 1320 lb. maximum gross weight allowed under U.S. LSA rules. The increase translates to a useful load of 665 lbs and makes way for a bigger baggage load. With 17 gallons of fuel on board, the aircraft has a range of 469 miles.
