With a fundamental review of the FAA’s Part 23 aircraft-certification regulations in the works, Flight Design’s management team said on Tuesday they will extend the development timeline of their C4 four-place certified aircraft to take advantage of the expected changes. Flight Design’s revised schedule expects first flight of the proof-of-concept airplane about a year from now, with certification from the FAA and EASA to follow about a year to 18 months later. Top managers from Flight Design are serving on the FAA rulemaking committees that are rewriting the regulations, and the company said the revised Part 23 is expected to double the level of safety while cutting certification costs in half. The company plans to sell the C4 for $250,000, and has deposits for about 80 of the airplanes.
If the Part 23 review process should stretch on too long, the company also is considering certification under Primary Category. That would bar the aircraft from some commercial operations, such as charter, though flight training is permitted. Flight Design spokesman John Gilmore told AVweb on Monday the company also announced this week a new limited edition version of its CTLSi light sport airplane with a package of options that have proven popular with customers. “We think it’s going to be a good seller, it’s a value package,” Gilmore said. The special edition sells for $163,700, a savings of about $6,000 compared to choosing the options individually. The CTLSi features the Rotax 912iS fuel-injected engine, a Dynon Skyview glass panel, leather seats, and more.
To see an AVweb video about the C4, from EAA AirVenture in 2011, click here.
