Newly reorganized Lancair International is planning to fly the first version of its MAKO high-performance kitplane to AirVenture this year and a news release from the company says the first article is coming together well. The company released a photo of the fuselage of the aircraft in its paint booth at the new headquarters in Uvalde, Texas, over the weekend and if it looks remarkably like a Cirrus SR22 or the Cessna TTX, that’s because Lancair has been hyping the new kit as direct competition to those airplanes. But there’s one thing the Mako won’t share with the go-fast factory models and that’s the nearly $1 million price tag.
“We expect the performance of the MAKO to exceed either Cirrus or Cessna TTX at a fraction of the cost,”” said CEO Mark Huffstutler. And since it’s a kit, there’s a lot more flexibility in the final product, especially engine choices. “A variety of engine options will be available, ranging from the standard 210-HP Continental IO-360 to a 350-HP turbocharged Lycoming TIO-580,” the news release said. “Typical non-turbo cruise speeds will be in the 215 knot range, with the turbocharged models exceeding 250 knots.” Full production is expected early in 2018.
