LSA

Zhejiang Geely Holding Group, a Chinese conglomerate that owns the Volvo and Lotus automobile brands, has agreed to buy the Terrafugia flying-car company, according to a report in the South China Morning Post. The XConomy Boston website also reported on the sale, saying they have “independently been tracking rumors about the acquisition.” Terrafugia CEO Carl […]

The NTSB issued its preliminary report this week on the fatal crash of an Icon A5 on May 8 in California. A witness, who was aboard a boat on Lake Berryessa, told investigators he saw the A5 flying over the lake about 30 to 50 feet above the water, at what seemed to be a […]

The ICON A5 that crashed on Monday morning, killing two company employees, including the highly respected aerodynamics engineer and test pilot Jon Karkow, was seen maneuvering low-level at cruising speeds seconds before the accident. Peter Knudson, public affairs officer with the NTSB, told AVweb that a witness saw the aircraft flying 30-50 feet above the […]

An Icon A5 amphibious light sport aircraft crashed about 9:20 a.m. on Monday along the shore of Lake Berryessa in Napa County, California, and two Icon employees were killed — Jon Karkow, 55, the pilot in command of the aircraft, and Cagri Sever, 41, who was a passenger. It’s the first fatal crash for the […]

Flight Design has been the leader in sales of light sport aircraft since the category launched in 2004, but data recently compiled for sales through 2016 shows that CubCrafters has taken over the lead spot, with a total of 382 aircraft delivered, compared to Flight Design’s total of 378. Third place goes to the Cessna […]

In the last few editions of Wind Tunnel, we looked at how changes to the surface of an airplane’s skin can affect the aerodynamic performance of the airplane. We have seen that judicious use of tape to seal and smooth the skin can significantly reduce drag, and that ice, even in relatively small amounts, can […]

Stemme AG, best known for its high-end motor gliders, the S10 and S12, has announced its merger with Remos AG, the German maker of the GX light sport aircraft. Remos has been making structural components for the Stemme motor gliders since 2014. Existing product will continue to be marketed under the current brand names, but […]

E-volo is debuting its new electric-powered VTOL, the Volocopter 2X, at Aero, in Friedrichshafen, Germany, this week. The new version of the company’s two-seat multicopter represents the “evolution of the VC200 prototype towards everyday use,” the company said. The 2X has been developed for approval as an ultralight aircraft and is expected to be certified […]

If drones can do pipeline patrol and survey work, why can’t a light sport aircraft do the same? That’s the question the Light Aircraft Manufacturers Association is asking the FAA to consider and the answer may eventually result in an approval for just such work. “We’ve adopted the term aerial work, which is a European […]

An Icon A5 light sport aircraft partially sank into the ocean off Biscayne National Park in Miami on Saturday afternoon after a landing mishap, according to the Flight Safety Foundation’s Aviation Safety Network. Both the pilot and passenger escaped unhurt and did not require medical attention, fire officials told the local ABC-10 News. The aircraft […]