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Decrease the pitch and yaw changes felt due to short coupling. Move the rudder trim further forward; it is hard to reach. The CTLS light sport aircraft features a comfortable cabin, moulded foam seats and two large baggage compartments. An interesting feature of the CTline of airplanes is that the aileronsprogressively droop when the flapsare lowered. While this setup typicallyresults in some loss of roll authority, Inoticed only a slight decrease in roll asthe flaps were lowered from 30 degreesto 35 degrees. Landings are a snap,with plenty of fl are authority at all flapsettings.
Flight Design: no new aircraft because of Ukraine war : - FLYER magazine
Flight Design: no new aircraft because of Ukraine war :.
Posted: Thu, 28 Apr 2022 07:00:00 GMT [source]
CTLS Light Sport Aircraft
Butremember, fully equipped includeselectronic flight and engine displays,a full GPS-based avionics deck, andan autopilot, plus other goodies. Soften up the landing gear just a bit, with less spring steel like recoil. It would be nice to be able to throw stuff over your shoulder.
ADVANCED AERODYNAMICS
The aircraft has a length of 6.6m, a height of 2.34m and a wingspan of 8.59m. Its empty weight when equipped with a rescue system is 326kg. The maximum take-off weight of the aircraft is 600kg, while its fuel storage capacity is 130l. It’s nice to have a wish list, butdoes anyone ever listen? Fortunately,Flight Design GmbH listened to itscustomers and suggestions fromthe Flight Design USA distributionnetwork. Three weeks following theCTSW evaluation, I ventured outagain to visit the Toms at AirtimeAviation.
Aircraft Summary
The CTLS was immediatelyrecognizable upon entering theirhangar, even though it had lost the eggwith tail feathers look. The fuselage hasbeen stretched by 14 inches aft of thewing, and the change in appearanceis remarkable. New windows aft ofthe doors give the cabin area a moreproportioned look. Overall, the CTLShas a more refined appearance ofbalance, something that is difficult toappreciate in photos. Under the leadership of PresidentMatthias Betsch, Flight DesignGmbH has created a numberof advanced composite designs, withthe CT series coming onto the sceneas a European advanced ultralight in1997. Flight Design GmbH exports CTaircraft to the United States throughFlight Design USA.
Our taxiway angled onto themain taxiway, and the ability to clearthe area by looking over my shoulderthrough the new side window wasimmediately evident. Improved flighthandling showed up as soon as theCTLS was rotated for takeoff. TheCTLS literally jumps off the groundwhen using the normal 15-degreetakeoff flap setting. The lack of pitchfeel springs gives a feeling of moreprecise rotation control, and theenhanced pitch stability typical of alonger fuselage is evident. Minimalpitch trim adjustments are needed tomaintain the correct climb attitude.The need to use rudder trim isvirtually gone. Theoverall feel is of a more solid platformthat stays where you put it.
The CTLS light sport aircraft features advanced avionic suite, including Garmin G3X or Dynon SkyView HDX systems with bright high-definition touch screens and synthetic vision. The flight and engine instrumentdisplays are identical to those installedin the CTSW, as are the throttle andbrakes. The manual rudder trim hasbeen moved forward and is mucheasier to access. Switchology andavionics are identical to the CTSW,but the maximum flap travel hasbeen reduced from 40 degrees to 35degrees.
Sustainable aviation fuel (SAF): the future fuel of aircraft?
Even high approaches,slipped to a landing with 35 degreesof flaps, were successfully pulled offby me, having less than 30 minutes’total time in type. As a comparative reportemphasizing the CTLS, details of theCTSW flight will be limited. Sufficeit to say, the CTSW was impressive.Without a doubt, this little planelived up to its performance claims.The direct nose-wheel steeringwas responsive and linear in itsmovement. The hand brake is rightnext to the throttle and was easy touse. Basic flight maneuvers disclosedno unusual handling characteristics(except for pitch and roll spring loads that could be felt in the stick), andstalls were benign, with excellentaerodynamic warning.
We could pile my 6-foot,1-inch, 180-pound bulk in with TomJr.’s 6-foot, 4-inch 240-pound frameand still carry about 29 gallons ofauto fuel in the 34 gallon wingtanks. With the Rotax 912S as ourpowerplant, that would give us aconservative five hours of flyingtime. Not bad for a little airplane.By the way, we were not trying toimitate those little bitty smelly fishin a can. Our shoulders did not rub,and my seat was not in the full aftposition.
Western Museum of Flight
The aircraft can be powered by two different model engines, including Rotax 912ULS with twin carburettors or Rotax 912iS with electric fuel injection. The maximum power output of each model is 100hp, while the time between overhauls (TBO) is 2,000 hours. I hadflown a CT2K several years ago andnoted that the CTSW had matured,with superior avionics and a moresophisticated interior. A look atthe weight and balance documentsfor this particularly well-equippedCTSW disclosed a useful load of 590pounds.
The Composite Technology Light Sport (CTLS) is a light sport aircraft designed and developed by Flight Design, a light aircraft manufacturer based in Germany. While most of my wish list wasdealt with decisively by Flight Design,it turns out that is only a smallsampling of many refinements. Fully equipped, the CTLS costsabout $6,000 more than a similarlyequipped CTSW. That adds up toabout $134,000 for the CTLS versusabout $128,000 for the CTSW.
The cabin width of the aircraft is 1.24m, while a convenient jacket shelf ensures in-flight access. The aircraft has two cabin windows at the aft, giving an open feel and improved rearward visibility to the passengers. Roll feel springs are still evident,which, in my opinion, result in a rollfeel that is not in balance with pitchand yaw. A complete stall series at all flap settings disclosed no surprises.The same was true for a series oftouch-and-goes. Again, the moresophisticated pitch feel of the CTLSmakes it easy to set up for a stabilizedapproach.
The maximum horizontal speed of the aircraft is 240km/h, while the maximum airspeed is 300km/h. In June 2020, the first CTLS PtF (permit-to-fly) aeroplane was updated into an EASA Restricted Type Certificate aeroplane by the German aviation authority (LBA). The aircraft also received an updated certificate of airworthiness for the first CTLS PTF upgrade to R-TC in Spain from the Spanish Aviation Safety Agency in the same month of 2020.
According to the folks at FlightDesign GmbH and Flight DesignUSA, the unequivocal answer is yes.The CTLS is a true second-generationairplane that has been specificallyAmericanized. Looking rearward out of the newside windows, I could see the runwayprior to turning base leg. Thearea behind theseats that was aflat bulkhead isnow significantlyenlarged and incorporates a handyhat rack shelf. You can now see thehorizontal stabilizer through the newside windows. And, yep, new seatswith adjustable lumbar support arequite comfy. The Flight Design team feels the CTLS looks less egg-like than the CTSW.The addition of a window in the aft fuselage greatly increased visibility.
Tom Peghiny,president of Flight Design USA, is afamiliar name as an originator of theFlightstar line of ultralights. Tom wasthe original chairman of the ASTMAirplane Committee that developedthe ASTM Consensus Standards nowin use. He was certainly one of the“go to” guys as the SLSA movementkicked off. Flight Design worked with a German automotive design firm toenhance the interior of the aircraft, especially to improve the designof the seats.
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