Post an AdLSA seaplane invasion…Can it happen?Dan Johnson | Splog | November 18, 2012What’s going on out in the marketplace? More than any time since the launch of Light-Sport Aircraft in 2004, I have not observed such a frenzy of activity for a particular niche, this time for LSA seaplanes. Next season, in 2013, we could see no less than nine entries — three brand new — and that count does not include any LSA equipped with floats, possibly adding several more. Yet some major potholes appear in the runway…or perhaps that should be waves sloshing over the bow.

Freedom S100

One entry is a return of a LSA seaplane previously seen in the USA as the Freedom S100 (SLSA List #44) yet can it reenter the market without a full FAA audit?A new agency directive with the catchy name 8130.2G CHG 1 may require a FAA visit to Spain but who knows when that might occur, given the likelihood of an FAA budget cut through the political process known as sequestration, part of the so-called “fiscal cliff” the mainstream media drones on about endlessly. The order issued by FAA on July 2 stops the issuance of an airworthiness certificate for any new model or a first model from a new company until FAA approves it. Since a visit to an overseas factory also requires negotiation between FAA and the visited country’s national aero authorities, months of delay could result.There is some good news about this…Not in all cases will a full audit be required. When Washington, DC headquarters’ Certification Branch evaluates a change to an aircraft, they can elect not to conduct a full top-to-bottom audit visit, instead sending an FAA employee, an Air Safety Investigator from a regional office, for a somewhat less intensive review. This equates to less delay and less time involved to verify the change. A judgment of “new model” will still require the more thorough review.FAA officials also confirmed, again, that the intention remains to encourage the industry to provide compliance oversight under details to be confirmed. As with all things in the LSA world, exact plans continue to be developed as the industry and its products evolve.Finally, the major FAA order announced at Oshkosh is still coming, though it has been delayed from its predicted September release date. That order is not the same as the 8130.2G CHG 1 order referenced above. Confused? Don’t feel bad. We are all still learning exactly how this LSA

phenomenon will work, but I am encouraged that FAA does not want to prevent new development nor prevent LSA businesses from operating. That’s a mighty healthy statement to make.Which leads up to the bevy of new LSA seaplanes that are being prepared, a fact that further amazes me given the uncertain economic environment. Let’s take a quick race through the nine possible LSA seaplanes.

SeaMax

First are two models that have already achieved SLSA status: The Airmax

Mermaid

SeaMax and the all-metal Mermaid, formerly by Czech Aircraft Works. The latter has been reborn into a new entity that could soon arrive on the scene, pending the possible audit. Company officials are ASTM-savvy, have been through an earlier audit, and may be ready… if they can get a visit anytime soon.Meanwhile the SeaMax, a fine and modern composite machine with strong performance, may be the only one fully ready now, presuming they make no major changes that FAA would consider a new model. If they do make major changes, all bets are off as Golden Flyer is based in Brazil and we’re back to the FAA visit delay problem.Next is the all-American SeaRey. This popular kit with some 600 sold and 500+ flying just recently passed its audit and has been approved for production.

The LSA seaplane market sometimes appears to be dominated by Icon Aircraft and its extravagantly-marketed A5 amphibian. Based on reported

orders of more than 700 units (a figure only exceeded by Cessna’s onetime 1,000 Skycatcher orders), perhaps that assessment is correct. However, the numerical fact of Icon’s success is generating action in several other projects. In a recent announcement Icon said first deliveries could occur in 2013.I’ve written about a Finland-based seaplane called the Atol with many years of history. They might be prepared to face an FAA audit team, but we return again to a potentially long delay before FAA can visit the Scandanavian country. The mostly-wood seaplane has achieved some European certifications and that will help but not fully

suffice.So that’s six “existing” LSA seaplanes — SeaMax, Mermaid, SeaRey, Freedom, A5, and Atol. Then we come to three brand-new projects, which I’ve promised not to identify (yet). All would seem to be well down the FAA inspection waiting list offset by two important factors. First, all three are being hatched by knowledgeable folks who are highly conversant with ASTM standards and each may feel prepared to successfully complete an audit.Secondly — and perhaps even more importantly, given the FAA visit conundrum — all three are U.S.-based operations. At least one is getting major components from outside the USA but if production is properly done in America, such foreign sourcing poses no problem and because all three are U.S.-based, they could see an FAA visit in a “reasonable” time (whatever that may mean given the budget sequestration cited above).

Icon A5

By any measure, the bringing to market of nine LSA seaplanes appears to have obstacles. Yet such challenges are precisely what inspire many entrepreneurs. Added to floatplanes like the Flight Design CTLS Floatplane or the Tecnam Eaglet on floats and several seaplane weight shift LSA plus factoring the entry of major manufacturer Wipline Floats, along with other established float makers like Zenair and new re-entry, Lotus, one thing seems certain in our uncertain world: LSA enthusiasts should have no lack of water-borne airplanes…assuming the FAA doesn’t overwhelm them with a tidal wave of paperwork or beach them with months-long audit delays.

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TUESDAY , OCT 2 2012

Way Ready For Prime Time

Amphibian dreams vs. reality: here’s a classy amphib in full production

Text And Photos By James Lawrence

Nature abhors a vacuum. Three years ago, Plane & Pilot publisher Mike McMann saw the SeaMax at the

Sebring air show and said, "That's beautiful, let's do a story on it."

I contacted the SeaMax dealer, arranged a demo, jumped aboard, saw how beautifully it handled like a

speedboat on water, how nimbly it leaped into the air from land and water, and how easy it was to land. I

took tons of photos of it beached on a little island on a Florida lake and thought to myself as I often do,

"Man, wouldn't I love to own one of these!"

There were just two problems. The local dealer/owner wouldn't let me touch the controls. I don't mean for

stalls, high-bank turns and such. I mean I wasn't allowed to even touch...the...controls! Undaunted, I

arranged to fly with the SeaMax U.S. importer. Or rather, attempted to. Never got a reply. In time, I

accepted the truth: SeaMax didn't have a viable U.S. presence.

Two years later at Sebring 2012, I was approached by Richard Rofé, a thoroughly likable, high-energy,

successful entrepreneur. He had just bought the U.S. distributor rights to the SeaMax from the Brazilian

company Golden Flyer. The company has manufactured the sleek, lovely amphib for the last 10 years. In

fact, it's the most successful S-LSA amphib by far, with 129 units delivered to 22 countries.

"I Bought The Company!"Rofé reminded me of the guy in those Remington TV commercials many years back who would grin as he

said, "I liked the razor so much, I bought the company!" But Rofe's ultimate journey to becoming the sole

U.S. importer (ditto for Canada, Mexico and China) was hardly a direct path.

A few years back, he had looked into the much-ballyhooed, gorgeous Icon A5 amphib, first announced in

2005. He nearly bought one, but changed his mind when he realized it would be years more to get one in

his hands. Next, he built a SeaRey amphib kit under Experimental Aircraft Category rules, but had

numerous problems, including a very scary in-flight electrical fire. Finally, last year, he looked into the

SeaMax. He even encountered the same problem I had: The original U.S. dealers wouldn't let him fly the

airplane. He bought the airplane...they still wouldn't let him fly it. And eight months later, the airplane had

yet to be delivered to him.

Now one thing you never want to do to a super-enthusiastic go-getter like Richard Rofé is wave a candy

bar in his face...then make him wait indefinitely for it. Frustrated, and more determined than ever to have a

SeaMax, he flew to Brazil, huddled with the Golden Flyer owners including designer Miguel Rosario, and

returned stateside with the distributorship in his pocket. Problem solved.

"And I love it," he crowed during our long, enjoyable flight over Long Island recently...and yes, he let me

have the controls. "I have a couple already here. I'm in the process of introducing them to the market

professionally, the way they should have been years ago. As a businessman, I couldn't sit idly by while

others hyper-marketed products that no one could actually get." Consider that market vacuum filled

Rofé has flown his SeaMax from his bay- side dock in Great Neck, N.Y., all over the Northeast, down to

Florida and to Oshkosh. "I love the way it handles; the plane goes anywhere."

But before he deemed it ready for prime time in the U.S., he worked with designer Rosario to create the M-

22 model (which won best S-LSA at Sebring this year). Upgrades include a longer 33' 6" wingspan with

new winglets. The current metal, fabric-covered wing design will be all-composite in the near future.

Other changes included stabilizer fins on the outboard horizontal stab for yaw damping; comfortable,

adjustable Recaro seats; leather interior including panel and dash cover; a parking brake; tie-down rings; a

mooring ball ring in the nose; and nonskid tape for the toe brakes and rudder pedals.

Rofé also convinced the warm-climate-seduced Brazilian designer to install cabin heat for year-round

flying, canopy defrosting and other traits essential to cold-climate owners. The system, which taps heat

from the Rotax engine coolant, only adds three pounds. Other options:

• all-glass panel (Dynon SkyView and Garmin 696 GPS)

• micro video system with both a tail-mounted camera for viewing the engine in flight and an infrared unit

for the bilge

• folding wings

• ballistic airframe parachute

• tinted canopy

The Go-Anywhere BirdThe fabulous utility of amphibs was brought back to me during our demo flight over Long Island. As we

winged east over the Hamptons, playground of the über-rich, he waxes happily over how cool it is to walk

down from his house, climb aboard and launch right from his own dock. The SeaMax operates from land,

sea, grass and snow. It's a real hoot to drive around like a speedboat on the water, too, and gets airborne

in short order.

Handling in the air is light and easy. It's a rudder ship for sure: You want to put in some foot entering a turn,

but the big, aesthetically beautiful rudder is highly effective. Blocking the pedals with light pressure in the

bumps helps minimize yaw.

Rofé likes the center stick because he can put his iPad (or lunch) on his lap during long flights. I flew from

the right seat and found roll pressures, even left-handed, to be light and response quick. Throttle lever on

each side panel is nice, too, like a Piper Cub. The pitch response balances nicely with roll forces. The

electric pitch-trim button mounts on the stick, and it's well damped, not super touchy like you find on some

LSA.

SeaMax is an easy bird to fly. We didn't do stalls—it was a very hot day, and Rofé was cautious about

overheating his baby's engine. He swears it's as docile a beast as most LSA and describes its stall as a

nose-high float that recovers as soon as you ease stick forward.

The rudder takes a little bit of flying to get right: There's noticeable adverse yaw with that big wing out

there. That trait isn't nearly as pronounced as the Allegro LSA, though, and easily managed with the proper

light push on the pedals.

On the water, the high-aspect-ratio rudder moves that pretty tail around smartly. I remember having a ball

as the Florida owner carved one sharp turn after another on a crocodile-infested Florida lake. Amphibs are

really a hoot. And SeaMax's rigid Kevlar/composite hull handles the wavelets like a big, strong Four Winns

runabout. I know: I've got one."

On the ground, it has the shortest turning radius of any LSA I've flown. The canopy pops all the way up on

two, not one, hydraulic pistons, so air circulates freely even on hot days. It was near 100 the day we flew,

yet a nice breeze kept us from frying in the cockpit during engine runup. Good ventilation and side vents

on the canopy really help in the air, too.

A plug for the pusher configuration: The Rotax 912, mounted on a pylon behind you, means no prop blast,

sand and grit flying around at you on the ground and enhanced visibility in the air.

More on the viz: You sit just slightly aft of the leading edge. The lowish panel and short nose deliver a

forward view that's wonderful. Although the cabin is comfortably wide at nearly 47 inches, there's great

downward visibility. Lean forward just an inch or two, and you're looking back at the leading edge. There's

sufficient headroom for someone 6' 3"...a bit more if they recline, which the seats enable.

A little eyebrow window behind your shoulder brings good viewing to the rear and down, handy for

checking gear up or down for water or turf landings. Mirrors on the wingtip sponsons help you verify that

the three green lights on the panel are telling the truth about the nosewheel and mains.

There's tons more virtues to extol about the SeaMax. "Handsome is as handsome does," in this case,

means the amphib is as sweet in the air, on land and water (and presumably snow, too—you can fit it with

skis) as it looks like it would be.

Dreamed of owning an amphib S-LSA? Don't want to wait for other models to become S-LSA certified?

Richard Rofé has one right now that's ready to go—he's delivering. And he'll even let you fly it on the

demo!

Duck Feet Vs. Flying BoatsPilots avidly defend the merits of the particular aircraft they fly. Some seaplane (floats-only) pilots, hoping

to graft the same land-anywhere chops to their birds as amphibians like the SeaMax come by naturally,

don't always realize at first they're also increasing risk.

Seaplane-seasoned pilots can and often do forget to retract wheels on water landings after converting to

wheeled floats. Wheels-down water landings aren't casual miscues: They often lead to fatalities because

such rigs frequently capsize immediately and passengers get trapped underwater. That nasty tendency

also drives insurance rates dramatically higher—you can even get coverage. Hulled amphibs like the

SeaMax have main wheels behind the CG, which makes them less likely to capsize.

Amphib floats can be more challenging to land and handle on the ground, too. And brakes fail more

frequently since they're immersed in water for long periods of time, which calls for increased maintenance

(lubrication of gear-well doors and brakes, etc.).

Crosswinds present problems, too. On water, pilots can almost always set down into the wind. On land,

amphib float planes give away some crosswind capability to land-only planes. Poorly executed crosswind

landings more readily cause gear-collapsing side loads, too.

Floats also reduce roll response, since all that mass acts like a pendulum. Likewise, the higher center of

gravity makes for more vulnerability to wind during ground handling.

Finally, many amphib float systems don't have shock absorption built in. Hard landings can send a strong

jolt through the airframe. Amphib wheels are usually smaller than those on landplanes, too, providing less

shock absorption even if just from the tires, along with more wear and tear on brakes.

Does that make amphibs like the SeaMax inherently safer? Boat-hulled planes have their own set of

challenges, such as more easily shipping water into the cockpit in rough seas and lower ground clearance

on land. The bottom line is, know the risks you're taking on before you succumb to "Gotta have it all!" fever,

whatever type of airplane you fly, because in aviation, there are always trade-offs.