Download the full issue of the Newsletter (12 pages): ZenairNews190.pdf (May - June 2012)

It is Time for a little…

The following is excerpted from Innovate Online, the online publication of the College of Engineering at Iowa State University (Ames,…

Roger and I were in Tulsa earlier this week to show our planes at EAA Chapter 10's monthly meeting.  We flew both the Zenith CH 650 and the STOL…

The May 2012 issue of Pilot magazine features the sleek Zenith CH…

Incredible as it may sound, that is the fact of today.

At the request of a teacher in a rural African community we were asked to extend our drop run to fly around a remote school so that the teachers could tell the girls 'that is a plane built by Ghanaian girls and flown by them' - and then to use that towards an 'anti-teen-pregnancy' talk.…

The show last month was a great success as we celebrated a new beginning for Zenair in Europe. On display was the first new and much-anticipated factory-assembled and Italian-built light-weight CH 650Ei (European ultralight category)!

Designer Chris Heintz was present as well as production personnel from ICP - and regional distributors from nine different European countries!…

Following is an update article on the work of Medicine on the Move with the Zenith STOL in western Africa.  We've been proud to support Jonathan Porter and his amazing team in Africa, and I hope some of you take an interest in this innovative organization that's "changing lives one flight at the time."

Their educational "…

Sou Lucas Denes, sou piloto na Amazonia, hoje morando em Santarém-Pa, tenho 27 anos e sou piloto missionario voluntario, mas trabalhando com muito amor. Essa aeronave é meu zenair CH-701 voando sobre o Rio amazonas em um dos voos de ajuda a pessoas pobres e carentes dessa região.

[My name is Lucas Denes, and I am a …

Bigger and Better Zenith STOL:

We've made the popular Zenith STOL CH 750 light sport utility kit aircraft even bigger and better!

The STOL CH 750 cabin, which by all measures is already very roomy for a light aircraft, has been increased in size by raising the cabin height…

Yesterday morning (Monday), Lon Boehme, his brother Val and his son Barry pulled in at the Zenair factory in Midland with their 12 ft. trailer in tow. They had just spent the weekend driving in from Alberta (34 hours!) for a promising week: a Wing-building program, a rudder workshop, and a trip home six days later with a partially assembled STOL CH 750 airframe kit in the back! Here is a short running summary of the experience...…

This is a continuation (See the previous post for Day Three)

Day #4: Picking up from the previous day’s work, Barry continued with the fuel tank installation. First he cut strips of cork and then he stuck them wherever needed all around the tank. The purpose of the cork is to secure the tank snugly in its place, ensuring it cannot come into contact…

Our heartfelt thanks go to Randy and Tim for kindly sending their 'left-over' cleco's, wiring, instruments, clamps, breakers and other goodies to us in Ghana.  Randy and Tim both built Zenith aircraft, and at the end had some parts that had some good deeds left in the packaging... They responded to the Medicine on the Move…

Even though the 2012 Sebring U.S. Sport Aviation Expo (January 19 -22, 2012) event ended over a week ago, I only just made it back home from the trip this past Friday (and I didn't spend the week on the beach).  Following is a brief summary of the trip as well as some commentary on the planes and cross-country flying:…

The following is an unusual post because I don't normally comment negatively about competitors.  Competition is good for any industry, forcing us to be innovative and efficient, and there is a place and market for many different airplane designs (and the companies that manufacture them): The current issue of Kitplanes magazine (December 2011) contains the annual Buyer's Guide with 316 different kit aircraft listed (from nearly as many manufacturers)!

The letter that…

On the Health Show broadcast on BBC World news today, Patricia and Jonathan talk about building and…

We finally had the chance to document some basic performance numbers of our new CH 650 with the UL Power UL350iS engine.  Yesterday was a beautiful autumn day so Zenith demo pilot Roger and I took the CH 650 up for a…

This VW ad from 1966 has become a classic and can still be seen in VW dealerships across the country.  The above is prominently on display as a large framed poster in a shiny new VW dealer in St. Louis. While  the cars have changed since 1966, the basic message remains the same.

Like the VW Beetle, the ad copy has become a classic too.  It caught my attention…

 Now have flown off the forty hour Phase One Testing.  All in all a very benign experience. No real supprises except for the first couple of takeoffs being soooo quick.

Also have done first condition inspection and the Rotax 25 hour checks (100 hour check) with no problems.

Experienced no cooling problems with temps this summer in OATs as high as 98 F. Engine is Rotax 912ULS with Zenith FWF kit.

Have installed the Zenith VG's and have plenty of elevator authority.  My…

Here's my follow-up report from our 20th annual Open Hangar Day and Builder Fly-In Gathering from this past weekend.  Despite some rain and cool weather that kept some visitors away we had a fantastic time and a great turnout, proving once again that it's about the people and the planes, and not the weather!…