FAA's National Kit Evaluation Team (NKET) officials visit the Zenith Aircraft Company kit factory in Mexico, Missouri to evaluate the Zenith CH 750 Cruzer kit, a requirement for the amateur-built aircraft kit can be officially added to the FAA's list of eligible Amateur-Built Aircraft Kits (as published on the FAA website).
"This is just the latest Zenith kit to be evaluated by the FAA so the outcome of this evaluation is really not in question." stated Roger Dubbert, Zenith Aircraft demo pilot and customer service specialist. "However, as we add more and more CNC manufacturing to our kits to make them easier to build, these evaluations officially substantiate that our kits conform to the 51% rule."
Zenith Aircraft Company produces two-seat all-metal kit airplanes for recreational flying. The kit aircraft, when properly equipped, meet the definition for Light-Sport Aircraft (LSA) and are typically operated by Sport Pilots (as well as Private Pilots). As amateur-built (kit) aircraft, the owners are able to choose their own engines, avionics, and other options for their custom-built airplane. Popular engines include Continental, Lycoming, UL Power, Rotax, and more (including a number of auto conversions). Instrument panels can also be fully customized by the builder/owner, ranging from full IFR glass panels (Dynon, Garmin and others) to basic "steam gauges" and/or iPad panels.
"The amateur-built kit category truly gives builders and owners the most flexibility and choices, and at the same time an airplane that can still be operated by a Sport Pilot," explained Zenith Aircraft president Sebastien Heintz, who is also the president of AKIA, the Aircraft Kit Industry Association. "Our new kits, thanks to CNC technology, are quicker and easier to build than ever before while still being very affordable."
The Zenith CH 750 CRUZER is an economical all-metal two-seat cross-country cruiser based on the hugely successful STOL high-wing designs from aeronautical engineer Chris Heintz. The Cruzer is the “on-airport” version of the popular STOL CH 750 “off-airport” light sport utility kit plane, famous for its roomy cabin with comfortable side-by-side seating and easy cabin access from both sides. While influenced by its well-known STOL predecessors (the STOL CH 701 “Sky Jeep”, the STOL CH 750 and four-seat CH 801 sport utility aircraft), the CH 750 Cruzer is an all-new design optimized as an economical cross-country cruiser for typical (airport) operations.
To demonstrate just how quick the new CH 750 Cruzer kit is to build, a complete airplane was build in just seven days during the Oshkosh AirVenture 2014 convention (including the Rotax 912iS Sport engine and Dynon SkyView touch-screen avionics). The One Week Wonder airplane was constructed with the help and participation of more than 2,500 volunteers!
Behind the kit is the finished CH750 Cruzer airplane, as well as a Quick Build Kit (QBK) fuselage assembly (on the right). The wood crate (on the the left) holds all the kit parts nicely and can shipped throughout the USA and around the world. Not shown here are the avionics (instruments) and the engine (firewall-forward).