Aircraft Manufacturing & Development Co. (AMD) (http://www.newplane.com/) is now also offering the very popular all-metal Zodiac as a fully certified SLSA. The Zodiac is ideally suited for the Light Sport Aircraft (LSA) category: It's maximum take-off weight (MTOW) and top speed are maximized for the LSA category; It is all-metal, similar to a Piper or Cessna aircraft, and uses the very popular Continental 0-200 (100 HP) engine, as with the Cessna 150.
The original Zodiac model was designed by renowned aeronautical engineer Chris Heintz in the mid-eighties. The design has been a popular kit-plane ever since, marketed and produced in the US by Zenith Aircraft Company. Today, more than 1,000 Zodiac aircraft are successfully flying around the world, in all kind of environments and applications. Over the years, the Zodiac design has evolved, especially as it was adapted to meet differing rules and regulations on various continents. The design was first certified as a ready-to-fly aircraft in Canada, then in Europe, then in South America. It is now also manufactured in the USA as a factory-assembled ready-to-fly aircraft; built to the new ASTM LSA standards.
Our Zodiac model was upgraded to take full advantage of the new FAA Light Sport (LSA) rules in 2004. The US-made Zodiac XL and XLi are not the same as Zodiac models manufactured in other countries. In Europe, for example, the gross weight of the Zodiac is only 450 kg. The tougher USA version of the Zodiac built by AMD has a gross weight of 600 kg (1,320 lbs) and has a higher safety design margin: It has a sturdier all-metal landing gear system, a different control system, the Continental 0-200 engine, a certified propeller and much, much more... The continuously evolving Zodiac design is just one more example of Heintz's commitment to offering recreational pilots worldwide an optimized and modern yet affordable Light Sport aircraft.
Chris Heintz has been a tireless advocate and supporter of sport aviation and recreational flying at all levels for over 35 years; The Zodiac S-LSA is only one of more than 15 successful aircraft designs by Mr. Heintz.
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