Czech Aircraft Works has acquired Zenair's float production line. Tooling has already been shipped from Zenair's Canadian base to the Czech manufacturer's site in Borsice.
The sale comes 18 months after Czech Aircraft Works was set up to manufacture, market and distribute Zenair's CH 601-AG and CH701-AG agricultural aircraft and kit plane parts business for the European market.
"We have now sold nearly 100 aircraft in 18 months," says Czech Aircraft Works chief executive officer Chip Erwin.
The floats, which can be fitted to existing aircraft using a supplemental type certificate, range from the 250kg (550lb) displacement model to the 900kg model and are available in straight and amphibious variants.
"There is a huge market for floats," says Erwin. "We are now developing a 1,000kg model which can be fitted to the heavier and larger aircraft, including the Glaistar and the Luscombe 8 [now under development with Renaissance Aircraft of the USA]."
The company plans to produce about 50 floats in its first year of production and is now looking at manufacturing certificated variants "next year" which are to be fitted to manufactured aircraft such as the Cessna 150 and the Piper Super Cub.
Source: Flight International
