Andrej Jeziorski/DINSLAKEN
German aircraft manufacturer Extra Flugzeugbau has flown its newest sports aircraft, the Extra 200.
The maiden flight from the Dinslaken factory took place on 2 April, with company founder Walter Extra at the controls. Extra says that he is satisfied with his latest product. Minor adjustments to aileron balance were necessary, and other small modifications.
The aircraft is a fully aerobatic, two-seat, low-wing monoplane based on the earlier Extra 300L. The largely composite structure is smaller and lighter - with a 550kg empty weight - and the 150kW (200hp) Lycoming AEIO-360A1E provides two-thirds the power of its predecessor's engine.
The aircraft will be sold at a basic price of DM250,000 ($370,000), compared with the 300's price-tag of DM395,000.
Extra says that much of the flight-test programme - expected to total 25-50h - will be flown on the second prototype, now nearing completion. Within days of getting airborne, the first aircraft was to be sent to the US to fly on an experimental-aircraft certificate for marketing purposes.
The USA is Extra's biggest market, and the company is planning to open a second production unit to serve the region, at St Augustine in Florida. The new factory is expected to be open later this year.
Source: Flight International
