FLIGHTSTAR Sportplanes used Sun 'n Fun to introduce the German-designed Ikarus C-42 Cyclone sport aircraft to the US market. "The interest in the Cyclone has been far better than we expected," says Thomas Peghiny, chief executive of Ellington, Connecticut-based Flightstar, which is flight-testing the two-seater in preparation for certification and production in the USA.
Flightstar plans to make some changes to Hans Gygax's design, to increase its appeal to the US pilot. "We want to make the rudder pedals adjustable to better accommodate a wider range of pilot heights, and we plan to use US-standard fasteners to make production and maintenance expenses as reasonable as possible," he says.
A brief flight in the 60kW (80hp) Rotax-powered C-42 reveals it to be a relatively quiet aircraft with sporty handling, but docile stall characteristics, and impressive slow-speed flying qualities.
The US price for the Cyclone, complete with avionics, is projected to be about $45,000 when the first production aircraft is delivered in January 1998.
Source: Flight International
