Canadian kit airframer SAM Aircraft has started delivering its first SAM LS kits to customers and is now hoping to broaden its customer base by offering the two-seat model in the US under the amateur-built and special light sport aircraft (S-LSA) categories.
A prototype aircraft flying in Canada is showing impressive performance, says SAM Aircraft president Thierry Zibi. The 100-hp Rotax 912-powered aircraft shows benign flight characteristics and is very spin resistant, he adds.
Kits begin at $29,000 without firewall-forward components or an engine, while the S-LSA variant is priced at $131,800. The SAM LS has a maximum cruise speed of 200km/h (110kt), a rate of climb 900ft/min, a range of 725km (390nm) and an empty weight of 375kg (830lb).
Source: Flight International
