Will Introduce New Program At OSH
Zenith Aircraft Company is
introducing a new Quick-Build Kit for its "Sport Pilot"-ready
two-seat Zodiac XL at this year's EAA AirVenture in Oshkosh,
Wisconsin, later this month. The new kit promises to reduce
construction time for Zodiac XL builders by fifty percent: "Our aim
has always been to make it quick and easy for first-time builders
to assemble and fly their own aircraft" says Sebastien Heintz,
president of Zenith Aircraft, "From what we've seen, nothing else
compares to this new Quick-Build-Kit in ease of construction or
required build time."
The standard kit for the Zodiac XL has long been recognized for
its quick assembly time: Zenith Aircraft Company has in past years
assembled and flown one of its standard airframe kits in just seven
days during an annual EAA Oshkosh or Sun'n Fun fly-in
convention.
The new Quick-Build Kit aims at reducing kit construction
time by over fifty percent: The company quotes an average airframe
assembly time of 250 hours with the new Quick-Build Kit for its
popular Zodiac XL. This remarkable feat is achieved by having the
entire airframe factory-jigged before delivery. Nearly all major
components have been pre-aligned with rivet holes pre-drilled: Once
clecoed together in jigs, most sections are then taken apart again
for easy shipping and final re-assembly by the builder. Virtually
all drilling is done in the new kit and assembly is completed with
easy-to-set blind rivets (which work just like "Pop" rivets).
Like the standard ZODIAC XL kit, the new Quick-Build Kit will to
meet the "51% rule" for the amateur-built experimental aircraft
category, and complete kits will be available for pick-up or
delivery from three independent regional distributors starting this
summer. Each distributor also plans to offer tech support and a
range of builder assistance programs.
"We strive to make our aircraft accessible to a wide range
of amateur builders," says Heintz, "the Zodiac XL can be
"scratch-built" very economically from plans-only; our standard kit
provides all the parts necessary for airframe assembly and the new
Quick-Build Kit option is designed for those really eager to fly in
record time: it can be assembled and flown in just a few hundred
hours!"
The Zodiac XL kit aircraft design meets the definition of the
FAA's Sport Pilot rule, meaning that it can be operated by a
licensed Sport Pilot even when registered as a standard
"Amateur-Built - Experimental" kit aircraft. Registered under the
standard "Amateur-Built - Experimental" category, owners may choose
from a wide variety of engine types and custom configurations for
their ZODIAC XL kit. Popular supported engine choices include the
Jabiru 3300, Rotax 912S, Corvair auto conversions, or conventional
aircraft engines such as the Continental O-200 or Lycoming
O-235.
The ZODIAC XL model was developed specifically with the FAA's
Sport Pilot / Light- Sport Aircraft category in mind to offer
maximum performance and capabilities possible under the new FAA
category.