Photograph:
Czech Aircraft SportCruiser ZK-SXY (c/n 09CS265) at Omaka NZ in April 2009 (David Eyre)
Country of origin:
Czech Republic
Description:
Two-seat light sporting monoplane
Power Plant:
One 90-kw (120-hp) Jabiru 3300 six-cylinder horizontally-opposed air-cooled engine
Specifications:
- Wingspan: 8.78 m (28 ft 8 in)
- Length: 6.49 m (21 ft 3 in)
- Wing area: 13.2 m² (142.08 sq ft)
- Cruising speed at 75% power: 202 km/h (125 mph)
- Stalling speed with flaps:48 km/h (30 mph)
- Stalling speed without flaps: 54 km/h (33 mph)
- Rate of climb: 366 m/min (1,200 ft/min)
- Take-off run: 110 m (361 ft)
- Landing run: 122 m (400 ft)
- Endurance: 6 hrs
- Fuel capacity: 114 litres (25 Imp gals)
- Empty weight: 320 kg (705 lb)
- Useful load: 280 kg (617 lb)
- Loaded weight: 600 kg (1,323 lb)
History:
The SportsCruiser was designed in the Czech Republic as an all-metal low-wing, low maintenance aircraft and is built at the CZAW facility. All components are US sourced and the production facility is American owned. It has electrically operated slotted flaps, the ailerons and elevators being operated by push rods. The main undercarriage is all-composite and it has toe operated differential hydraulic brakes. Two variants are available, one with the 75-kw (100-hp) Rotax 912 engine and the 90-kw (120-hp) Jabiru 3300 unit driving a three-blade ground-adjustable propeller. Other propellers which may be fitted include a two-blade Sensenich ground-adjustable, two blade mechanical in-flight adjustable, and a two-blade electric in flight adjustable constant speed unit.
With two adults weighing 159-kg (351 lb) it can carry full fuel of 114 litres (25 Imp gals) in two tanks, and 58-kg (128-lb) of baggage. The design has a wing locker on each side in addition to the area behind the seats. Overall luggage space is 10.6 m³ (374.3 cub ft) and G limits are +4 / – 2. First of the type in this region was registered as ZK-CZR (c/n 06SC020) to Aerosport Aviation Ltd of Cambridge, NZ in November 2006, followed by ZK-JBZ (c/n 07SC034) at Paeroa in July 2007, ZK-YDD (c/n 07SC075) at Blenheim in November 2007, -CSC (c/n 08SC110) at Waihi Beach and -DEC (c/n 08SC109 at Ashburton. First example for Australia arrived in June 2007 for assembly by the importers, Air Noosa, and examples registered under RAA regulations include 24-7447 (c/n 09-SC-247); 24-7544 (c/n 09-SC-304); 24-7924 (c/n 09-SC-291)and 24-8110 (c/n P1102039).
In 2010 Piper Aircraft in the United States, which at that time had become owned by Asian interests, acquired rights to sell the SportsCruiser on the American market, offering three models. However, after 12 months the agreement failed and the aircraft has since been provided to owners from the Czech Republic as the SportsCruiser.