Country of origin:

United Kingdom

Description:

Two-seat light sport and training monoplane

Power Plant:

One 93 kw (125 hp) Continental IOF-240-B four-cylinder horizontally-opposed air-cooled engine

Specifications:

History:

The XL-2 was designed by Anthony Tiarks and built in the United Kingdom as a two-seat low-wing, general aviation aircraft in the late 1990s by Liberty Aircraft, a subsidiary of the company which previously conceived and marketed the very successful Europa kitplane. The XL-2 was optimised for low-cost production engineering. Most aircraft systems were built into the steel tube framework, ie the controls, fuel system, electrics, undercarriage, and engine. Initial production aircraft had fixed wings but, after some time, electrically operated and controlled folding wings were offered as an option, an immobiliser preventing the engine being started until the wings were locked in place. Plans were also put in train to build a four-seat variant. The XL-2 was initially to be built at a facility at Hamble in Hampshire, UK.

A feature of the design was the large and roomy cabin, which was 1.22 m (48 in) wide. Construction of the prototype was mixed, with a steel tube fuselage structure covered in carbon fibre, the wings being all-metal. Fuel capacity was 86 litres (19 Imp gals). The prototype was powered by a 75 kw (100 hp) Rotax 912S four-cylinder four-stroke liquid and air-cooled engine. A tricycle undercarriage was standard.

Certification was obtained in late 2004. Two aircraft were to be delivered in early 2001 to the launch customer, the Moorabbin, VIC based Civil Flying School but by late 2006 none had been delivered. Subsequently production was transferred to the United States where it took place at the Liberty Aerospace Inc facility in Melbourne, Florida. Production aircraft were later powered by the Continental IOF-240-B engine with a PowerLink FADEC computer-controlled electronic-ignition sequential direct port electronic fuel injection system driving a Sensenich two-blade fixed pitch wood and composite propeller.

The type received Australian certification on 5 December 2006 and was distributed in Australasia by Liberty Aircraft Company Pty Ltd of Korumburra, VIC, the first example becoming VH-LXL (c/n 0041) in February 2007, being placed on display at the Australian International Air Show at Avalon in March 2007. This aircraft was used as a demonstrator, later becoming VH-FXL. Eventually an updated variant was released, the first of this model to be registered becoming VH-LXL² (c/n 0094) also. In 2013 the production of the type concluded after 140 examples had been delivered and thereafter the rights to the aircraft were sold to Discovery Aviation Inc, the new production aircraft becoming known as the Discovery XL-2, a new facility to produce the type being set up in Florida. The new model had a dual screen Garman G-500 avionics package and the initial production aircraft went to a South Korean operator.

At least 21 Liberty XL-2s have been registered in Australia and they include: VH-CZU (c/n 0102); VH-XLZ (c/n 0107); VH-XLX (c/n 0111); VH-XLH (c/n 0092); VH-CZW (c/n 0098); VH-CZV (c/n 0097); VH-CZT (c/n 0101); VH-CZS (c/n 0090); VH-XLY (c/n 0112); VH-XLK (c/n 0106); VH-CVY (c/n 0089); VH-CZK (c/n 0104); VH-YXL (c/n 0104); VH-KXY (c/n 0065); VH-CVW (c/n 0082); VH-AYB (c/n 0077); VH-KXZ (c/n 0093; VH-FXL (c/n 0041) and VH-ZLY (c/n 0029). VH-CZX³ was destroyed when it crashed at Luddenham, NSW on 24 September 2008.