It is rare someone goes through a new design and testing with very little announcements or info. I like a company that gets it flying and tested first. Not selling them before even one flies.
A FB post popped up that Spirit engineering would have announcements at Oshkosh this year.
Kind of a bummer of a name with the Boeing press and similar name.

I looked up the company and they have multiple flying prototypes with more under construction, actual static testing. Actual engine test cell for their engine not a Rotax, All Aluminum and US built!!

https://spiriteng.com/se-1-aircraft/

https://spiriteng.com/wp-content/upload ... parade.jpg

No idea how big the market is but at least it is something to start.

Beautiful.

LSA, I assume.

Kind’a wish it was a Rotax. The custom engine will be a problem if the business fails.

Without a canopy and cabin heat, I (SE Michigan) am not a buyer.

I am very curious about their funding. Quite a lot of in-process inventory which suggest hard tooling is already done.

I wonder if canopy and cabin heat could be optional or interchange turtlenecks to have both.
Yeah the search for an engine in the weight and HP is tough. But Rotax is not making anything that size anymore.

I have cabin heat in my Flybaby and it works great on fall days even with no canopy. A-65 with just a standard J-3 exhaust and heat muffs. Warms whole cockpit up enough if you are dressed correctly. But yes insulated helmet and tight collar is needed.

I think what we are seeing is the basic stripped down versions for keeping the price low. But I just heard they have a bunch of the prototypes or maybe first production that flew into Oshkosh! Wish I was there.

Reminds me of a Miles racer from the 1930s.

I am surprised the smallish looking tapered wing worked for the LSA clean stall speed. Compared to a Hummel setup as a LSA for example. But this might be an illusion.

Looks like a fun little thing. Hard to be sure from the available images but I'm looking the head-to-canopy clearance and thinking a helmet would be wise. The ability to trailer it home is nice, too.

In some of the photos they appear to have a turn over structure built into the headrest. Good to see.

I was sitting on the flight line at Oshkosh when four of these flew in, and I was completely stumped as to what they were. Two of them are now sitting in the ultralight area. I will take a closer look when the show starts. I was also stumped as to what their engine was but the website you cite above says it is their own design.

I see flying as a social activity, so single seat planes have much less appeal. Very few GA missions are so performance intensive that the single seat makes a difference over two seats.

Cool With all the social media and internet it is really rare a new design just shows up with little or no prior warning! Especially new engine and airframe! And Four of them is even more unusual. (They just updated the website to show they had 4 in the ultralight area at one point, maybe the other two were taken to a sales booth? )

Finally something nice to look at compared to most of the European LSA designs that look like a weird bug.

And no Composites, wood structure, pop rivets or extruded aluminum tubing spars!!
If it has mufflers or something to keep it quiet that would really be a huge win.

https://spiriteng.com/airventure-2025/

Reminds me a bit of the Piper Skycycle too.

The website shows starting price $69,500. Probably a good deal but it still sadly prices me out for a toy. I would still like to fly one though.


ions

AIRCRAFT

Certification:
Special Light Sport Aircraft (SLSA)
Type:
Single Engine Land
Crew:
1
DIMENSIONS (flight)

Wingspan:
24′-7″
Length:
18′
Height:
6′-8″
WEIGHT

Design Gross Weight:
740 lb
Empty Weight:
420 lb
Useful Load:
320 lb
DIMENSIONS (ground)

Width (wings stowed):
7′-5″
Height:
5′
Wheel Track x Wheelbase:
5′-3″ x 13′-11″
PERFORMANCE

Max Cruise Speed:
112 mph
Cruise Speed – 75% power:
100 mph
Climb:
750 ft / min
Service Ceiling:
17,500 ft
Stall Speed:
45 mph
Takeoff Roll:
500 ft
Landing Roll:
800 ft
FUEL & OIL

Fuel Capacity:
8 gal
Usable Fuel:
8 gal
Fuel Consumption – cruise:
1.8 – 2.2 gph
Fuel Consumption – maximum:
Up to 4.0 gph
Approved Fuels:
91 AKI unleaded auto, 100LL avgas
Oil Capacity:
3 qts
Approved Oil:
Aviation 15W-50 or W100
INTERIOR

Cabin Width:
25″
Cabin Height (roll bar):
34″ – 37″ (adj)
Leg Room (to rudder pedals):
37″ – 41″ (adj)
Baggage Weight (max):
20 lb
Baggage Volume:
3 cu ft
Max Pilot Weight:
275 lb

How do you get a test flight in a single seat aircraft?

One seat also eliminates the instruction/training market.

I think the liability risk for a one seat airplane is just so much higher than a two seat airplane. Your first flight is your first solo.

Power loading is not great given the 42 HP.

I bet it doesn't come in my size, 6'2".

Mike C.

I saw the four ship of these go by on their way to Oshkosh on ADS-B last week. I googled them then and their website didn't even have any functional pages at that time. I couldn't even find a photo or anything. Either they kept it a secret for Oshkosh or were rushing to get everything in place. I interesting they have four of them built and flying before even announcing.

Landed at OSH this evening.

Another pic

Old saying was there are two types of airplanes: Trainers and Single seaters.

The problem is to stay in the LSA category and especially for a new manfuacturer a two seat airplane with a good rugged structure, cheap engine and decent useful load is a very difficult thing to design. You need either an expensive engine or exotic structures to do it. The weight limit made sure of this so Flight Design could sell more CTs. Tom Peghiny sat on the board making up the LSA rules. Of course they were made to just not allow legacy airplanes like the Cessna 150. This dispute goes way back 20 years. Imagine where we would be with training airplane market if instead of the whole Skycatcher program Cessna just invested in tooling to make the 150 airframe with the O-200D, a bit more cabin room and modern methods for production automation.

Single seat can have a lot more structural margins and be still a viable useful load airplane.

Yes a single seat taildragger is a limited market. In England the Turbulents and the Tiger club have had a long history. But the Spirit SE-1 is a new offering from a company doing it in house clean sheet. This is unusual and I would imagine they will follow up with something else if there is some success.

If I let someone fly my Flybaby I check them out in a Piper Vagabond first. Totally different airplanes but very similar flying qualities and wheel base. Nobody has had an difficulty with it since 1967. There is a book of names in the airplane where people signed after their first flight.

But yes a larger two place version of this airplane similar to the Junkers A50 LSA would be a logical trainer.

They have not released much but it appears they also have folding wings that are true folding hopefully not where you need to remove fairings and get a hammer to remove pins like a Kitfox but actually can pull a handle to unlatch like the Stits Playboy. Imagine 4 of them sharing a single T hangar cost!

Some info on the Tiger Club and Turbulent.

https://www.turbteam.com/the-turbulent

I wonder if the swept forward rudder hinge is for styling or for spin recovery?

It should hopefully make a natural pitch down with rudder deflection.

Other airplanes trying the rounded low wing taildraggers with small tail have had a history of spin issues. Ventral and dorsal fins creep into the design or slots like the Swift.
The large forward wheel spats size close to the CG vs vertical fin area and further back.

I share some doubts about the prospects. This idea already exists in the form of the Sonex-Onex. The Onex is single seat, tailwheel (but also a tri-gear option), faster climb and cruise, easy-to-fold wings requiring no tools, inexpensive powerplant. But the Onex uses an engine with a proven track record.

And being available for a decade now, the Onex has been somewhat popular, you see them here and there, but sales have not set the world on fire. And for Sonex that is fine, it is one plane among many models that they sell. That would be a tough situation though, if this was the only horse in your stable.