Zenith STOL CH 701

CH 701 & CH 750
Zenair CH 701 on amphibious floats
Role Sport, personal and trainer aircraft
Manufacturer Zenith Aircraft Company
Designer Chris Heintz
First flight 1986
Introduction 1986
Status In production
Produced 1986-present
Number built 870 (CH 701, December 2011)
45 (CH 750, December 2011)[1]
Unit cost
USD$19,480 (CH 750 kit, December 2011)[1]
Variants Zenith STOL CH 801
A Zenith STOL CH 701 on wheels
A Czech Aircraft Works-built CH 701
AMD-built CH 750
CH 750
CH 750 instrument panel
CH 701 Turboprop
CH 701 Turboprop in flight

The Zenith STOL CH 701 and CH 750 are a family of light, two-place kit-built STOL aircraft designed by Canadian aeronautical engineer Chris Heintz through his Midland, Ontario based company, Zenair. The CH 701 first flew in 1986 and the design was still in production in 2011.[1][2] The CH 750 was first introduced in 2008.[3] The CH 701 was later developed into the four-place Zenith STOL CH 801.[2][4]

The kit is produced and distributed in the USA by the Zenith Aircraft Company, and complete drawings, including blueprints and manuals, are also available for the design. In Europe, the CH 701 was manufactured under license by Czech Aircraft Works (CZAW) from 1992 until 2006, when the license agreement was ended.

Design and development

Designed for off-runway operations, the all-metal CH 701 has many features that contribute to the aircraft's capabilities, such as a high-lift wing with full-span, non-movable leading edge slots, an all-flying rudder, large tires, flaperons and an inverted elevator. Heintz also designed a unique tricycle gear amphibious float system for the CH 701.[4]

Standard engines used are the 64 hp (48 kW) Rotax 582 two-stroke, the 80 hp (60 kW) Rotax 912UL, the 100 hp (75 kW) Rotax 912ULS and the 85 hp (63 kW) Jabiru 2200 four-stroke powerplants.[4][5]

The STOL CH 701 has the unique distinction of being what is probably the most copied light aircraft in production today. Several dozen unauthorized versions have been produced around the world.[4][6]

Designed to the Light Aircraft Manufacturers Association of Canada (LAMAC) design standard DS 10141, in its native country of Canada the CH 701 can be built and flown as a basic ultralight, advanced ultralight or amateur-built.[7][8] The CH 701 can be flown under microlight or ultralight rules in several other countries also. American pilots may fly the CH 701 under Light-sport Aircraft rules or as an experimental amateur-built.[2] The CH 750 is designed to comply with the US Light sport aircraft rules.[3]

Operational history

By the fall of 2007, 750 CH 701s had been completed and were flying.[2] In July 2014, representatives of the company gathered volunteers of the EAA Airventure airshow to build a CH-750 kit in a one-week timeframe.[9]

Variants

STOL CH 701
Base model, introduced in 1986, with a gross weight of 1100 lbs (500 kg).
STOL CH 750
Introduced at AirVenture 2008, the STOL CH 750 has an enlarged cabin with wider doors and is optimized for US Light Sport Aircraft rules with a maximum takeoff weight of 1320 lbs (600 kg). Builders may also opt to register it for operation on water at 1430 lbs (650 kg) while remaining within the LSA limits, or as an experimental amateur-built aircraft up to 1440 lbs (655 kg.)[3][4] The STOL CH 750 was also to be factory-built by AMD as a Special Light Sport Aircraft but as of 2014 is listed by the FAA as no longer produced as an SLSA.[10]
CH750 Cruzer
CH 750 Cruzer
Introduced at Sun 'n Fun 2013, the CH-750 Cruzer uses a new wing without the leading-edge slats of the STOL CH 750, and a newly designed tail with a separate vertical fin and rudder, rather than the all-flying rudder of the STOL version. The model is optimized for cross-country speed rather than STOL capabilities, although the specified 350 ft (107 m) ground roll of the Cruzer qualifies as STOL by most definitions. It mounts wheel pants as standard (although these may be removed and larger wheels installed) and the prototype is powered by a 130 hp (97 kW) ULPower UL350is fuel injected engine, although other engines in the 100–160 hp (75–119 kW) range can be used.[11][12]

Operators

 India

Specifications (CH 701)

Data from Jane's All The World's Aircraft 1993-94[14] and Zenith Aircraft[15]

General characteristics

Performance

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 Vandermeullen, Richard: 2011 Kit Aircraft Buyer's Guide, Kitplanes, Volume 28, Number 12, December 2011, page 77 Belvoir Publications. ISSN 0891-1851
  2. 1 2 3 4 Kitplanes Staff: 2008 Kit Aircraft Directory, page 80, Kitplanes Magazine December 2007 Volume 24, Number 12, Belvior Publications, Aviation Publishing Group LLC.
  3. 1 2 3 Zenith Aircraft Company (July 2008). "STOL CH 750". Retrieved 2008-08-09.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 Bayerl, Robby; Martin Berkemeier; et al: World Directory of Leisure Aviation 2011-12, page 128. WDLA UK, Lancaster UK, 2011. ISSN 1368-485X
  5. ↑ Zenith Aircraft (12 January 2009). "STOL CH 701 Engines". Retrieved 12 November 2012.
  6. ↑ Zenith Aircraft Company (n.d.). "STOL CH701". Retrieved 2007-12-06.
  7. ↑ Transport Canada (April 2007). "Ultra-light Transition Stategy". Retrieved 2007-12-06.
  8. ↑ Transport Canada (November 2007). "Listing of Models Eligible to be Registered as Advanced Ultra-Light Aeroplanes (AULA)". Retrieved 2007-12-06.
  9. ↑ Airventure Today. 27 July 2014. p. 4. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  10. ↑ Federal Aviation Administration, List of Approved SLSA, retrieved 18 August 2014
  11. ↑ Niles, Russ (12 April 2013). "Zenair Introduces CH-750 Cruzer". AVweb. Retrieved 13 April 2013.
  12. ↑ "Zenith CH 750/Cruzer Comparison". Retrieved 18 August 2014.
  13. ↑ "Airscene: Aero India". Air International. Vol. 60 no. 4. April 2001. pp. 254–255. ISSN 0306-5634.
  14. ↑ Lambert 1993, p.41.
  15. ↑ Zenith Aircraft (n.d.). "STOL CH 701 Performance and Specifications". Retrieved 11 May 2011.

External links

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