An early Christmas present for The Light Aircraft Company!
On Saturday 19th December, after a considerable amount of work, the Ikarus C42C was finally issued its full permit to fly.
The C42C, which has been available in Germany for around 6 years, has undergone structural and flight testing for the UK market and whilst it is currently cleared to the current 450/472.5kg MTOW, the C42C is 560kg MTOW ready when the CAA creates the new 600kg Microlight category.
This is a major step forward in the evolution of the C42 type. The C model incorporates many new features including, revised aerofoil profile, clipped wings, completely new roof and door structure, flap infill panels, aerodynamic spades, servo tab on the elevator and many other aerodynamic enhancements. Increased use of carbon fibre throughout has been embodied keeping the empty weight to a minimum ensuring that the payload meets todays increasing demands (typical max payload 280kg).
All of these new features have resulted in a highly polished, superb handling light aircraft with outstanding fit and finish.