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Interest in a plansbuilt, LSA/microlight amphibian?

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cluttonfred

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The choices out there for amphibious homebuilts are pretty limited if you don't have deep pockets for a sophisticated kit. I am primarily thinking of boat-hull amphibians, not regular landplanes on floats. Among the plansbuilt options out there, most are decades old and too heavy for U.S. LSA/Sport Pilot limit of 1,430 lbs (648 kg) gross for seaplanes. Even the Volmer VJ-22 Sportsman, while it could work if built light, is too heavy if already built and certificated at 1,500 lbs gross. Just about all of them are way too heavy for the European microlight limits of 495 kg (1091 lbs).

If I were tackling an amphibian, I'd want to keep it light to stay within microlight limits and get adequate performance from an inexpensive engine like a 2.1 liter VW (Aerovee, Great Plains, etc.). A Rotax 912 would probably be a better choice for this application, but at two- to three-times the price. The VW engine also implies generous wing area and modest speeds, which has the side benefit of keeping the hulls stresses down (water is "harder" than it appears!). I think I'd want to go with a light plywood hull and either wood-and-fabric or aluminum-tube-and-fabric wings and tail surfaces.

Let me stop there. Would anyone else be interested in a light amphibian along these lines? If so, what other characteristics would you like to see? Modern or retro? Monoplane or biplane? Open or closed cockpit? Tractor or pusher? Side-by-side, staggered or tandem seating?

Cheers,

Matthew
 
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