n° 10 - August 2008

Foxbat amphib now available!

The A22LSA manufacturer, FPNA in Florida, USA, has announced the formal FAA/S-LSA certification of the A22 Amphibian (known in the USA as the 'Capetown'). There are photos and a video of this aircraft taking off, flying and landing on the FPNA website at: http://www.fpna.com/g_19.htm

The aircraft is ready for Australian orders now, so if you're a water wings, call me now!

Total Foxbat Australia sales approach 50

Since our first delivery in 2004 we have sold close to 50 A22 Foxbats in Australia - although some of these have now found their way across the Tasman to New Zealand! Most owners are private individuals although an increasing number are being delivered to flying clubs and schools. Notable among these is the Hastings and District Flying Club at Port Macquarie on the mid-NSW coast who have clocked up well over 1,500 hours in their Foxbat. The original yellow aircraft has now been joined by a club member's A22LSA in dazzling white.

We have now delivered 5 Foxbat LSAs, two of which have the (no cost) optional twin 'yoke' controls, similar to those found in Piper & Cessna aircraft. Shawn Okun, CEO of our USA Foxbat LSA manufacturer, FPNA, is a great fan of the yokes - 'makes it feel like a much bigger plane' he says. In the States, over 90% of A22s are delivered with the yokes - in Australia our customers seem to prefer the centre, 2-handle sick control.

Whatever your choice, the Foxbat remains one of the safest and easiest aircraft to fly. This is very re-assuring when you fly particularly close to the ground, when looking at fences, counting animals or just surveying your property.

Hummocks Station fly-in

The weather was not kind to us during the inaugural Hummocks Station (Snowtown, SA) fly-in over the weekend of 14-15 June. However, 5 Foxbats eventually made it, along with several other makes, to enjoy the outstanding hospitality of Roger and Merry Duance.

Roger and Merry run Hummocks as an event venue, for weddings, art shows and other celebrations. There are a couple of large central function rooms flanked by excellent single and double rooms. Dinner on Saturday night was superb, with home-cooked and delicious food all prepared by Merry. Needless to say the wine flowed nicely and we welcomed a number of 'honourary' Foxbat members who had yet to appreciate the delights of Foxbat ownership. Stories of gallantry and triumph over adversity (well, mainly the weather) went on well into the night.

On Sunday morning we ventured out into the 'fresh' breeze for a photo shoot and most people set off home after lunch.

Very many thanks to Roger and Merry for all their work to make the event more of a gourmet weekend away than a drafty fly-in. Next year we are aiming for a world record number of Foxbats in one place at the same time! So, all you Foxbat owners, call Roger and tell him you'll be there.

To stay at Hummocks Station, please contact Roger or Merry on 0402 817 736.

Filliform corrosion

A small number of early Foxbats have experienced something called 'filliform' corrosion. This is not a serious problem - the aircraft is built from the highest quality anodised 2024 aluminium sheet. In the early stages, it is purely a cosmetic issue, although it is important to fix it as soon as you notice it.

The first place it appears is on the top of the tail boom just where the leading edge of the fin is mounted. Symptoms are small areas of paint bubbles where the primer/undercoat has not properly bonded with the surface. The factory is aware of the problem. Most aircraft will not be affected and certainly not any of those delivered within the last 18 months. The lifting paint was caused by newly cleaned aircraft occasionally being left overnight in the factory before early morning application of primer/undercoat, sometimes before small amounts of overnight condensation had evaporated.

The paint bubbles can easily be rectified under warranty by a competent paint shop. As one owner says "with a metal plane, at least you can see the problem and fix it".