{"id":9164,"date":"2014-08-14T00:18:04","date_gmt":"2014-08-14T07:18:04","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/cafe.foundation\/blog\/?p=9164"},"modified":"2015-05-15T10:12:01","modified_gmt":"2015-05-15T17:12:01","slug":"two-ultralights-promoting-electric-power","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/cafe.foundation\/blog\/two-ultralights-promoting-electric-power\/","title":{"rendered":"Two Ultralights Promoting Electric Power"},"content":{"rendered":"

Several electric aircraft graced the flight lines and display tents at Oshkosh this year, while several that had flown in previous years stayed home.\u00a0 It shows a growing market segment \u2013 one apt to continue growing as batteries and components improve.\u00a0 The ultralight area showed the greatest number of new developments, with two aircraft showing how one might achieve battery-powered flight on a budget.<\/span><\/p>\n

Chip Erwin and the Aviad MG-12 Zigolo<\/b><\/p>\n

Several have noted the Aviad MG-12 \u201c Zigolo\u201d <\/a>(named after a small bird \u2013 not as some surmise, a \u201cgigolo\u201d) from Italy has the look of a Mike Sandlin Basic Ultralight Glider, although it also has elements of other early Part 103 machines and carries a complete aircraft kit price of $14,500.\u00a0 \u201cComplete\u201d includes a two-stroke, single cylinder Vittorazi Moster 185-cc engine. \u00a0$1,500 adds a more advanced BRS ballistic recovery parachute, and another $1,500 nets a more complete, more quickly finished kit.\u00a0 Aviad claims the basic kit takes only 100 hours to complete, so a more finished option would be nearly ready to fly.<\/p>\n

\"MG-12<\/a>

MG-12 Zigolo ready to fly – as it did several times during AirVenture<\/p><\/div>\n

Imported by Chip Erwin, it is one of a stable of three aircraft, each with a specialized mission: besides the MG-12, Erwin fields the Mermaid LSA amphibian and the SC3D LSA \u2013 both made in China. \u00a0The Zigolo, though, is intended as \u00a0a low-cost way to enter sport flying.<\/p>\n