LSA-Aero tells ANN that the latest Light Sport airplane has arrived... and its an amphibian, at that. The Colyaer FREEDOM received LSA certification on November 9, 2006 from the Memphis FSDO. The first delivery is set for this week.

The FREEDOM amphibian is the culmination of eight years of development and deliveries in Europe by Colyaer, S.L. of Pontevedra Spain. Its heritage includes the Martin3 landplane and Gannet seaplane. All models share the same wing, cabin, tail, and fuselage down to the waterline.

The Martin3 and Gannet have been flying in the USA for over 2 years, and have won several national awards at Oshkosh and Sun-n-Fun. LSA certification is in process for the Martin3 and Gannet.

The FREEDOM amphibian is a carbon composite pusher with a ROTAX 912S engine. The wings and tail are detachable, and the airplane is trailerable with a minimum of effort. There are many high performance sailplane design techniques used in the Colyaer airplanes, resulting in ease of assembly and superb flight performance. Typical water takeoff runs are less than 8 seconds and glide performance is 20:1. The Colyaer seaplanes are designed for salt water environment with carbon fiber construction and stainless steel hardware. The hull consists of sealed compartments with no purging necessary. The landing gear is fully enclosed in the hull for water operations.

The FREEDOM is marketed in the USA by LSA Aero, Inc in Decatur, Alabama. The base price is around $123,000.

FMI: www.LSA-Aero.com