Czechmate

Born in the aftermath of Czechoslovakia’s Velvet Revolution—the non-violent 1989 socio-political phenomenon by which the eastern-European nation was transformed from a communist command economy to a free-market parliamentary republic—the company known today as Skyleader (formerly Jihlavan) has evolved from a designer of minimalist light and ultralight aircraft, such as the Z90 and TP41, to a respected manufacturer of modern, robust, efficient, and eminently desirable machines.

Skyleader’s offerings include the GP One, a carbon-composite, high-wing, aircraft optimized for pilot-training and low-cost flying; the rugged and utilitarian Skyleader 200; the racy, sports-car-inspired Skyleader 400; the stylish and comfortable Skyleader 500; and the Skyleader 600—a sleek and lovely airplane at once conducive to recreational and cross-country flying.

Available in both fixed and retractable undercarriage iterations and powered by a variety of Rotax engines ranging from the eighty-horsepower 912 UL to the 115-horsepower, turbocharged 914 UL, the Skyleader 600 is an eye-catching, two-seat, all-metal, Light Sport Aircraft (LSA) with a high-visibility cockpit; a trapezoidal high-performance wing fitted with stability and efficiency-boosting blended-winglets; electrically-actuated Fowler flaps; a ground-adjustable, three-blade DUC propeller; and options for a Ballistic Parachute Recovery System (BPRS).

Creature comforts, depending on options chosen and work invested, range from very good to outstanding. The Skyleader 600’s jaunty sliding canopy facilitates excellent visibility and headroom. Larger pilots will appreciate the aircraft’s four-foot, two-inch cabin width—which bests that of Cessna’s venerable 172 Skyhawk by a full eight-inches.

The limitations section of the Skyleader 600’s operating handbook reads like that of a far-more-expensive, Normal category airplane. The aircraft’s 1,320-pound maximum gross weight comprises its 705-pound empty weight and 417-pound payload—the latter includes the plane’s 198-pounds (32.8-gallons) fuel-capacity.

The Skyleader 600’s performance, too, is decidedly better than that of the average LSA. The machine’s speed envelope is bounded top-and-bottom by a Vne of 143-knots and a glacial, 33-knot Vso stall-speed. Cruise-speed at 75-percent power is a respectable 122-knots.

Persons disinclined to pass years cobbling together their Skyleader 600s may avail themselves of a four-hundred-hour fast-build kit, which includes all requisite aircraft components—excepting engine, avionics, and wiring harnesses. Ready-to-fly Skyleader 600s, depending on options, can run north of $200,000.

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