Van’s 4-seat RV-10 is an S-LSA — in Brazil

[RV8JD]

"Van’s 4-seat RV-10 is an S-LSA — in Brazil"

https://generalaviationnews.com/2023/11/29/vans-4-seat-rv-10-is-an-s-lsa-in-brazil/​

"Flyer Indústria Aeronáutica, in partnership with Van’s Aircraft, has completed LSA certification in Brazil for the RV-10.

“On Nov. 11, 2023, ANAC (Brazil’s National Civil Aviation Agency) recognized the certification process of the world’s first 4-seat LSA aircraft.”
...

"The National Civil Aviation Agency (ANAC) has granted the Brazilian company Flyer Indústria Aeronáutica the Letter of Recognition for the RV-10 LSA aircraft, acknowledging it as a Special Light-Sport Aircraft (LSA). With this recognition, the company is authorized to manufacture the aircraft in Brazil, expanding the range of products in this category in the country. Flyer is now the ninth Brazilian manufacturer to receive the recognition of Special LSA.

The recognition of the RV-10 LSA as a Special LSA was possible because, in July 2022, ANAC amended the regulations of the LSA category in Brazil, allowing airplanes with up to 4 seats and a Maximum Takeoff Weight (MTOW) of up to 1,361 kg to use consensus standards of the LSA category developed by ASTM International.”

The amended regulations state light sport aircraft may have 4 seats, a 185 knot CAS Vh (maximum speed in level flight with maximum continuous power), a 61 knot Vs (stall speed), 1,361 kilogram/3,000 pound max takeoff weight, a variable pitch propeller, and a piston engine or electric motor.
...

“The study to expand the Light Sport Aircraft category has been a priority for the agency,” ANAC officials said. “This is one of the 16 themes established in the regulatory agenda for the 2021-2022 biennium.”"​

 

[AirShowFan]

There is some interesting background here that is not mentioned in the press releases and news reports. Sure, Brazil passed their own version of MOSAIC and this allows for factory-built RV-10s. But why did they pass their own version of MOSAIC?

One reason is that the government down there used to be just fine with companies that assembled kitplanes as their business model. There were multiple companies, some with dozens of employees, just cranking out RVs (and Glasairs and Rans and so on). However, at one point, the government decided that they would start enforcing the law that says that airplanes registered as EAB must be built (at least mostly) by people who are in it just for recreation/education and not profit. So those companies were about to see a large reduction in their revenue. (Most of them also did various mods, maintenance, etc., but that's not as profitable as selling airplanes).

Another reason was an accident where an EAB (specifically, a Compair) crashed into some buildings, and this led the government to pass a law forbidding Experimentals to be flown over densely-populated areas, defined as areas (including airport traffic patterns) that, in case of engine failure, would not be within gliding range of undeveloped areas (trees, water, or open fields). This pretty much meant that Experimentals could not be flown from airports in cities (with certain exceptions/paperwork).

Both of these factors led people to aggressively lobby the government to allow for larger airplanes to be certified as S-LSA, so that these airplanes could be professionally manufactured for profit, and flown from the cities where most pilots live.

Most VAF'ers probably don't appreciate how large the Brazilian market can be. Van's website reports that something like 1037 RV-10s have been completed, right? Well, this presentation by the Brazilian government says that there are 402 RV-10s registered in Brazil. That's almost 40%! (To be fair, the vast majority of those 402 were built professionally and are not real "homebuilts").

So maybe now you can imagine how strong of a push there was down there, over the past couple of years, to get the RV-10 "back in production".

Friendly reminder; Don't forget to appreciate how lucky we are in the US to have so much freedom with EABs! (and ultralights and so on).

 

[664781]

Buyer be ware

EAB aircraft built by a company in Brazil can only be certified as "EXPERMENTAL Exhibition" in the US. Already ran into this with another type homebuilt.