![]() ![]() Until a two-place model emerges, company officials recommend the popular Robinson R22 as a basic trainer, although they note the R22 “is regarded universally as a ‘squirrely’ helicopter due to its tricky handling characteristics. Besides making four varieties of the original Mosquito, a non-piloted model has also found a market. While a two-place has been contemplated, that project has been shelved while other work demands their time. ![]() While at Oshkosh, I asked Composite-FX Operations Director Norbert Richter how they handle flight instruction because Composite-FX only makes single place machines. Their work with John earlier and continuing on their own today has led to more than 400 kit deliveries and about 150 XEL Part 103 ultralight helicopters flying in the USA. Powered by the MZ202 engine and equipped with floats, XEL weighs in at 312 pounds, two pounds shy of the 314 pounds allowed by regulations.Īfter John died, his company, Innovator Technologies, shut down and Composite-FX assumed the brand. XEL qualifies as a Part 103 ultralight aircraft by complying with limitations as clarified in AC-103-7, “The Ultralight Vehicle.” Dwight’s Florida company ultimately took over John’s work, moving the contents of the Canadian’s workshop to his base in Trenton, Florida.Ĭomposite-FX’s XEL is a factory-built helicopter, bargain priced at $52,000. Owner Dwight Junkin and friend George Boynton replaced John’s open-cockpit Mosquito with a composite fuselage, using long experience with such constructions. What appeared in Composite-FX‘s display in the Fun Fly Zone at Oshkosh were beautifully done flying machines that looked heavier and much more complex than John’s original Mosquito. I did not grasp how the producer evolved after original developer John Uptigrove‘s unfortunate demise in 2018. I already knew about Mosquito and received a briefing to fly one captured in this 2013 video. A chance conversation at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2021 brought the handsome aircraft below into clearer focus. ![]()
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