Aero-TV Gets A Look At Flight Design's New MC Model LSA

'Metal Concept' Intended To "Swallow The Flight School Market Whole"

The Aero-News and Aero-TV teams participated in the Oshkosh 2008 unveiling of an all-new light sport aircraft (LSA) produced by Flight Design, the 2009 MC or Metal Concept Model. The aircraft has been in development for approximately 36 months and with significant user input, was designed to respond to the needs of flight schools, flight clubs and the preferences of aviation enthusiasts who value the characteristics and maintainability of a metal fuselage.

Flight Design's new MC uses aluminum for the fuselage, wings, and tail, with a complete steel internal fuselage and carbon fiber used on the nose cowl. A welded steel safety cell surrounds the cabin. As with Flight Design's other offerings, the MC comes standard with a whole airframe emergency parachute system.

The overall length of the MC is similar to the CTLS, but has a wider wing span and is designed with a conventional stabilizer-elevator, intended to improve pitch stability and allow for "easier landings." With the student pilot in mind, the aircraft includes urethane polymer shock absorbers in the nose gear designed to absorb more than 50% of the energy generated on the first bounce.

The aircraft controls include a center, floor-mounted stick and will be available with the Classic or Advanced Instrument Panel options similar to the other CT lines, provided by Dynon, Garmin, and PS Engineering.

The MC provides a roomier cabin as compared to the CTLS and CTSW adding nearly 8" in height over the CTLS, and claiming to be more than 12 inches wider than most GA training aircraft. The MC payload is approximately 525 pounds, slightly less than the CTLS. The fuel capacity of the aircraft is considerably less than the other Flight Design LSAs, holding 26.4 gallons vs. 34 gallons in both the CTLS and CTSW. However, the MC maintains noteworthy and economical fuel consumption in the same 4-5 gallon per hour range, using the ubiquitous Rotax 912 engine.

Flight Design, based in ...

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• Tom Peghiny
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• CTSW
• Flightdesign MC

[Jamesfromnyc]

LOL groundcatcher. I agree man. Cessna can't compete with FD. There are some other nice LSAs out there cheaper than the CT, but Cessna, nah...Personally, I like and fly the CTSW full glass.

[bodybager]

5:05 Cessna is going to really bust things open? ...with a "Made in China" airframe and a 1930's technology engine? With a ticket price of over $100k?

Now that the economy tanked and they're not selling any Citations, the only thing they're going to "bust open" is their piggy bank!

This aircraft is superior to the 162, and I have no doubt that any flight school that can see the handwriting on the wall will chose this over the Cessna Groundcatcher any day of the week.