Hot Air Wings and Things
FPNA Valor A-22: An Ugly Duckling That Flies Like a (Slow) Eagle
I had first seen the FPNA Valor A-22 at the New England Light Sport Expo at Sanford, Maine in August. Jim Knowles had invited me to come up and fly the A-22 at his friendly and top notch Southern Maine Aviation (SMA) operation at Sanford, and I finally got the chance on Columbus Day, October 13. Compared to the two sleek Gobosh low-wingers on the Southern Maine Aviation LSA line, A-22 N706FP is a bit of an ugly duckling. But for simple pleasure flying and training, it may well have the nicest flying characteristics of any LSA I have flown yet.
The A-22 is a small, high wing LSA with incredible cockpit visibility, with the entire doors and a large part of the fuselage behind the seats being clear plastic. Basic construction is aluminum with rivets, but the wings, elevator, and rudder are fabric covered, which could be a bit of a limiting factor for anyone intending to keep their LSA at an outside tiedown. It has a three blade composite Warp Drive prop with nickel leading edges. One unusual feature is full span flaperons (combined ailerons and flaps). The flaps have three positions, 0, 1, and 2, which correspond to 0, 10 degrees, and 20 degrees. Takeoffs and landings are generally done with 0 flaps. The flaps are controlled by a handle on the ceiling between the seats. Another odd feature is a tailwheel half buried in the rear fuselage, where it would be useful if an overzealous student rotated too much on takeoff or landing. (Aging pilots may remember many Cessna 150s having the round tail tiedown ring being worn flat on the bottom from being dragged on the ground.)
The preflight is generally straightforward, but highlights a couple of marginal or poor design features. The fuel drain locations are not handy. One is on bottom of fuselage behind right seat, the other is at right rear of cowling. Another poor design feature: to check the oil you have to open 4 camlocks and lift off the cowling. There were already some scratches on the cowling and the surrounding fuselage, and removing the cowling before every flight is likely to wear out the hardware. While it allows for a good check of the engine, it is probably not a good feature for an aircraft on a rental line. It could use a small access door like older Cessna 150s and 172s have to check the oil.
It has to be one of the easiest of airplanes to get into and out of. Just sit in the seat and swing your legs up to get in. Reverse the process to get out. N706FP does not have adjustable seats (except for adding or subtracting cushions). Newer models will have adjustable seats. It can fly with doors off, but cannot fly or even taxi with doors open. Baggage space is a large rectangular canvas bag behind the seats which holds 44 lbs. But you are not likely to want to overload it unless you are flying single pilot, as the full fuel payload is only 363 pounds. (N706FP did not have a BRS parachute, but it is available from FPNA in the A-22. But it would cut into the already somewhat limited full fuel payload.) Fuel switches are above the pilot’s and copilot’s shoulders. One strange characteristic of the fuel switches: one flips up for on; the other flips down for on. It would probably be better “human factors” if they worked the same.
N706FP has airspeed and altimeter “steam gauges,” which I strongly believe are much more intuitive to read than the vertical tapes found on all the glass panels from the Dynon to the G1000. There is also a Dynon screen with an artificial horizon and vertical tapes on the left two-thirds and a variety of other functions including DG, tach, and other engine instruments and even checklists available on right side (but not at the same time). N706FP also had a Garmin 296 in a panel dock, as well as a small and space-efficient square Microair 760 com radio and a Microair T2000 transponder. One thing I wasn’t crazy about with the Valor’s Dynon screens was that you couldn’t get the virtual DG and the virtual tach at the same time, which would be nice to have when you are setting up your approach into a pattern while reducing power and descending. (Question for Dynon: Why is there a round virtual DG, but no round virtual airspeed and altimeters available on the displays?)
Sun visors or plastic sunscreens would be a handy addition. When we started up we were facing the sun and it was hard to see the instrument panel. While I prefer toe brakes in trainers, the handbrake mounted just forward of the throttle is very easy to use, and taxiing is very easy and intuitive. It had what was probably the easiest to use handbrake I have experienced. The brakes need to be stronger, though. On runup the parking brake would not hold during runup without using the handbrake as well. (Maybe pumping the handbrake, like I occasionally do in my Cherokee, would have increased the effectiveness.) Another odd feature that should be changed: the carb heat knob is off when pulled out. You have to push it in to get carb heat, opposite of most aircraft. Oddly enough, cabin heat knob right below it is the normal “pull out for heat”.
When we were ready for takeoff, the plane leaped off the ground, surprising considering the Rotax engine is only the 80 hp model and not the more widely used 100 hp version. Best rate of climb was more than 750 fpm (hard to read an exact figure on the bar on the vertical tape on the Dynon).
In the air the A-22 has some of the nicest flying characteristics of any LSA I have flown. S-turns were easy and smooth. While doing steep turns I held a near-constant altitude better than I usually do in my own Cherokee. Approach stalls result in an easily recoverable slight nose drop, with no wing drop. Departure stalls are also benign. When the stall occurs, the nose drops slightly but soon comes back up with the power on and a slight release in back pressure. (There is no stall warner: I still think LSAs should have them.) It is a relatively slow LSA though, with a cruise airspeed of 85 kts, or just under 100 mph. (Faster LSAs will push the LSA allowed maximum of 120 kts, or 138 mph.)
The landing characteristics are the best of any high wing LSA I have flown. It flares nicely and predictably. Unlike the Remos G3 and Flight Design CTs, the sight picture is straight ahead on landing. No “cocked at an angle” feeling to get used to. Getting down from pattern altitude takes some prior planning. It likes to stay in the air, even with “flap position 1,” probably due to the relatively long 31 foot wingspan (length only 20 ft.). I had to do slips to a landing on all four of my landings. New private pilots learning in this airplane will have to be warned that if they transition to other airplanes, the other planes will drop a lot faster when you pull the power. According to instructor pilot David Hamel, there is “High drag high sink with full flaps.” Since he wasn’t recommending full flaps, we didn’t try it. Too bad, as it might be the way to get down more quickly without resorting to slips.
The A-22 is a relative bargain at Southern Maine Aviation, priced at $85/hour, $10 less than Gobosh LSA or Cessna 172. My final impressions: the A-22 is a great little plane for flying low and flying slow and seeing the local scenery through the clear doors and panels. Sort of a modern version of the Piper Cub, rather than a miniature and faster 172 or Cherokee or even Cirrus like some of the other slicker and faster LSAs. Nicer flying characteristics, especially on landing, than some of the slicker and faster LSAs. It should be a great little trainer and pleasure flying/rental airplane on the Southern Maine Aviation line. (And for those who like the slicker and faster LSAs, SMA has that pair of beautiful Gobosh G700s.)
By James E. Ellis