Hot Air, Wings, and Flying Things
Evektor Harmony: Excellent Low-Wing LSA
The Evektor Harmony is a very nice low wing Light Sport Aircraft, a significant improvement on the SportStar made by the same company. It is a beautiful and sleek airplane. Like the Gobosh, it has a notched vertical tail that makes it noticeable when seen from the ground or from a distance. The canopy bulges out above the fuselage sidewalls to provide more shoulder room. Evektor claims a cabin width of 46.5 inches, but it is not clear if that is down by your butt at the fuselage or by your shoulders by the bulging canopy. The bulging canopy is effective in providing a more spacious feel. Visibility out of the large canopy is excellent. The canopy had a large opaque section in the top to keep out direct sunlight, not a sliding curtain like some LSAs have. There is a panel light mounted on the canopy shining down on the panel.
The plane has a three bladed prop. It has split flaps, meaning that the flaps drop down below the wings. One problem with this is that you do not see flap movement from the cockpit. The flaps, activated by a lever between the seats, are three positions: 15, 30, and 50 degrees. The 15 degree setting is used for takeoff. Rotax requires alternate electrical systems if the aircraft will be used at night. On the Evektor Harmony, the alternate alternator is on a direct drive accessory pad and does not use belts.
There was a large baggage area immediately behind the seats, with still more storage space on a large “hat rack” behind the baggage area. (Of course, you are still legally limited to a max gross weight of 1320 lbs, but the substantial baggage area gives you the option of flying long distances with a lot of stuff with a single pilot.) Avionics are accessed for service through an avionics bay forward of the canopy behind the engine. A Galaxy parachute in a soft bag is also located in the avionics bay, with three steel cables from the chute to the aircraft fuselage. The parachute is activated by a red T-handle near the throttle in the center for the instrument panel.
In the panel were two Czech TL Elektronic Integra displays. The Integra displays had very nice graphics, much better than Dynons or even Garmin. There was a Garmin 696 in the center of the panel for a nav display. The comm radio and transponder were two small circular Becker units located to the left of the 696. There was a steam gauge airspeed indicator on the left side of the panel and an altimeter on the right.
Unfortunately, this was one of the worst demo flights I ever had. Art Tarola said he had over 7500 hours, and maybe it was too much, because he showed almost no respect for my 2500 hours in over 200 fixed wing aircraft. He was constantly tweaking something almost the entire flight, especially the vernier throttle and the trim. I had little opportunity to get a feel for the plane in the air, and no opportunity to get a feel for the plane in the pattern. Even telling him that “only one of us should be flying the plane” didn’t seem to get the message across. He did the initial takeoff; constantly made tweaks on my first and only landing attempt; and did the next takeoff. When I suggested that he demonstrate a landing so I could see how he wanted it done, after the landing he pulled off on a taxiway and ended the demo!
The throttle is a vernier control, which Art Tarola used much of the time. The throttle did have a large button that allowed full movement. My impression was that it was too “fussy” for a simple airplane, and a simple push-pull throttle would be better (although this may an effective Evektor answer to the problem of Rotax engines automatically going to higher power if the throttle is not locked down, which I had noted in the Gobosh and the Vans RV-12). Tarola was using the tiny carb heat knob a great deal, more than I have seen in any other Rotax aircraft. He said the manufacturer’s recommendations were to use carb heat below 4000 rpm.
In cruise flight and during steep turns, the plane had one of the nicest control feels of any Light Sport I have flown. The stick is large and solid. Responsiveness is very good. There are elevator and rudder trim tabs. These are activated by four buttons on the top of the control stick. There are two digital light bar displays below the throttle showing the position of the trim settings. An approach stall produced a very slight bobble and shake, with almost no noticeable drop of the nose. The plane descended at 500 fpm with wings level and nose slightly up. A departure stall barely produced a stall break. Both were easily recoverable.
Overall, the Harmony is a very nice airplane. The avionics displays are excellent. However, one design feature that makes it a very easy to fly and safe airplane may be very limiting as an effective trainer for a pilot intending to fly a range of aircraft. It has adverse yaw designed out, so that you can almost forget about using the rudder pedals. (Tarola was constantly telling me to keep my feet on the floor: not how dozens of other instructors have taught me to fly aircraft over the years.) It would be a very good plane as a trainer for someone who wants buy the Harmony and to learn to fly in their own airplane. It would be very easy and safe to learn to fly this airplane, and would probably help the novice pilot to learn to fly in close to the Sport Pilot minimums. The overly benign stall characteristics and no need for using rudder pedals mean it would not be an especially good trainer for pilots who are planning to transition to other aircraft, particularly legacy aircraft. Even if you only intend to fly Light Sports, you should know how to use rudder pedals (what they call “stick and rudder” skills). “Cub clones” are some of the top selling Light Sports, and I am sure you need to use rudder pedals in those.
The Harmony as flown costs approximately $135,000 (depending on the latest US Dollar-Euro exchange rate). It is built by Evektor Aerotechnique in the Czech Republic. Tarola stressed that Evektor has been building aircraft for over 40 years, and is a strong Czech company in the automotive and consumer products areas as well as aviation, so is not likely to go out of business. Unfortunately, you also have to be concerned about the American importer. If he goes out of business, you or your mechanic will be on your own dealing with Evektor in the Czech Republic.
Interested in the Evektor Harmony? Contact Art Tarola at AB Flight LLC at Queen City Airport in Allentown, PA. Check their website at www.abflight.com or call 610 762-9909.
by Jim Ellis