Flight Impressions- Skyfox CA-22.A

Located at Caloundra, north of Brisbane and at the start of the Sunshine Coast, Skyfox Aviation has tested and retested modifications and structural changes to the basic airframe for several years. Now they have the optimum structure and, with the fitment of the newly introduced Rotax 912 four cycle horizontally opposed air-cooled four-cylinder engine, the optimum engine as well.

On a recent visit to Caloundra, we had the opportunity to watch CAA engineers carrying out structural load tests on the CA-22A airframe for JAR-VLA certification. We also had the opportunity to see the small but efficient manufacturing facility Skyfox has established at Caloundra Airport and watch staffers producing components and assembling customer aircraft.

Owner and Managing Director, ex-airline pilot Graham Day, is rightly proud of his company’s achievements. Changes and improvements undertaken by Skyfox have resulted in better handling qualities for an aeroplane which always flew pretty well, but now flies markedly better.

Skyfox Aviation is in a unique position, since it not only manufactures the CA-22 (Ultralight registration) and the CA-22A (Normal GA-VH registration) aircraft, in addition operates both types side by side at its own flight school.

Further, it operates at a normal General Aviation airport where its aircraft are sharing the circuit with Cessna 172s, Barons, Navajo, and a swarm of training helicopters from the rotary wing flight schools also based at Caloundra.

“Having our own flight school has provided us with invaluable feedback from day to daytraining operations, and this has helped us constantly improve small details,” Day says. “One of the helicopter training schools has a Skyfox on its line so students can build command time at very low cost while feedback from this source assures us of unbiased comments. ”

The new flat four engine has also given the Skyfox a far more “conventional” appearance, with its neat oval nose bowl and chin intake. The new 912 Rotax is actually a dual cooling engine – the cylinders are air cooled but the heads are cooled by liquid. This means there is a tiny radiator and coolant tank tucked inside the cowl. Indeed the additional check on coolant level is the only unconventional factor of preflighting the CA-22A. That and a check that the rearward-folding wings, are, indeed, locked and safetied in the extended position ( a fairly important check!).

Those familiar with earlier “Foxes” will be puzzled by a subtle difference in the vertical tail. Skyfox have increased the height and aspect ratio of the fin while retaining the same size rudder. The rudder is now inset into the taller more slender fin. Another feature is the fitment of a standard Maule self-casting tailwheel.

Because of the rearward location of the wing strut/fuselage fitting one must board a Skyfox from ahead of the wing. The large door opening has its sill at the same level as the low mounted seats, so it is an easy matter to face outwards, back to the door, sit down and then swivel ones’ legs inside. This is a simple operation, even for women in skirts.

However, because anyone entering or leaving a “Fox” must do so ahead of the main gear, only a few feet aft of the propeller arc, it is absolutely essential that the engine be shutdown during boarding or disembarking students or passengers.

Once aboard, the external small size of the “Fox” is forgotten. Legroom is more than adequate for six footers (or their metric equivalents). The clear Lexan “Patroller” doors fitted to most Skyfoxes are dished to provide greater cabin width and the result is roughly similar to the elbow nuzzling of a Cessna 152. While the “Fox” is seen by some as a latter-day version of the Taylorcraft BC-12D or the Aeronca Chief, it has more cabin width than either.

Panel space, too, is surprising. The Standard CA-22A comes with ASI, Altimeter, VSI, Compass, Slip/Skid, Tacho, CHT, Oil Press. , Hourmeter, Oil Temp. , and a 720 channel VHF radio with stick mounted PTT switch.

A three point harness is standard, there are quite effective fresh air vents for the cabin and controls on the lower panel for Carburettor Heat, “Choke” and optional Cabin Heat. Ample further panel space is available for NavCom, Loran, GPS, CB or HF radio. A Turn Coordinator, Mode-C TX, ELT or Gyro Horizon are options.

Fox customers have a choice of upholstery colours, and Standard aircraft are all over white with customer’s choice of four standard trim colours and accent striping.

Once seated and harness clinched tight the spacious and airy feeling of the “Fox” cabin becomes evident. The round-topped panel allows good vision down the side of the cowl although the average person would need to stretch a little to see clearly over the nose when stationary.

The large Lexan door panels provide good side and downward visibility and the full width panel in the cabin roof exposes a very wide area of the sky immediately above each wing (great for clearing the sky in turns).

The flat four Rotax rumbled into life easily and idled quietly and virtually vibration-free. We allowed a few minutes for temperatures and pressures to stabilise and then nudged the throttle slightly and the “Fox” began to roll easily on the concrete apron. The ultra low noise level of these new Rotax four strokes cannot go unnoticed. As we taxied out the lack of noise probably turned more heads than if we had been rattling window frames five klics away.

Skyfox Aviation’s John McBride and I were both wearing noise attenuating headsets, piped through a cockpit intercom system (a $400 option). This allowed normal conversation outside. Naturally, very lightweight aeroplanes cannot afford to load in too much weight in soundproofing, and the Skyfox is no exception.

Despite its external low noise footprint, I found the noise level in the cabin during cruise power level flight to be about the same as a Cessna 152 during a short period in which I deliberately removed my headset. With the headset in place, however, cabin noise is reduced to a soft mumble. Providing suitable headsets are worn, noise fatigue on cross country flights is not going to be a problem with this aeroplane.

Takeoff revealed an aircraft light on rudder during the initial takeoff roll. Rudder response is immediate and there was little inclination for the aircraft to swing. Indeed, time from opening the throttle to unsticking was so rapid there was no time for any swing to develop. We were airborne in considerably less than the claimed 120 metres, despite a moderate crosswind 8()<> to the strip.

I was immediately impressed by the natural stability during initial climbout. The “Fox” handled and felt like a large, heavier aircraft – no tendency to jink around as one finds so often in very light aircraft. Again the comparison with a Taylorcraft came to mind, as the little Skyfox settled into a fairly steep climb, indicating better than 800ft/min. With experience on the type, and flying solo, rates of climb in excess of lO00ft/min are commonplace but such steep climb angles are physically uncomfortable and tend to blanket all forward visibility.

Once out of the traffic pattern and inside Caloundra’s training area at altitude we explored the “Fox’s” manners at very slow speed. Regardless of whether the power is on or off the low speed handling is superb. Certainly the aircraft will stall, but when this happens it is preceded by a well defined buffet (caused by leading edge strakes). The aircraft merely pauses in what it is doing, sinks a little, drops its nose gently to the horizon and flies right on out the other side.

Accelerated stalls forced in a turn produced stronger buffets but no stronger reaction. The “Fox” merely shook its tail a couple of times, nodded its head and went on flying at a slightly reduced angle of bank and reduced rate of turn. But bite? Nothing even resembling the start of one! In cruise the nose position is well below the horizon and visibility is excellent. The overhead skylight provides a lot of peace of mind in busy circuits and is an excellent aid to turns in congested airspace-just look up and to one side and you can see the horizon for 120° ahead of your turn.

Like most small aircraft with both low-wing and span loadings, the Skyfox exhibits a quite good gliding performance with a surprisingly low rate of sink. Control on all three axis is immediate and precise. This applies to full power applications, or flight idle gliding. Control pressures are much lighter than many GA trained pilots are accustomed to feeling and this may lead to some overcontrolling for the first few minutes. This is merely a matter of adjustment and any strangeness will disappear within the first five minutes.

Skyfox Aviation’s instructors teach their students tail low “wheel” landings the standard method of arrival on Caloundra’s sealed runway. With those big 6½ x 16 “Tundra” tyres (4psi) to absorb landing shock, most Skyfox landings are gentle affairs. However, the same big tyres store a great deal of energy and a dropped “Fox” will bounce disturbingly high if allowed to do so.

There have been stories around the hangars that it is impossible to three point a “Fox”. Stories like this usually stem from people who have never flown the type in question or from pilots who do not use the correct technique and then complain when the result is not to their l. iki. ,g. 3eing one of those who believe that all taild raggera should be three pointed as a matter of course I set out to achievejust that result with the “Fox”.

I found the aircraft sideslipped exceptionally well, with ample control to accurately roll out at quite low level. Approach speeds varied from 60 on base, 55 down final, bleeding back to 50 over the fence and approaching Ground Effect. The “Fox” is one of those aircraft which likes to flare low so establishing it in level flight 12 inches (. 3m) or so above’the runway allows a careful bleed off of speed as attitude is steadily increased to the three point angle just as stall occurs. Providing (and this is absolutely essential . . . as with Austers) the stick is hard back against the rear stop at the moment stall occurs, the Fox will squash gently down on all three points and roll out straight in a much shorter distance than for a “wheel” landing with brake. Ground manners are good, but reactions are quick Providing the old taildragger law is followed: “The landing is not completed until the aeroplane sits over the tiedowns”, nobody should have problems landing this aircraft on grass, dirt, or concrete, tail up or tail down. And anyone who does had best revise their techniques for landing taildraggers!

To sum up a short period flying this Australian-built lightweight:

1. Forget about the “lightweight” thing. This is arealaeroplane and performs as such.

2. A comfortable, nice handling aero plane with enormous appeal to economy minded private owners and flying schools. Nicely appointed and finished but could use additional baggage capacity for worthwhile touring.

3. Offers training schools Cessna 150 performance and capability at low cost. As a bonus its exceptionally low noise levels make it a good neighbour around built up areas.

4. STOL and 1-Iow flight capability coupled with the ability to handle rough surfaces promise reliable and safe bush operations.

So there it is. First impressions of an Australian offering in a new class of lightplanes which will play increasingly more important roles in the future of General Aviation in this country. The future promises to be interesting, indeed!