Hansen Air Group exhibits Comet with Lycoming

Hansen Air Group have exhibited a FK-12 Comet fitted with the brand new Lycoming AEIO-233 engine at this years Sun N Fun aero trade show at Lakeland, Florida, USA.

The Lycoming AEIO-233 offers inverted flight allowing the Comet to be fully aerobatic in the LSA catergory.

Two Comets in the USA have recently had this new engine fitted by Renegade Light Sport  - flight trials will start shortly. 


Steve

Comet #100 - Something Special

Back in March 1997 the very first FK-12 Comet D-MPLI took to the air for the first flight of this new design.  Now FK Lightplanes can celebrate the delivery of Comet #100.

Comet #100 and #101 have been sold to France and they are unlike any previous Comet !

Comet #100

These two FK-12 Comets are operated by Les Ailes de Pegase Experience from the airfield at Saint Estephe, just north of Pauillac ( which is just north of Bordeaux ).  Both aircraft were delivered in a basic white colour scheme but have now been repainted grey with sharksmouths under the engine cowling. Grey Sharks - Fierce Comets !

Ailes de Pegase offer FK-12 Air Combat Experience - both aircraft air fitted with laser guns and smoke systems. This is your chance to try aerial combat over the skies above the Gironde. Shoot well and the laser will trigger the release of smoke from the "enemy" Comet. The range of the laser is approx 200m.

Comet #101

The company has several ex military fast jet pilots who will fly with you to teach you the skills of close formation flying and aerial dog-fighting - it sounds great fun !

I'd like to thank Laurent Pons for this very interesting Comet news.

More details about Ailes de Pegase can be found on their website link below

Link to Ailes de Pegase website


Steve

New colour scheme for Comet OO-F67

Belgian Comet OO-F67 has now been repainted into a new colour scheme. This FK-12 Comet is c/n 20 and was delivered new in 1999 in the then standard yellow/blue colours with the side code "12".  The aircraft was originally delivered to a German customer as D-MPHM.

Comet OO-F67 in the original colour scheme

In 2007 this Comet was sold to a new owner in Belgium and based at the airfield at Hannut/Avernas-le-Bauduin.  The aircraft has recently ( Winter 2011/2012 ) been repainted in an attractive new yellow/white/black colour scheme with "Comet 12" side markings.

I'd like to thank Arthur for this FK-12 Comet news.


Steve

Aerobatic Comet - Flying Upside down in Italy

I want to thank Fausto in Italy for sending me some photos he has taken showing the view from his FK-12 Comet cockpit - Fausto has successfully modified his Rotax engine to allow aerobatic inverted flying - so far he has flown over 30 hours with this modification.


""Up Down Flying Around Looping The Loop and Defying The Ground""


Congratulations - Enjoy your Comet

FK-12 Comet - Destination Beer !

FK-12 Comet pilot Richard has sent me some photos of his Comet registration 60-RJ construction number 043.


This Comet was built in 2001 and originally registered in Germany as D-MOVE. In 2010 this Comet was sold to a new owner in France.

 

It is now registered as 60-RJ and operates from an airfield near Paris - the new owner has modified the colour scheme by adding the name "Destination Beer" onto the tail rudder and by the addition of 12 beer logos beside the cockpit, sounds a great idea to me  - Cheers Richard !


Steve

New Comet - D-MNAZ

I would like to thank Natze Altekemper of FK Service Center, Senden, Germany for the news about Comet #095 recently delivered in a lovely white and red colour scheme registered as D-MNAZ.

This new aircraft features a Fly Map LD moving map display.


Steve

For Sale - FK-12 Comet c/n 017 D-MYVO

I have been asked by the owner of Comet D-MYVO "Big Beautiful Doll" to let you know that his FK-12 Comet is up for sale - if you would like to know more information then please follow the web link below.

UPDATE JUNE 2011 - this FK-12 Comet is now SOLD

Steve

Inverted FK-12 Comet - Upside down testing in Italy

I'd like to thank Fausto for sending me the photos below and the news about his FK-12 Comet in Italy c/n 066.

The Rotax 912 engine has been modified to allow inverted flight - the images below show the testing process in progress with the FK-12 Comet upside down in a test rig.

Engine running

Good luck with the testing process and please let us all know how your flight trials progress.


Steve

New Comet N452JH displayed at Sebring Expo Jan 2011

Hansen Air Group were able to exhibit there newly delivered FK-12 Comet at the recent Light Sport Expo held at Sebring, Florida, USA in January 2011.

Their brand new Comet is c/n 094 registered as N452JH - the aircraft is painted in an attractive white/yellow/grey colour scheme with side code "64".

The aircraft will shortly be fully re-assembled by Hansen Air Group at their base in Kennesaw, Georgia, with the intention of achieving its first test flight in the USA during February 2011.


Steve

D-MYLG - Comet c/n 010 - a brief history

I have recently received a very interesting short history of FK-12 Comet D-MYLG from Rick the proud owner. 

This Comet was supplied in May 1998 as a B&F Technik factory built kit, 80% complete.

Rick and his brother spent almost 1,200 hours assembling the aircraft and by October 1999 the Comet was complete.  The weather was not good and Rick had to wait until a calm day in January 2000 to make the maiden flight lasting 20 minutes.
Rick had started his flying career with gliders and then motorgliders before learning to flying ultralight aircraft. 

The Comet is powered by a Rotax 912 UL 80 HP engine - the original 40 litre fuel tank has been replaced by a larger 58 litre tank.  Rick's airplane is open cockpit, he has no cosy canopy.

Rick is the only pilot to have flown D-MYLG and over the past 10 years this aircraft has flown approximatley 260 flight hours. This Comet operates from an airfield in the Ulm region.

Comet D-MYLG has factory supplied undercarriage leg covers something rarely seen on the FK-12.

Being a former glider pilot Rick has added a FLARM ( Flight Alarm ) warning indicator to his aircraft- this equipment is commonly fitted to gliders. The FLARM device will detect and warn the pilot of any other FLARM equipped aircraft or gliders in his vicinity and give a simple position indicator - Comet D-MYLG is based in an area with a lot of glider activity and Rick finds this equipment can be a useful flight safety aid.

 

Another interesting feature is the tail wheel and tow bar - this makes moving the aircraft on the ground much easier for one person.

The joy of flying with an open cockpit  - enjoy your flight "Biggles".

FK Lightplanes are once again offering the FK-12 Comet as a factory supplied kit - see link below


Link to FK Lightplanes FK-12 Comet "kit" for 2010


Steve

FK-12 Comet video - watch FK-12 Comet Race I-A329 fly

The link below shows a good video of Italian FK-12 Comet registration I-A329 flying in its lovely "Comet Race" colour scheme - click on the link below,







Thanks to Luigi of AVIEMA for this information

Steve

New Comet delivered to Portugal

FK-12 Comet c/n 091 was delivered to Eduardo C from Portugal in September 2010.

Eduardo and his son took delivery of the aircraft at the FK centre at Speyer, Germany before flying the new aircraft to Portugal, routing via


Speyer-->Semur    LFGQ

Semur-->Libourne   LFDI

 

Libourne-->Biarritze   LFBZ - Overnight stop

             

Next day

 

Biarritze-->Matilla de los Caños  LETC

 

Matilla-->Alqueidão, Portugal

Congratualtions to Eduardo and thanks for sharing this news about Comet D-MLEC.



Steve

FK-12 Comet at Baialupo in Italy

Another Comet arrives in Italy - I would like to thank Claudio for the news about his new FK-12 Comet registration I-A363.

The aircraft is based at the airfield of Baialupo just to the north of Cassano d'Adda not far from Milan, Italy.


For more information about the airfield at Baialupo please visit their website below

http://www.baialupo.com/web/



Steve

Jean-Pierre flies his FK-12 Comet to Morocco

Morocco - The view from the cockpit

Jean-Pierre has sent me a great news story - he has just returned from an Air Rallye tour flying from France to Morocco via Spain. For the expedition he flew in his yellow FK-12 Comet c/s F-JFKR flying 45 flight hours over a two week period.

FK-12 Comet F-JFKR in Morocco 2010


Jean-Pierre says "My route was Vendee - Biarritz LFBZ then in Spain : Lumbier (ULM site near Pamplona), Casarrubios del Monte LEMT near Madrid, Medina Sidonia in Andalusia (Customs facilities) and then in Morocco : Tanger, Casablanca Tit Mellil and Essaouira, beginning of the Rally.

No problem with dust (I brought a new air filter just in case) nor hot weather : March is a good timing. We had to be carefull about some runway conditions (gravel...) as we landed in the middle of nowhere, on some strips in the country not available outside the Rally. And also with some wind conditions : 25 knots crosswind at Tantan in the south (I landed on the taxiway... into the wind) for example, and also at Tanger and Casarrubios on the way back. As you know, the FK12 is not the best aeroplane for strong crosswind...

I had no problem at all with F-JFKR. I had just performed a 50 hours inspection before departure and now I have the 100 hours inspection to do ! F-JFKR has 2 wing tanks which add 30 liters more of mogas and I flew at 4.300 rpm at 150 kms/h and less than 13 liters per hour. ""




More details via the link below ( French language )

http://www.grandsudevasion.com/



Congratulations to Jean-Pierre for this great flight

Steve

FK-12 Comet with EPAPOWER engine

Giovanni in Italy tells me that he is very excited about his new build FK-12 Comet which he hopes to receive in May 2010.

The aircraft is current under final assembly and will be fitted with an uprated Rotax engine modified by EPAPOWER of Italy - the engine will feature 1,500 cc with electronic injection giving approx 120 HP for take off and 100 HP in flight.

The aircraft will be based at a small airfield near Saronno in the Lombardy region of Italy.



Visit the EPAPOWER website via the link below


http://www.epapower.com/website/index.php/sportaviodivision


With thanks to Giovanni for this FK-12 news story.


Steve

FK-12 Comet Special Edition - magazine report

The German magazine " Flugel Das Magazin " has published a short report on the new FK-12 Comet Special Edition - a copy of the magazine report in German can be seen on the FK Lightplanes website via the link below.


http://www.fk-leichtflugzeuge.de/Downloads/Fluegel_1_2010_CometSL.pdf





Steve