New Wave in LSA
By Ian Brown, EAA 657159
October 2015 - Continental Motors announced that its Titan IO-340CC motor has been selected by a new aircraft company with an old name: Vickers Aircraft Company Ltd. The company looks like an interesting competitor for ICON, which recently delivered its first aircraft to Sean D. Tucker, EAA Young Eagles chairman.
The Vickers Company’s Wave aircraft is an amphibian with very similar lines to the ICON A5. Based in New Zealand, the company has yet to complete its first flight. Destined to fit in the light-sport aircraft (LSA) category, the aircraft will have a ballistic recovery parachute, folding wings, Dynon SkyView, and a full authority digital engine control (FADEC)180-hp engine.
The Vickers Wave
You can see an animation of how the wings will fold and the doors will slide rearward here.
On a historical note, the Vickers Ltd. company was responsible for the first nonstop transatlantic flight by Alcock and Brown in 1919. If anyone cares to dig far enough, there might be a connection between that company and Paul Vickers, CEO of Vickers Aircraft Company.
