AMD Zodiac
Encyclopedia
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
all-metal, two-seat, fixed landing gear
Landing Gear
Landing Gear is Devin the Dude's fifth studio album. It was released on October 7, 2008. It was his first studio album since signing with the label Razor & Tie. It features a high-profile guest appearance from Snoop Dogg. As of October 30, 2008, the album has sold 18,906 copies.-Track...
airplanes that first flew in 1984. The aircraft have been produced as kits and completed aircraft by Zenair
Zenair
Zenair Ltd is a kit aircraft producer founded by aeronautical engineer Chris Heintz.The company was founded in 1974 when Heintz started to manufacture Zenith kits from his two-car garage. Heintz has introduced more than twelve kit aircraft designs...
in Canada and Zenith Aircraft Company
Zenith Aircraft Company
Zenith Aircraft Company is in the exclusive business of designing, developing and manufacturing kit aircraft. The independent, privately owned company was formed in 1992 in Mexico, Missouri, centrally located in the United States, and is based in 20,000+ sq.ft. production facilities at Mexico...
in the USA.
The latest models in the Zodiac family are the ready-to-fly AMD Zodiac LS and LSi produced by Aircraft Manufacturing and Design. The design has a single-piece bubble canopy
Bubble canopy
A bubble canopy is a canopy made like a soap bubble, which attempts to provide 360° vision to the pilot.-History:Bubble canopies have been in use since World War II. The British had already developed the "Malcolm hood", which was a bulged canopy, but the British Miles M.20 was one of the first...
.
Development
The original Zodiac airplane was designed in the mid-eighties, by Chris Heintz. It started out as a kit plane, meaning that consumers can purchase the plane as components to assemble it themselves. The Zodiac has since been manufactured in CanadaCanada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
, USA and South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
as a factory-assembled, ready-to-fly aircraft.
Heintz drafted the regulations for light-sport aircraft in Canada around the time he designed the Zodiac. He also played an important role in drafting the current light-sport aircraft (LSA) rules for the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
Zenith Aircraft Company still produces kits and Quick-build kits for the Zodiac kit for the homebuilt-market.
Flutter and grounding
In the NetherlandsNetherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
, the Dutch government grounded the 12 Dutch-registered CH 601 XLs on 24 October 2008. The planes were banned from flying pending an investigation into their structural strength, following the crash of a European variant of the design (Rotax powered and 450 kg (992 lb) maximum take-off weight) that killed two people. According to the Dutch government, since 2005 "at least seven accidents with Zenith CH601 XL's have happened in which one or both wings have failed". Zenair Europe investigated these accidents, concluded that none are due to a design defect and, after a first-hand review of the wreckage, also rejected suggestions that the aircraft in the Dutch accident experienced a structural failure.
On 14 April 2009, the NTSB wrote an urgent letter to the FAA recommending that they ground all Zodiac CH 601 XLs, saying "It appears that aerodynamic flutter is the likely source of four of the U.S. accidents and of at least two foreign accidents". The NTSB also wrote to ASTM International
ASTM International
ASTM International, known until 2001 as the American Society for Testing and Materials , is an international standards organization that develops and publishes voluntary consensus technical standards for a wide range of materials, products, systems, and services...
, the body responsible for developing standards for light sport aircraft, recommending that those standards be changed in light of the investigation. The NTSB says that the type has been involved "in six in-flight structural breakups since 2006".
Zenith Aircraft disputed the NTSB's conclusions and stated in a response on their website that "[w]e continue to believe wing flutter will not occur if the control cables are adjusted properly." They also cited Zenair Europe's disagreement with the Dutch government's conclusion that that accident was caused by flutter. AMD issued a safety alert in October 2008 mandating inspections of aileron control cable tensions. The company hired an independent consultant, Dr. Uwe Weltin, an internationally recognized flutter and vibrations specialist and head of the Institut für Zuverlaessigkeitstechnik at the Technical University of Hamburg-Harburg who concluded that when the CH 601 XL is built and maintained to Zenair specifications, there is "no tendency to flutter or divergence found within the flight envelope of the CH 601 XL". The company claimed that the report clears the Zodiac design of flutter-related concerns as long as CH 601 XL is built and maintained to Zenair specifications.
In reacting to the NTSB recommendations the FAA
Federal Aviation Administration
The Federal Aviation Administration is the national aviation authority of the United States. An agency of the United States Department of Transportation, it has authority to regulate and oversee all aspects of civil aviation in the U.S...
Administrator Randy Babbit declined to ground the aircraft and in a 13 July 2009 letter, stated "Data indicates the CH-601XL has a safety record similar to other S-LSA and appears capable of safe flight and operations if maintained according to the manufacturer’s recommendations."
On 6 November 2009 an amateur-built CH-601XL broke up in flight over Arkansas
Arkansas
Arkansas is a state located in the southern region of the United States. Its name is an Algonquian name of the Quapaw Indians. Arkansas shares borders with six states , and its eastern border is largely defined by the Mississippi River...
, resulting in the death of the pilot. Preliminary investigation of the accident revealed a failure mode similar to that seen in the earlier crashes, as both wings separated in flight. This brought the number of crashes to seven and deaths to 11.
The FAA issued a Special Airworthiness Information Bulletin on 7 November 2009 and strongly recommended that the aircraft not be flown until modifications detailed in an AMD Safety Alert are carried out. AMD and Zenith Aircraft issued documents the same day, mandating that the S-LSA version not be flown until the modifications were completed and recommended all aircraft be modified. The modifications included strengthening of the main and rear wing spar carrythroughs and the addition of aileron balance weights. The Experimental Aircraft Association
Experimental Aircraft Association
The Experimental Aircraft Association is an international organization of aviation enthusiasts based in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. Since its inception it has grown internationally with over 160,000 members and about 1,000 chapters worldwide....
also recommended grounding all affected aircraft until modifications are complete.
In a statement issued by Zenith Aircraft, the designer, Chris Heintz in response to the question "Why are you recommending this Upgrade Package? What has prompted this "180-
degree" shift, from insisting that the CH 601 XL design was fine "as is", to now mandating a list of upgrades requiring more than a dozen modifications?" stated:
On 12 November 2009 the FAA ceased issuing new Certificates of Airworthiness, requiring new registrants to prove that they have complied with the modifications before being permitted to fly the aircraft.
In addressing the 6 November 2009 accident NTSB Chairman Deborah A.P. Hersman said on 13 November 2009:
The FAA completed an in-depth review of the CH601 XL and 650 and issued a report entitled Zodiac CH601 XL Airplane Special Review Team Report January 2010. The FAA concluded:
In reacting to the FAA's report the Experimental Aircraft Association
Experimental Aircraft Association
The Experimental Aircraft Association is an international organization of aviation enthusiasts based in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. Since its inception it has grown internationally with over 160,000 members and about 1,000 chapters worldwide....
's Vice President of Industry and Regulatory Affairs, Earl Lawrence, said, "The FAA did an excellent job with this investigation and deserves credit for thoroughly exploring all possibilities. EAA had vigorously pushed for comprehensive data on these accidents. We wanted to see the data, so aircraft owners knew exactly what modifications were needed and why they were needed immediately."
Variants
Zenair CH 600- The original version of the Zodiac, the CH 600, was designed by Chris Heintz and first flown in 1984. The aircraft was intended as a primary trainer.
Zenair CH 601 HD
- The CH 601 HD (for heavy duty) was the follow-on to the original CH 600 and incorporated many improvements to the design. The HD version had a gross weight of 1200 lbs and a standard empty weight of 530 lbs. Aircraft kitsHomebuilt aircraftAlso known as amateur-built aircraft or kit planes, homebuilt aircraft are constructed by persons for whom this is not a professional activity. These aircraft may be constructed from "scratch," from plans, or from assembly kits.-Overview:...
were marketed by ZenairZenairZenair Ltd is a kit aircraft producer founded by aeronautical engineer Chris Heintz.The company was founded in 1974 when Heintz started to manufacture Zenith kits from his two-car garage. Heintz has introduced more than twelve kit aircraft designs...
of Midland, OntarioMidland, OntarioMidland is a town located on Georgian Bay in Simcoe County, Ontario, Canada.Situated at the southern end of Georgian Bay's 30,000 Islands, Midland is the economic centre of the region, with a 125-bed hospital and a local airport. It is the main town of the southern Georgian Bay area...
in Canada and by Zenith AircraftZenith Aircraft CompanyZenith Aircraft Company is in the exclusive business of designing, developing and manufacturing kit aircraft. The independent, privately owned company was formed in 1992 in Mexico, Missouri, centrally located in the United States, and is based in 20,000+ sq.ft. production facilities at Mexico...
of Mexico, MissouriMexico, MissouriMexico is a city in Audrain County, Missouri, United States. The population was 11,543 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Audrain County. The Mexico Micropolitan Statistical Area consists of Audrain County...
.
Zenair CH 601 HDS
- The CH 601 HDS (for heavy duty speedwing) was a version of the HD with the wing span is reduced to 23 feet (7 m) and a wing area of just 98 square feet (9.1 m²). The wing also featured a tapered design with a 34 inch chord at the wing tip.
Zenair CH 601 UL
- The UL version of the CH 601 was specially designed for the CanadianCanadaCanada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
Advanced Ultralight Aeroplane category that was introduced in 1991. Heintz was instrumental in the creation of the category as the author of the standards and used the CH 601 as a model for the category. The UL version had a reduced gross weight of 1058 lbs, the maximum allowed in the category. When the gross weight for the AULA category was increased to 1200 lbs in 2001 the CH 601 UL had its gross weight increased to the 1200 lb mark also. The UL version was supplied in 51% or 85% kit or completed form by Zenair in Canada and was designed for engines of 80 hp. The aircraft did not neatly fit any US categories and US buyers were advised to consider the HD instead.
Zenith CH601 XL
- The CH 601 XL was first flown in 1991 as an improved version of the HD developed for the amateur-built market and also for the American Light Sport Aircraft category. The XL features many incremental improvements over the HD, including a new wing design, wing fuel tanks to replace the fuselage tanks of the HD, new landing gear design and a new canopy.
Zenith 650
- Modernized version of the 601, with a larger canopy with more headroom, swept-back fin and rudder and engine options that include the 120 hp Jabiru 3300Jabiru 3300-References:* *...
, 100 hp Continental O-200Continental O-200The Continental C90 and O-200 are a family of air-cooled, horizontally opposed, four-cylinder, direct-drive aircraft engines of 201 in³ displacement, producing between 90 and 100 horsepower ....
and 100 hp Rotax 912ULS
AMD Zodiac XL & XLi
- The completed US Light Sport Aircraft compliant version of the XL is the AMD Zodiac produced by Aircraft Manufacturing and Design of Eastman, GeorgiaEastman, GeorgiaEastman is a city in Dodge County, Georgia, United States. The population was 13,541 at the 2000 census. The city is the county seat of Dodge County...
, USA. The aircraft is available in two versions, the XL, and the XLi. The XLi is IFR equipped for night flying and instrument flight conditions, while the XL is only equipped for VFRVisual flight rulesVisual flight rules are a set of regulations which allow a pilot to operate an aircraft in weather conditions generally clear enough to allow the pilot to see where the aircraft is going. Specifically, the weather must be better than basic VFR weather minimums, as specified in the rules of the...
day and night flying.
AMD Zodiac LS and LSi
- Zodiac CH 650 in VFR and IFR versions. Standard engine is the 100 hp Continental O-200Continental O-200The Continental C90 and O-200 are a family of air-cooled, horizontally opposed, four-cylinder, direct-drive aircraft engines of 201 in³ displacement, producing between 90 and 100 horsepower ....