The new 2011 Challenger Light Sport XS-50 and XL-65 were designed expressly for our diverse Canadian requirements. They incorporate numerous great new features to further secure the Challenger line of aircraft as by far the most popular in its class.

The new 2011 Challenger Light Sport XS-50 is optimized as an economical go-fast airplane for wheels and skis. Cruise speed is increased to 95 mph thanks to a 26 ft clip wing and new streamlining features. The XS-50 is powered by the ASTM certified 50 hp Rotax 503. The XS-50 has a 960 lb gross weight and comes standard with a 10 USgal fuselage tank. Available options are a 17 USgal fuselage tank or 20 USgal wing tanks. The wing tanks allow for a baggage compartment in the fuselage behind the passenger seat.

The new 2011 Challenger Light Sport XL-65 is a high power, high lift aircraft for amphibious floats, heavy loads and high density altitudes. A 29.5 ft midsize wing, a power package with 30% more thrust, new landing gear and standard 20 USgal wing tanks combine to allow a gross weight increase to 1060 lbs. As an additional benefit the wing tanks also allow for the creation of a baggage compartment in the fuselage behind the passenger seat. The XL-65 is powered by the ASTM certified 65 hp Rotax 582.

The new Challenger Light Sport XS-50 and XL-65 represent the most dramatic step forward ever taken. These models incorporate numerous design enhancements driven by customer inputs. The goals were to make them easier to build and easier to fly, more ergonomic and more rugged. They carry more payload farther and faster. All while keeping the price at very affordable levels even with engine and instruments.

In today's challenging economy the financial aspects of aircraft ownership are more critical than ever. The new Challenger Light Sports are less than a quarter of the cost of typical AULA and LSA aircraft. The low acquisition cost and very low operating and maintenance costs mean owners can afford to fly as often as they wish. Challenger owners never pause to think how much it will cost to go for a flight.

The 2011 Challenger Light Sport airframe packages start around $20,000 for the quick-build kit including instruments and all described features. The available power packages include engine, mounts, redrive, prop and everything else needed to get the air moving backward and the plane moving forward.

A nicely equipped airframe and power package for the 503 powered XS-50 is priced in the high twenties while the 582 powered XL-65 is priced in the mid thirties. To spread out cash flow the package may be split into airframe and power sections or into tail, wings, fuselage and engine.

The new two seat Challenger Light Sport models position themselves beside the most advanced AULA’s in Canada and the S-LSA's and E-LSA's of the US Light Sport Aircraft category. Challengers emphasize the fun of building and flying your own airplane whereas virtually all of the new AULA’s and LSA's follow the Cessna tradition of hermetically sealing the occupants away from the flying experience.

Challengers also emphasize the philosophy that recreational aircraft should be both affordable to acquire and affordable to operate and maintain. The price tags of the latest AULA’s and LSA's are well over $100,000 on wheels and $150,000 on floats which is completely out of reach for most recreational aviators!

The new Challenger Light Sport models deliver wide ranging major improvements while retaining the docile nature of classic Challengers including low stall speeds as well as outstanding STOL operations with takeoff and landing rolls in the 200-400 ft range plus of course the Challenger's legendary crosswind capabilities. Payload is very impressive and is actually higher than in most two seat aircraft with much larger, more expensive engines.

The versatility to go high and fast or to go low and slow, the capability to operate from short unimproved strips, the ability to fly with the doors off like a roadster with the top down, and the unmatched visibility from both seats combine to put the fun back into flying. There is nothing like a Challenger Light Sport.