The FAA recently signed off on the type certificate for XtremeAir’s XA42 — a two-seat, all-carbon-fiber aerobatic airplane, which has been EASA certified since March 2011. Powered by a 315-horsepower Lycoming AEIO-580 engine, the German airplane boasts a max cruise speed of 210 knots and load factor limits of +/-10 g.
Center sticks in front and back manipulate large control surfaces through carbon fiber push/pull rods, providing a quick response to control inputs. The ailerons are attached by five hinge-points and span pretty much the entire trailing edge of the wings. Maximum aileron deflection is approved between 50 and 225 knots, with a roll rate as high as 450 degrees per second at 225 knots. That translates to much less than a second per roll.
