The new owners of Lancair International, father and son team Mark and Conrad Huffstutler, brought their first offering to Oshkosh to put on display at EAA’s AirVenture. The four-seat composite Mako is an experimental alternative to the Cirrus SR22 or Cessna TTx.
While the main gear is fixed, the Mako incorporates an optional retractable nose-gear system, which automatically extends or retracts through parameters of speed, ground proximity, power settings and flap settings. Weight-on-wheels deactivates the system and there is a button in the cockpit that lowers the wheel. The retraction results in a 12-knot speed gain. With a nose wheel fairing, the speed reduction is brought down to 7 to 8 knots.
The price of the Mako ranges from $250,000 to $500,000, dependent on the customer’s avionics and engine selection and other additional equipment and creature comforts. A typical Mako, with a turbocharged Lycoming IO-540 engine, boasts a cruise speed of up to 235 knots, a 1,300-pound useful load and close to 1,200 nm of range.
With the flexibility of the experimental airworthiness certificate, there is a slew of options available for the Mako. The airplane on display, which was built in the factory in about four months, is decked out with air conditioning, heated seats, an autopilot, speed brakes and much more. The panel of the is kept very clean as most switches and buttons are incorporated into the G3X avionics system. A BRS parachute option is also available.
Another more unusual option is to have the control stick in the center of the cockpit and power levers on the left and right side panels. Prop control is done through a small button on the throttle, which can increase or decrease the pitch of the propeller.
Under the new ownership, Lancair is continuing its quick-build program, allowing customers to satisfy the 51 percent rule by participating in the build process in a two-week block. The complete build process is expected to take less than six months, and Lancair has the capacity to also help with the paint, and avionics and interior installation.
The Huffstutlers took over the company earlier this year and moved the assets from Bend, Oregon and Cebu, Philippines, to Uvalde, Texas, where Lancair has an 88,000-square-foot, climate-controlled facility.
