As many of you know, I am a fan of many kit planes and the Glasair Aircraft (Sportsman, Glastar, Glasair) is one. This is just one more great product added to their line.
This article was reprinted from AVWEB…
Glasair has added an amphibious version of the Sportsman 2+2 to its “Two Weeks to Taxi” program, which provides builders with two weeks of support at the Arlington, Wash., factory. The company is offering an introductory price of $199,000. The Sportsman is “a go-anywhere, do-anything airplane, and it’s fun to fly,” says company president Mikael Via. Two kids can ride in back, or the seats can be quickly removed and provide a roomy space for camping gear, golf clubs or fishing equipment. The amphibious version provides more options for backcountry excursions. The amphib has a useful load of 950 pounds, a cruise speed of 110 knots, and a 600-mile range.
Glasair’s two-week builder-assist program provides a step-by-step building program. Customers get access to the company’s tools and expertise to accelerate build time significantly, “without violating the spirit or intent of the 51-percent rule,” according to Glasair. Owners can choose from a variety of instruments, avionics, engines and propellers. Kitplanes editor Marc Cook built his Sportsman in the program; click here for a 2009 video report on the airplane by AVweb editorial director Paul Bertorelli.