I just started flying in New Smyrna in February and visited Spruce Creek for dinner. What a cool airpark and so many cool planes and a P-51 peaking out of a garage.
This article (bydanjohnson.com/first-one-in-the-usa-flying-tls-luxurious-mosaic-ready-sparker-aircraft/) provides more info, but yes, rudders pedals adjust electrically.)
Insurance -is- a problem now, no question but that's true for most aircraft/pilots. The insurance market fluctuates up and down. However, offsetting current challenges is TL's long history in the business and representation in this country.
i really liked that plane in airshow last year in Friedrichshafen. İt really wide body little bit heavy for lsa requirements in EU but really well build plane. İf i looking for a new plane it will be in my short list on 912is engine... Shark, Vl3 and Sparker hard to chose price tag nearly same, performance nearly same all have good after sale tecnical asisst in EU...
As an Experimental, Sparker does not have to follow LSA's 120-knot limit. As a Mosaic LSA after 2Q25, it can fly as close to 250 knots as designers can manage.
It's a good plane, there are others very much like it though but where it fails critically is the 400k$ for a 915 version. Even if it was part 23 certified it would be too much. That it's similar overpricing to Cirrus is in no way an excuse. The Risen 915 is a significantly better plane and afaik significantly cheaper although getting a straight answer on price is part of the poor state of GA
This probably won't be available to buy for a couple of years... At least not this variation. It's very pretty. I'm guessing in this configuration you'll be looking in excess of Mid $400's. The model with a 912 ULS is in the mid $300K's. Comparable to a Bristell. Not sure how I feel about those side sticks. Hard to switch hands when you need your left for something... Had this issue while flying a Cirrus. I'm praying all this Mosaic stuff happens and happens soon.
Trey Murdaugh stated that the 915iS example I flew was $327,000. However, at these prices, you need to contact them if that's in your range. There's more detail to be discovered.
@@DanJohnsonAffordableAviation I own an IFR E-LSA Bristell now. I'd consider upgrading for a faster airplane. It is beautiful. Not quite as wide in the cabin as the Bristell, but it checks off several pluses. Dan, thanks for all your work in promoting and reporting on all the MOSAIC issues and updates. You say mid 2025. I was really hoping that this no nonsense change would happen mid 2024. We are all waiting anxiously.
It is available to buy now. I bought one that should be delivered by roughly July. I have flown Cirrus and other planes with side sticks so I actually prefer the side stick - provides more space in front of you. Flying a side stick to me is no different than flying a yoke with the left hand while the right hand is on the throttle. Some will like it, some will not. Fully loaded for IFR with backup, low $400s.
Now this thing can do up to 170kt it’s an LSA so for LSA pilot they are limited to 120kt if I’m not mistaken; I wonder how many LSA pilots would obey that?
By today's regulation, Sparker is not an LSA. That's why they sell it as Experimental for now. After second quarter 2025, it should easily qualify as a Mosaic LSA, when it can go 250 knots as others have noted.
Such a beautiful, amazing and capable Aircraft with the fatal exception of the luggage. At 75 pounds it’s complete crap and 100% a dealbreaker. No golf clubs, no skis, no bicycles and realistically no camping Gear for two.
Ready to place my order. Only a miniscule $500,000 dollars! A bargain! A Tesla CyberTruck is $120k, and has more advanced electronics than any general aviation system, self-driving technology and 5x the horsepower. Yet I can buy 5 CyberTrucks for the same price! WOW! General aviation is SO AFFORDABLE! There's NO WAY it should cost so much to build an airplane. What is wrong with GA?
I can explain.. Marketing and production 202. Economies of scale. I’m a Tech grad worth 32 million and I wouldn’t spend my money on anything in this crazy market so don’t worry about thinking it’s expensive, it is!
I could agree, but we have not lost anything that is currently available, from the biggest LSA of today to low cost single seaters to Part 103. We are adding Mosaic LSA that, yes, may be rather expensive.
four hundred thousand dollar plane, better be able to fly it everywhere, anytime, without restrictions for that price. Never mind exhibition nonsense, if I’m in that market I’m getting a plane that can legally fly anywhere and at night.
Too scared to mention price I see? As sleek as ot looks it's really not that impressive with the speeds. Looks to be capable of 200+ easy. Just thinking a well equipped RV would smoke this thing. No doubt it's beautiful. Is it fully aerobatic? Definitely a letdown if not.
it is 500.000.00 because there are enough people that buy it, otherwise I it would be around $150-$160.000 ,, answering your question in the comment below.... LSA now is only made from the RICH and Famous
A new 172 cost will cost you over 400K using the same aircooled engine design from the 40's. And the cessna cruises about 110, not 170 knots like the Sparker.
Nice craft. There is too much automotive thinking and ideas that has gone into the Rotax which has added far too many parts to the periphery of the engine. Lots of hoses and far too much other stuff. The less parts that are taken aloft, the less parts there are to break down. If air can do the engine cooling why take coolant aloft with its associated parts and the TBO isnt any more than a Lyc.or a Cont.
Never fails that EVERY single one of ANY airplane being showcased in these "talk, talk, talk" review videos NEVER let you hear the actual engine-sound audio. It's like they're ALL embarrassed to let any one hear that these Rotax engines ALL SOUND LIKE SNOWMOBILEs (because they ARE).... Can't compare a Lycoming sound to a Rotax sound. Rotax sounds like a toy, screaming at 5400rpm to achieve the same HP that at a Lycoming achieves at 2400 rpm.
Yet the Rotax sips fuel at 7 GPH & is FADEC controlled, the airplane flies at 170 KIAS, and retracts. Yes, only two seats, but that’s an LSA restriction.
? @gi8323 Chuckles - Operating at 5k+ rpm practically its entire life, how can a geared engine literally not grind itself down to a rattly mess before it has to be scrapped? Does having FADEC really outweigh that these engines can literally grind themselves to a pulp in a much shorter TBO period than standard engines?... but again, why don't Rotax owners ever let their engines be listened-to in their videos? Instead talking, muting, or playing music to drown out the snowmobile sound. I'm surprised they don't come with a pull-starter like most snowmobiles . If they're so good, why don't the legacy certified aircraft manufacturers use them?
To me what is winning the war is Russian Superior Tactics that emphasis Losing the Fewest troops.. over territorial gains.. that does not all ways mean retreating but cutting of supply's of Material and Forces as they advance and attaching on multiple Fronts then the use of bombardment is More Local and Effective also demoralizing the opposition while showing the Lack of AFU effective tactics... as the AFU becomes thinner and thinner while the RU expands the front thinning the AFU out more and more this will lead to of the AFU collapse seems sooner than most suspect
You know it was a very good video but you really fell on your face when you didn't give us a price range from the low end to the top end very disgusted with you Dan
Well, I'm glad you enjoyed most of it. Prices can vary widely by personal tastes and are always subject to change so I generally don't go too far into the numbers.
I just started flying in New Smyrna in February and visited Spruce Creek for dinner. What a cool airpark and so many cool planes and a P-51 peaking out of a garage.
love the side by side version !!
Dan, you knocked it out of the park! WOW
Thanks!
Awesome, love the trailing link gear!
Beautiful aircraft - can't wait to see one in person!
thanks Dan on info..
Love the 4 blade propeller! Looks very sleek and aerodynamic. Nowadays manufactures have no excuse on creating flying "bricks"
🙋♂ Dan, beautiful aircraft. Looks hot. Tks for the great video. Love the plane, could have a better name though.
Yeah, the name is awful.
Impressive! Thanks, Dan!
Great video thank you
Glad you enjoyed it.
Awesome Paint job
I'll keep the RV-6A with the Garmin G3X for now. 25% of the price. Looks sharp, but a lot of money for a small experimental side by side.
Not to mention being retractable-gear. RG’s can be far more expensive to maintain, not to mention higher insurance premiums.
The LS pilot license is attractive to some and this would appeal to them for that reason.
Nice looking plane! Random question.. Can a 6'4'" pilot fit into the cockpit?
Looks good is this available as slasa. Probably with the 100 horsepower. Retract s .. on a lsa. Didn’t think that past mosaic.
How does one inspect the airframe internally for cracks etc.?
@DanJohnsonAffordableAviation you mentioned "second quarter of '25." Is that a known date for finalization of MOSAIC? An estimation?
On many occasions FAA has stated they need 16 months from the close of comments. That translates to second quarter of 2025.
Wow, sexy aircraft!
Maybe I missed something. Isn't this very similar to a JMB VL3 Evolution with less useful load and more expensive?
VL3 is not similar, it is half as small, so you need to calculate price of VL3 * 2 and Sparker is cheaper after all
@@BarboraHubena-b8t What do you mean half as small?
@@BarboraHubena-b8t they are within 1-2 feet in length and wingspan and the vl3 has more useful load
@@michaelgallagher7259 Does that mean twice as big? hahaha
Yes, this plane is a fair bit larger than the VL3 and weighs more. A VL3 is like a Porsche GT3 RS, the sparker is like a Carerra 4S Turbo.
are the pedals adjustable on this one
This article (bydanjohnson.com/first-one-in-the-usa-flying-tls-luxurious-mosaic-ready-sparker-aircraft/) provides more info, but yes, rudders pedals adjust electrically.)
What was the line hanging off the right main?
You must've missed the text line saying it was a grounding wire.
Gorgeous plane. But only one in US. How the heck do you get someone to insure it???
Insurance -is- a problem now, no question but that's true for most aircraft/pilots. The insurance market fluctuates up and down. However, offsetting current challenges is TL's long history in the business and representation in this country.
What’s the actual specs for slsa aircraft for the USA.
Need one for MSFS.
amazingggggg :)))
i really liked that plane in airshow last year in Friedrichshafen. İt really wide body little bit heavy for lsa requirements in EU but really well build plane. İf i looking for a new plane it will be in my short list on 912is engine... Shark, Vl3 and Sparker hard to chose price tag nearly same, performance nearly same all have good after sale tecnical asisst in EU...
I thought the VL three was over $500,000?
@onethousandtwonortheast8848 Don't know how much they demand on USA. But in EU for brand new around 200 euro full glass and galaxy rescue.
Cool plane but isn’t LSA limited to 120 knots?
For now, it depends on what MOSAIC does.
As an Experimental, Sparker does not have to follow LSA's 120-knot limit. As a Mosaic LSA after 2Q25, it can fly as close to 250 knots as designers can manage.
How much ????
Stated in the article, but $327,000 has flown.
Dan shut up, let the guy talk and answer your questions!
Thanks for your comment.
It's a good plane, there are others very much like it though but where it fails critically is the 400k$ for a 915 version. Even if it was part 23 certified it would be too much. That it's similar overpricing to Cirrus is in no way an excuse. The Risen 915 is a significantly better plane and afaik significantly cheaper although getting a straight answer on price is part of the poor state of GA
Totally agree I also love the shark that’s a really nice airplane ✈️
This probably won't be available to buy for a couple of years... At least not this variation. It's very pretty. I'm guessing in this configuration you'll be looking in excess of Mid $400's. The model with a 912 ULS is in the mid $300K's. Comparable to a Bristell. Not sure how I feel about those side sticks. Hard to switch hands when you need your left for something... Had this issue while flying a Cirrus. I'm praying all this Mosaic stuff happens and happens soon.
Trey Murdaugh stated that the 915iS example I flew was $327,000. However, at these prices, you need to contact them if that's in your range. There's more detail to be discovered.
@@DanJohnsonAffordableAviation I own an IFR E-LSA Bristell now. I'd consider upgrading for a faster airplane. It is beautiful. Not quite as wide in the cabin as the Bristell, but it checks off several pluses. Dan, thanks for all your work in promoting and reporting on all the MOSAIC issues and updates. You say mid 2025. I was really hoping that this no nonsense change would happen mid 2024. We are all waiting anxiously.
It is available to buy now. I bought one that should be delivered by roughly July. I have flown Cirrus and other planes with side sticks so I actually prefer the side stick - provides more space in front of you. Flying a side stick to me is no different than flying a yoke with the left hand while the right hand is on the throttle. Some will like it, some will not. Fully loaded for IFR with backup, low $400s.
Now this thing can do up to 170kt it’s an LSA so for LSA pilot they are limited to 120kt if I’m not mistaken; I wonder how many LSA pilots would obey that?
For now, it depends on what MOSAIC does.
By today's regulation, Sparker is not an LSA. That's why they sell it as Experimental for now. After second quarter 2025, it should easily qualify as a Mosaic LSA, when it can go 250 knots as others have noted.
Maybe Joe will get on them about higher prices and smaller packages.
I have three words for you: Risen 😂
And only a mere $327k for a LSA 🤷🏻♂️
I never heard a price not that I could afford one, 325 to 425 thousand for a two seater, know i can't afford it now
I like the side stick because my last 2 crashes I slammed into the center stick and bruised my collar bone and then me left shoulder.
Such a beautiful, amazing and capable Aircraft with the fatal exception of the luggage. At 75 pounds it’s complete crap and 100% a dealbreaker. No golf clubs, no skis, no bicycles and realistically no camping
Gear for two.
Sounds like a Kit Fox or Rans is more your speed. 🤭
Stop interrupting the guy
Ready to place my order. Only a miniscule $500,000 dollars! A bargain! A Tesla CyberTruck is $120k, and has more advanced electronics than any general aviation system, self-driving technology and 5x the horsepower. Yet I can buy 5 CyberTrucks for the same price! WOW! General aviation is SO AFFORDABLE! There's NO WAY it should cost so much to build an airplane. What is wrong with GA?
Volume, Tesla will build 20x more cyber trucks in a year than Sparker will sell in total. Economies of scale allows Tesla to sell more for less.
I can explain.. Marketing and production 202. Economies of scale. I’m a Tech grad worth 32 million and I wouldn’t spend my money on anything in this crazy market so don’t worry about thinking it’s expensive, it is!
well, try to fly with Tesla then :)
LSA has now lost its way from the original concept, only the very wealthy can join the rich man’s club!
I could agree, but we have not lost anything that is currently available, from the biggest LSA of today to low cost single seaters to Part 103. We are adding Mosaic LSA that, yes, may be rather expensive.
Yawn when mosaic comes in I’ll believe it ! 4 years at this point might be 5. ..
Interruptin Dan.
four hundred thousand dollar plane, better be able to fly it everywhere, anytime, without restrictions for that price. Never mind exhibition nonsense, if I’m in that market I’m getting a plane that can legally fly anywhere and at night.
Too scared to mention price I see? As sleek as ot looks it's really not that impressive with the speeds. Looks to be capable of 200+ easy. Just thinking a well equipped RV would smoke this thing. No doubt it's beautiful. Is it fully aerobatic? Definitely a letdown if not.
it is 500.000.00 because there are enough people that buy it, otherwise I it would be around $150-$160.000 ,, answering your question in the comment below.... LSA now is only made from the RICH and Famous
A new 172 cost will cost you over 400K using the same aircooled engine design from the 40's. And the cessna cruises about 110, not 170 knots like the Sparker.
This plane is 400,000 fully loaded
That 50 inch cabin!
Is this perchance a plane that fits normal Americans???? Maybe???
Side sticks ruin it for me
Nice craft.
There is too much automotive thinking and ideas that has gone into the Rotax which has added far too many parts to the periphery of the engine.
Lots of hoses and far too much other stuff. The less parts that are taken aloft, the less parts there are to break down.
If air can do the engine cooling why take coolant aloft with its associated parts and the TBO isnt any more than a Lyc.or a Cont.
Never fails that EVERY single one of ANY airplane being showcased in these "talk, talk, talk" review videos NEVER let you hear the actual engine-sound audio. It's like they're ALL embarrassed to let any one hear that these Rotax engines ALL SOUND LIKE SNOWMOBILEs (because they ARE).... Can't compare a Lycoming sound to a Rotax sound. Rotax sounds like a toy, screaming at 5400rpm to achieve the same HP that at a Lycoming achieves at 2400 rpm.
Bla,bla,bla…did that make you feel cool….
Yet the Rotax sips fuel at 7 GPH & is FADEC controlled, the airplane flies at 170 KIAS, and retracts. Yes, only two seats, but that’s an LSA restriction.
? @gi8323 Chuckles - Operating at 5k+ rpm practically its entire life, how can a geared engine literally not grind itself down to a rattly mess before it has to be scrapped? Does having FADEC really outweigh that these engines can literally grind themselves to a pulp in a much shorter TBO period than standard engines?... but again, why don't Rotax owners ever let their engines be listened-to in their videos? Instead talking, muting, or playing music to drown out the snowmobile sound. I'm surprised they don't come with a pull-starter like most snowmobiles . If they're so good, why don't the legacy certified aircraft manufacturers use them?
Why doesn't Mike Patey use Rotax? Must be some reason for this.
It sounds like an engine that can make it to TBO without having half of its cylinders replaced one by one and doesn’t leak oil for day one! Haha
To me what is winning the war is Russian Superior Tactics that emphasis Losing the Fewest troops.. over territorial gains.. that does not all ways mean retreating but cutting of supply's of Material and Forces as they advance and attaching on multiple Fronts then the use of bombardment is More Local and Effective also demoralizing the opposition while showing the Lack of AFU effective tactics... as the AFU becomes thinner and thinner while the RU expands the front thinning the AFU out more and more this will lead to of the AFU collapse seems sooner than most suspect
It's a dumb name... "Sparker." Surely you could have come up with a better name!
You know it was a very good video but you really fell on your face when you didn't give us a price range from the low end to the top end very disgusted with you Dan
Well, I'm glad you enjoyed most of it. Prices can vary widely by personal tastes and are always subject to change so I generally don't go too far into the numbers.
Where can I train in any tl?