3I Sky Arrow – Aircraft of the Month

/ Spencer Gould

This aircraft of the month first flew in 1992 and comes from Naples Italy. I’ve seen a few at air shows and reminds me of a polished, composite, factory built J-1B Don-Quixote (ref July 2019 AOM).

History and Development

  • First Flight: The prototype took to the skies on July 13, 1992.
  • Manufacturer Transition: Iniziative Industriali Italiane produced the aircraft through various iterations until entering bankruptcy proceedings in 2008. In 2012, the design and intellectual property were acquired by Magnaghi Aeronautica based in Naples, Italy, which resumed production and updated the type for modern Light-Sport Aircraft (LSA) standards.
  • Certification: The Sky Arrow achieved broad regulatory recognition, securing certification under both FAA (FAR Part 23 and Special LSA) and EASA rules.

Key Design Features

  1. Pusher Engine Configuration: Mounted high behind the main wing, the pusher engine keeps the propeller away from the cockpit. This layout provides an unobstructed, 180-degree panoramic view for both the pilot and passenger.
  2. Composite Airframe: Constructed primarily from carbon-fiber sandwich material with Kevlar reinforcement around the cockpit area, providing a rigid, light, and crashworthy frame.
  3. Control Setup: Features jet-style side-stick controls and dual control systems (stick, rudder, and throttle) accessible from both front and rear tandem seats.
  4. Specialized Applications: Beyond recreational flying, variants like the Environmental Research Aircraft (ERA) were equipped with specialized sensors for atmospheric turbulence and land-use monitoring by research institutions like the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

General Specifications (Sky Arrow 650 / 600 Sport Series)

  • Crew / Capacity: 1 Pilot, 1 Passenger (Tandem)
  • Length: 7.60 m (24 ft 11 in)
  • Wingspan: 9.68 m (31 ft 9 in)
  • Height: 2.56 m (8 ft 5 in)
  • Engine: Rotax 912 series (typically 80 hp to 100 hp)
  • Cruise Speed: ~100–108 knots (115–124 mph)
  • Max Takeoff Weight (MTOW): Ranges from 450 kg to 650 kg depending on target market/certification

Sources & External Web Links

For further reading, specifications, flight reviews, and historical archives, refer to the following online resources:

Quite a few videos of the Sky Aero on YouTube:

A few RC options:

https://www.championhobby.com/info.php?id=1412&name=%20%20Sky%20Arrow%28FG%29

Hobby king used to offer one, they can come up on ebay

Betafpv Meteor 75 Pro Whoop Drone Review

/ Spencer Gould

Is the BETAFPV Meteor75 Pro the best micro FPV drone for beginners? In this review, we test this ultimate all-around 1S whoop indoors and outdoors! If you’re looking for a true step up from cheap Walmart or Target store drones, the Meteor75 Pro offers durable brushless power, silky-smooth flight dynamics, and incredible fun for pilots of all skill levels.

👇 GEAR MENTIONED & RECOMMENDED IN THIS VIDEO 👇

🚁 BETAFPV DRONE & ACCESSORES

🎮 TRANSMITTERS & RADIO GEAR

🥽 FPV GOGGLES

📖 HELPER RESOURCES & LINKS

⚡ TIMESTAMPS
00:00 – Intro: A Real Upgrade From Toy-Grade Drones
01:15 – Unboxing & Meteor75 Pro Specs
03:00 – Indoor Flight Test & Durability
05:20 – Outdoor Flight Test & Wind Handling
07:45 – Battery Life & 580mAh Performance
09:10 – Final Verdict: Is It Worth It?

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Davis DA-2 – Aircraft of the Month

/ Spencer Gould

The Davis DA-2 was designed as an Experimental market aircraft with a first flight in 1966. this compact 2 seater was originally powered by a Continental A65 but the O-200A would be a better choice with the DA-2A. Being an O-200 option it can also work with other powerplants like the Corviar. By the mid 80’s 45 where built.

Some Articles:

http://www.airbum.com/pireps/PirepDavisDA2.html

https://planeandpilotmag.com/davis-da-2a

While being a rare E-AB there are a few YouTube Videos on it:

Fairly simple to make an RC model with this 3 view, the flat and ruled surfaces lend them selves to a balsa built model

Tissue and rubber band free flight option is available from the AMA:

https://www.modelaviation.com/DA-2A

along with plans on Outerzone:

https://outerzone.co.uk/search/results.asp?keyword=Davis+DA-2

Zenith 750 Super Cruzer – Aircraft of the Month

/ Spencer Gould

New at Airventure 2026 Zenith debuted the Super Cruzer.

https://zenithair.net/zenith-ch-750-super-cruzer

Out of all the aircraft offerings out there, the 750 Super platform looks like one of the best way’s to go from what I can see, here are the factors in the equation:

  1. New aircraft with decent payload capacity, think PA-28’s C-172’s are now past 1/2 Million, the Cirrus and Diamon options are in the 1 million range = total fantasy and disconnected from the “common man”
  2. The “affordable” certified Cessna and Piper options are now 50 – 70 years old, many with a 6 figure price tag with lots of training fleet wear and tear and recent FAA mandated spar corrosion inspections that can total the air worthness of the wings in one test. part of the higher corrosion issue is the use of 2024 aluminum, the standard of the industry but the copper alloying element is very prone to corrosion, requires protective coatings from the start, maintenance of that coating and as is becoming more evident no air frame material is immortal, so the “just by certified” token advise has some holes in it.
  3. The next angle is the stability of the company behind the aircraft for parts & engineering support. Piper actually went bankrupt and shut down the factory in the mid 90’s, Cessna turned the ship to focus on corporate aviation at the same time.
  4. On the home built side the gold standard was Van’s RV, like a Dewalt tool nothing bad was allowed to be said about them. They make a great product, lots of confidence in the design BUT…………. taking the post Covid hit’s in 2023 they went into chapter 11 bankruptcy, fortunately they are still in business after the restructuring. Following not far behind them was Sonex, that also makes one good plane, skipping the chapter 11 option they where a few weeks away from a chapter 7 event and where saved at the last minute.
  5. When it comes to the kit plane market metal aircraft have traditionally been better at re-sale compared to composites or tube and fabric
  6. General materials vs the environment, wood and fabric rot quickly, composites can be more difficult to detect damage and must be protected against UV light.
  7. Getting a kit plane finished, plans aircraft turn into a long drawn out event, super complex aircraft are the enemy of schedule and budget.
  8. So far nock on wood Zenith has been “Cruzing” slow and steady past all of this, no one is immune but all totaled is a confidence indicator when spending tens of thousands on just the kit.

Based on the 750 Super Duty STOL champ with different wings and flight control surfaces. Its the same idea as the smaller lower power 750 to 750 cruiser that came out in 2013 The 70x platform has been out since 1986 giving a 40 year legacy. Modern Zenith kits feature 6061 aluminum construction with CAD & CNC matched hole construction.

Back at Airventure 2014 the EAA hosted a one week build of the smaller Cruiser = https://www.eaa.org/airventure/features-and-attractions/aircraft-areas/homebuilt-airplanes-area/eaa-airventure-oshkosh-one-week-wonder/oww-2014

the array of 70x options can seem a bit confusing but it comes down to engine size and useful load:

Original 701 designed for a 50 HP Rotax 503 & 960 lbs gross, the later SP option added fuel & a 1100 gross

STOL 750 came out at Airventure 2008, designed for the light sport rule with a 1320 gross and much more common 100 ish HP engines including the o-200, Corvair, Rotax 9xx, Jabiru and others

750 Cruzer came out at Sun n Fun 2013 and was the first de-STOL-ing of the platform with the removal of the fixed slats, a conventional vertical stab and symmetric horizontal stab.

750 Super Duty was up sized and modernized to allow for 180 ish HP engines focusing in on the O-360

750 Super Cruzer does the same de-STOL-ing treatment with the same engine and fuselage.

There was a larger 4 seat version called the 801 that is no longer in production.

Recent Reviews:

https://www.aopa.org/news-and-media/all-news/2026/july/21/zenith-aircraft-debuts-ch-750-super-cruzer-at-airventure

Zenith Aircraft Surprises AirVenture With New Super Cruzer

I first found out about new 750 Super Cruzer on the Kitplane Enthusiast YouTube Channel (the video is blocked from embedding) but is worth checking out.

No RC options I could find

Globe Swift – Aircraft of the Month

/ Spencer Gould

This aircraft of the month is the Globe Swift, aimed at the “predicted” post WWII Aviation boom Globe aircraft designed and built the Swift to offer a sporty aircraft more similar to the advanced fighter aircraft of the war than pre war tube and fabric high wing aircraft.

What was not factored into the equation was the once in a lifetime gigantic surplus of WWII aircraft put on the open market at an extreme discount. Production ended in 1951 but with over 1,500 built you can still see them at airports every now and then.

While working for Piper at KVRB, the airport was also home to LoPresti Aviation, the same company that produced the Spectra seaplane (ref December of 2020 aircraft of the month) acquired the rights to the swift. LoPresti was acquired by Whelen Engineering in 2019 that still offers parts and mods for the aircraft. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LoPresti_Fury

Another connection I have is Mark Langford from the Corvair aviation community also owns (last I knew) a 1946 Globe Swift, Some truly impressive flight photos on his web site from both the KR2 and Swift http://www.n56ml.com/sunsets/ .

Because of its production numbers, looks and years it has been around there are quite a few YouTube Videos on it.

There is some swift merch but its on independent sites (not amazon)

Globe GC-1 Swift Airplane Model
Globe GC-1 Swift Airplane Model
Globe GC-1 Swift

For RC aircraft Outerzone did come to the rescue with quite a few options.

https://outerzone.co.uk/plan_details.asp?ID=8155

https://outerzone.co.uk/plan_details.asp?ID=3898

Zenith 600 series – Aircraft of the Month

/ Spencer Gould

This aircraft of the month is the Zenith 600 series. It’s a 2 seat, low wing, all metal kitplane with several power options.

I first encountered the 600 series when I was part of the Fly Corvair hanger gang. William was developing the Corvair based fire wall forward package for the aircraft. If your looking for a 100 – 120 hp opposing 6 cylinder direct drive butter smooth power plant with excellent parts availability I would highly recommend checking out https://flycorvair.net/ & https://www.youtube.com/@WWFlycorvair

To see some specific 600 series / Corvair builds check out https://flycorvair.net/2013/10/31/16-flying-corvair-powered-zenith-601-650s/

The 601 I got to fly had excellent handling qualities and good power with the base 2700 / 0-164 Corvair power plant.

First flight was back in 1984 and designed by Chris Heintz & Avions Pierre. I got to attend a few of Chris’s forums at Airventure & Sun-N-Fun, he was a very skilled Engineer.

EAA coverage = https://www.eaa.org/eaa/aircraft-building/kits-and-plans/t—z/zodiac-ch600-and-ch601

Latest iteration is the CH650, kit info, pricing & other resources can be found at: https://zenithair.net/introduction-ch650/

The modern kits feature CNC matched hole assembly along with pull rivets makes for quick, straight forward assembly.

It’s quite the popular series of kits so there is a bunch of YouTube videos on it.

No real hits for RC model options or Merch beyond what would be on the Zenith main site.

Arrow RC Seaplane Flight

/ Spencer Gould

Digging through the archives from the 2000s, I found this classic flight footage of my scratch-built Arrow Seaplane.

Designed by the legendary Laddie Mikulasko (the mastermind behind the iconic Northstar), the Arrow is an incredible performer on both water and in the air. This particular build featured a slightly modified nose and a standout Monokote finish.

If you want to build your own, the original RCM magazine might be gone, but the legacy lives on! Check out the free plan links below.

🛠️ Build Specs & Setup

  • Design: Arrow Seaplane (RCM Plan #1335, July 2004)
  • Designer: Laddie Mikulasko
  • Powerplant: K&B .65 Sportster (Lightweight & reliable)
  • Radio Control: Futaba 9CAPS
  • Finish: Purple, Gold, Platinum, and Chrome Monokote

📂 Free Plans & Resources

✈️ Join the Gould Aero Community

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Some Pictures of the build:

Amazon Fire Stick Select, Know Before You Buy!!!

/ Spencer Gould

Upgrade to the Max: Skip the lag. The Fire TV Stick 4K Max is well worth the extra cash ➡️ https://amzn.to/49BZWjI

Official Website: Read our full tech, aviation, and auto deep dives ➡️ https://gouldaero.com/

#FireTVStick #FireStickSelect #TechReview #FireStick4KMax #StreamingDevices #AmazonFireStick #GouldAero #TechReviews

RC Bookcase – A ton of rc aircraft content

/ Spencer Gould

I stumbled upon an amazing web site for anyone who is interested in vintage RC aircraft magazines and catalogs available for free pdf downloads called https://rcbookcase.com/

They do have a donate link that could be well worth it to any Aviation Philantropy people out there

I subscribed to RCM From 1993 to its end in 2006 so it’s amazing to see all the high quality scans,

Many other magazines and even catalogs are available.

I can’t thank the curators enough for keeping this historical content alive on this web site, Outerzone, Buzz Sharpy on Face Book, and others.