Thread: New Addition to the "line-up"

Flight Design is adding another addition to their line up here in this country - The CTLS-Lite, a little lighter in weight and a little lighter in price...

Wow .... $120k base price! Our '06 is looking like a bargain - I doubt we've paid more than $120 in acquisition and operation costs for 3 years... Basic CTSW, night package, 2-axis AP, 696.... Amazing.

Doug

I'm curious where the 50 pounds of weight reduction comes from, and what equipment that's in the standard CTLS is missing. Obviously, you have a Dynon D60 instead of a D100 as the PFD, and you have no EMS-MFD. But that doesn't get me to a $20k price reduction. The FD USA website talks about "lighter European parts" and the use of "less resin" (which sounds like something I would want to investigate further . . . .). Maybe what I'm asking is, unless you want a CTLS with more avionics (such as the Skyview), why would you buy the standard CTLS over the Lite?

Thanks,
jauchin in CT

There are changes such as no leather, no night flight package, lighter cowling, wheel pants, one less coat of paint, etc. Minor things that add up...

Bottom line in my thoughts is one heck of an airplane at one heck of a price with little sacrifice! But if you want the heavy iron you move up!

I do find the limited options in avionics a strange marketing move for CTLS Lite. Yes, as a person who looks to maximize useful load for twin x-c cruising in LSA I see a huge difference between 600lbs and say, 540lbs - and applaud the effort to build such a plane. But simultaneously I'd be interested in latest avionics - Dynon SkyView+autopilot in the era of every schoolkid having access to "Google Earth" would be a minimum as a VFR weather safety feature on a long trip. So cutting weight on avionics is not an option for me.

But here - D60 w/o EMS? Why? EMS weight is 1lbs 4oz. D60 to D100 primarily is firmware upgrade - at the cost $800 at Dynon. Installed cost price diffirence between full EFIS D100 and EFIS D60 - $500, weight difference - 0. Total weight with backup battery of both - 3lbs. So - why D60 w/o EMS w/o even option to upgrade? Dosn't make any sense to me.

They can keep heavy leather seats and tundra gear - but don't touch my avionics. :) I'd need 600+lbs useful load with SkyView or at least with D100 with high-end GPS/WX/transponder.

Still CTLS-Lite looks like losing it to a used lighter CTSW for me... I think FD has only one competitor to beat - used CTSW... :)