Viddler

All-Composite Speedster Equipped With 'Chute Recently, Gobosh Aviation unveiled a new addition to their product line, the all-composite 800XP. Sporting rakish lines similar to several other low-wing LSAs -- more on that in a minute -- the 800XP is a Czech-designed-and-built aircraft, unlike the Polish-built G700S that kicked off Gobosh's presence in the US last July. The aircraft boasts a "structural composite" design, reducing the need for underlying metal frame supports. Gobosh adds performance also benefits from a high-performance laminar-flow wing, designed specifically for the US marketplace. The 800XP was designed by brothers Mirek & Petr Kabrt, brothers who are also responsible for the design of several other Czech-sourced LSA in the US, including the TL-2000 Sting Sport. So it's no surprise to see the 800XP carries echoes of several other LSA. The 800XP also carries forth Gobosh's nomenclature system, with "XP" signifying a glass-cockpit-equipped aircraft, equipped with the GO-SAFE (Gobosh-Strategic Alternative For Emergencies) ballistic parachute system, sourced from Galaxy. (Of course, Gobosh likely wouldn't mind a bit if the plane's designation brings to mind the "other" 800XP in aviation, the one that carries the Hawker name.) A Dynon EFIS-D100 glass-panel system, sporting Garmin ancillary hardware, rounds out the avionics package. Initially, Gobosh will offer the 800XP in Elite and Elite+ configurations. Even standard Elite-equipped planes will sport Day or Night IFR capabilities (remember, sport pilot allows only Day-VFR operation) while the Elite+ planes will add to Gobosh's "luxury"-sport aircraft advertising tagline with standard leather seats, Garmin GPS-396 with XM/WX capabilities, and Bose headset jacks. Like the G700S, all 800XPs will be backed by a two-year, 400-hour warranty. Powered by the ubiquitious Rotax 912ULS, the 800XP should offer cruising speeds close to the 120-knot upper limit for LSA. Gobosh notes the basis for the 800XP, the retractable-gear VL-3, holds the Eur