Zenair Ltd is a Canadian kit aircraft producer founded by aeronautical engineer

Chris Heintz Chris Heintz may refer to: * Chris Heintz (baseball) * Chris Heintz (aeronautical engineer) Chris Heintz (21 November 1938 – 30 April 2021) was a French people, French and Canada, Canadian aeronautical engineer, known for his kit aircraft de ...

and based in Midland, Ontario.

History

The company was founded in 1974 when Heintz started to manufacture Zenith kits from his two-car garage. Heintz has introduced more than twelve kit aircraft designs. In 1992, Heintz licensed the kit manufacturing and marketing rights to Zenith Aircraft Company for the STOL CH 701 and the ZODIAC CH 601 designs, and has developed the new

STOL CH 801 The Zenith STOL CH 801 is a four-seat sport STOL aircraft developed by Chris Heintz and available in kit form from the Zenith Aircraft Company.Vandermeullen, Richard: ''2012 Kit Aircraft Buyer's Guide'', Kitplanes, Volume 28, Number 12, Decemb ...

and the new ZODIAC XL for Zenith Aircraft Company. In 1996, Chris Heintz and Zenair Ltd. obtained FAA type-certification for the Zenith CH 2000, a two-seat low-wing aircraft based on his kit aircraft designs. Aircraft Manufacturing and Design (AMD) manufactures this aircraft as the AMD Alarus CH 2000. AMD also produces the CH 601 XL as a

Light-sport aircraft A light-sport aircraft (LSA), or light sport aircraft, is a fairly new category of small, lightweight aircraft that are simple to fly. LSAs tend to be heavier and more sophisticated than ultralight (aka "microlight") aircraft, but LSA restrictio ...

(LSA). In October 2012, four French universities selected the Zodiac CH 650B as their instructional aircraft. In France, where the CH 650 is semi-certified in the CNSK category, the kit aircraft can be assembled by amateurs and still be used by Aeroclubs and schools for flight training and banner-towing purposes. Zenair Limited on November 15, 2012 announced that its FAA type-certificated CH 2000 trainer will be assembled in Peru, South America by a joint venture involving the Peruvian armed services, the

University of Perunas A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States, t ...

and SEMAN, a local aeronautical facility. Negotiations to structure the long-term program have been ongoing for the past year, with Zenair staff traveling to Lima and a contingent of Peruvian decision-makers visiting the Ontario-based factory. Company founder Chris Heintz died on 30 April 2021, at his home in France at age 82.

Aircraft

Zenair Cricket The Colomban Cri-Cri, also spelled Cricri, is the smallest twin-engined manned aircraft in the world, designed in the early 1970s by French aeronautical engineer Michel Colomban. The name ''Cri-Cri'' comes from the nickname of Christine, o ...

- Kit *

Zenair Zipper The Zenair Zipper is a Canadian ultralight high-wing, single seat aircraft that was designed by Chris Heintz and produced by Zenair. The Zipper is a highly innovative design that strongly emphasizes portability over speed or carrying capacity ...

* Zenair Zipper II * Zenair CH 50 Mini Z * Zenair CH 100 Mono-Z * Zenair CH 150 Acro-Z * Zenair CH 180 Super Acro-Z *

Zenair CH 200 The Zenair Zenith CH 200 and CH 250 are a family of Canadian single-engined homebuilt light aircraft. It is a low-winged single engine monoplane, that was first flown in France in 1970, with kits being made by the Canadian company Zenair from 197 ...

Zenair CH 250 The Zenair Zenith CH 200 and CH 250 are a family of Canada, Canadian single-engined homebuilt aircraft, homebuilt light aircraft. It is a low-winged single engine monoplane, that was first flown in France in 1970, with kits being made by the Canad ...

Zenair CH 300 The Zenair Tri-Z CH 300 is a three-seat Canadian homebuilt light aircraft. A single-engined low-winged monoplane, the CH 300 first flew in 1977, with several hundred kits sold. Development and design The CH 300 is an enlarged three-seat deriva ...

* Zenair CH 300 Tri-Z *

Zenith CH 400 The zenith (, ) is an imaginary point directly "above" a particular location, on the celestial sphere. "Above" means in the vertical direction (plumb line) opposite to the gravity direction at that location (nadir). The zenith is the "highest" ...

Zenith CH 600 The Zodiac is a family of Canada, Canadian all-metal, two-seat, fixed landing gear airplanes that first flew in 1984. The aircraft have been produced as kits and completed aircraft by Zenair in Canada and Zenith Aircraft Company in the US. ...

Zenith CH 601 The Zodiac is a family of Canadian all-metal, two-seat, fixed landing gear airplanes that first flew in 1984. The aircraft have been produced as kits and completed aircraft by Zenair in Canada and Zenith Aircraft Company in the US.Vand ...

Zenith CH 620 Gemini The zenith (, ) is an imaginary point directly "above" a particular location, on the celestial sphere. "Above" means in the vertical direction ( plumb line) opposite to the gravity direction at that location ( nadir). The zenith is the "highe ...

Zenair CH 640 The Zenair Zodiac CH 640 is a Canadian light aircraft that was designed by Chris Heintz and is produced by Zenair in the form of a kit for amateur construction.Vandermeullen, Richard: ''2011 Kit Aircraft Buyer's Guide'', Kitplanes, Volume 28, ...

Zenair CH 650 The Zodiac is a family of Canadian all-metal, two-seat, fixed landing gear airplanes that first flew in 1984. The aircraft have been produced as kits and completed aircraft by Zenair in Canada and Zenith Aircraft Company in the US.Vand ...

* Zenith STOL CH 701 * Zenith STOL CH 750 * Zenith STOL CH 801 *

Zenith CH 2000 Alarus The AMD Alarus CH2000 is a two-seat, fixed tricycle gear general aviation airplane, used primarily for flight training, that was designed by Chris Heintz. It is manufactured by Aircraft Manufacturing and Design Co. in Eastman, Georgia. It is a ...

Zenair CH 8000AG Zenair Ltd is a Canadian kit aircraft producer founded by aeronautical engineer Chris Heintz and based in Midland, Ontario. History The company was founded in 1974 when Heintz started to manufacture Zenith kits from his two-car garag ...

, made in Kazakhstan by AviaMaster Aircraft Ltd. * Zenith Aluminum Floats - started 1978

References

External links

Company websiteZenith Aircraft Co. websiteThe Zenair Newsletter

Aircraft Manufacturing & Development website archives
on Archive.org
Chris Heintz Light Aircraft Design History

Article about the CrossCanada flight from Sport Aviation Magazine
{{authority control Aircraft manufacturers of Canada Companies based in Ontario Midland, Ontario Manufacturing companies established in 1974 Canadian companies established in 1974 1974 establishments in Ontario