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Zenith Aircraft Company is in the exclusive business of designing, developing and manufacturing
kit aircraft
Homebuilt aircraft, also known as amateur-built aircraft or kit planes, are constructed by persons for whom this is not a professional activity. These aircraft may be constructed from "scratch", from plans, or from assembly kits.Armstrong, Kenn ...
. The independent, privately owned company was formed in 1992 in
Mexico, Missouri
, image_skyline = Audrain County Missouri Courthouse.JPG
, imagesize = 250px
, image_caption = The Audrain County Courthouse in downtown Mexico.
, image_flag =
, image_seal = ...
, centrally located in the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
, and is based in 20,000+ sq. ft. production facilities at
Mexico Memorial Airport
Mexico Memorial Airport is a city-owned public-use airport located three nautical miles (6 km) east of the central business district of Mexico, a city in Audrain County, Missouri, United States. This airport is included in the FAA's National P ...
. Zenith Aircraft Company has acquired the rights to manufacture and market
Zenair
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 garage. ...
kit aircraft designs from designer
Chris Heintz of
Zenair Ltd
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 garage. ...
. His son Sebastian is listed as the owner of Zenith Aircraft Company.
Kit designs manufactured by the company include the original two-seat
STOL CH 701
The Zenith STOL CH 701 and CH 750 are a family of light, two-place kit-built STOL aircraft designed by Canadian aeronautical engineer Chris Heintz through his Midland, Ontario based company, Zenair. The CH 701 first flew in 1986 and ...
, a high-wing all-metal short take-off and landing design, the larger
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 ...
four-place aircraft, the STOL CH 750 light sport utility kit airplane, and the two-seat CH 650, an all-metal low-wing cruiser. Other than the 801, these designs may be built to meet the
FAA
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is the largest transportation agency of the U.S. government and regulates all aspects of civil aviation in the country as well as over surrounding international waters. Its powers include air traffic m ...
's
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) definition for operation by
Sport Pilots.
Zenith Aircraft designs may be built from plans-only (blueprints), selected parts, and from complete kits typically in a few hundred hours.
The company holds two-day hands-on workshops at the factory every month to allow potential builders to gain building experience, tour the factory, and go up for a demo flight in the airplane.
In February 2014, the company announced that it had shipped 10,000 sets of plans to aircraft builders in over 50 countries.
In January 2016, Zenith Aircraft announced that it had purchased the intellectual property including the Sam LS design previously produced by
Sam Aircraft, and was planning to produce kits alongside the existing Chris Heintz designs.
[Zenith Aircraft Company]
SAM Aircraft Acquired by Zenith / Zenair
retrieved 19 February 2016
Aircraft
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Zenith STOL CH701
The Zenith STOL CH 701 and CH 750 are a family of light, two-place kit-built STOL aircraft designed by Canadian aeronautical engineer Chris Heintz through his Midland, Ontario based company, Zenair. The CH 701 first flew in 1986 and t ...
*
Zenith STOL CH 750
The Zenith STOL CH 701 and CH 750 are a family of light, two-place kit-built STOL aircraft designed by Canadian aeronautical engineer Chris Heintz through his Midland, Ontario based company, Zenair. The CH 701 first flew in 1986 and t ...
See also
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STOL CH 701
The Zenith STOL CH 701 and CH 750 are a family of light, two-place kit-built STOL aircraft designed by Canadian aeronautical engineer Chris Heintz through his Midland, Ontario based company, Zenair. The CH 701 first flew in 1986 and ...
*
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 ...
*
ZODIAC
The zodiac is a belt-shaped region of the sky that extends approximately 8° north or south (as measured in celestial latitude) of the ecliptic, the Sun path, apparent path of the Sun across the celestial sphere over the course of the year. ...
*
Zodiac 601 HD
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.Vanderme ...
References
External links
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Aircraft manufacturers of the United States
1992 establishments in Missouri
American companies established in 1992
Manufacturing companies established in 1992
Companies based in Missouri
Mexico, Missouri