The Wiki

The Zenith STOL CH 701 is a 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 the design is still in production in 2018. The CH 701 was later developed into the four-place Zenith STOL CH 801.

The kit is produced and distributed in the USA by the Zenith Aircraft Company of Mexico, Missouri, and complete drawings, including blueprints and manuals, are also available for the design. In Europe, the CH 701 was manufactured under license by Czech Aircraft Works (CZAW) from 1992 until 2006, when the license agreement was ended.

Designed for off-runway operations, the all-metal CH 701 has many features that contribute to the aircraft's capabilities, such as a high-lift wing with full-span, non-movable leading edge slots, an all-flying rudder, large tires, and flaperons. Heintz also designed a unique tricycle gear amphibious float system for the CH 701.

Standard engines used are the 64 hp (48 kW) Rotax 582 two-stroke, the 80 hp (60 kW) Rotax 912UL, the 100 hp (75 kW) Rotax 912ULS and the 85 hp (63 kW) Jabiru 2200 four-stroke powerplants. The aircraft has also been equipped with the JLT Motors Ecoyota engine.

The STOL CH 701 has the unique distinction of being what is probably the most copied light aircraft in production today. Several dozen unauthorized versions have been produced around the world.

Flight Controls

-Standard Flight Controls
-VTOL for Flaps
-Trim for Trim
-Yaw for steering on the ground

Stats

-Top Speed: 95mph
-Cruise Speed: 85mph
-Do Not Exceed Speed: 110mph
-Stall Speed: 30mph
-Range: 350 miles/4.1 hours
-Fuel Capacity: 20 U.S. Gallons

Features

-Custom Landing Gear
-Full Interior with moving parts
-Custom Control Surfaces (Including Flaperons, which act as flap and aileron)
-Custom Decals (CH-701)

To Fly

-Full flaps and full throttle for take-off
-Once airborne, reduce flaps to 0 and reduce throttle to 80% for cruise
-Requires very shallow approach for landings, tends to want to lean forward on touchdown.

As Always

No in flight pictures as I am computer illiterate and can't figure out how to add them to the description, but this little bird is an absolute blast to fly. I had some issues getting the balance right, so take-off run is a little longer than the real deal but she has realistic maneuverability, speed, and is built almost exactly to scale. As always, please let me know if you have any suggestions for improvement, or if there is a vehicle you would like to see recreated. Thank you so much for stopping by, and enjoy your flight!!