Light Aircraft Association

Hi All, please excuse my ignorance, as I'm new to the LAA & considering building an aircraft,

I'm trying to do some costings at the moment, but I understand that a kit built plane has to be LAA approved, but an uncertified Rotax engine is fine. therefore, is an ICOM IC-A210E 8.33 which doesn't seem to be certified in the UK, ok to use? it seems to be ok in other European countries, but here it is sold as a ground to air radio.

thanking you in advance

Hi,

don't consider my advice definitive (I am at least as fallible as every one else here), but I think only the IC-6E and IC-24E 8.33kHz versions are allowed in the UK. From memory it was more an acceptance than a formal examination and approval.

There is more info here: http://www.icomuk.co.uk/News_Article/3794/18068/

Colin

Thanks Colin

Rick Heath wrote:...as I'm new to the LAA & considering building an aircraft...
...is an ICOM IC-A210E 8.33 ... ok to use...

Forgive me, but I think you may be getting bogged down in the detail.

If you are at the stage of 'considering building' then you are sufficiently far away from fitting radios that I can almost definitely say that regulations, your aspirations, and product availability may be very different by the time you are seriously looking at radio fitments!

I don't mean to be dismissive of your ambition, or wish to discourage you in any way. Aircraft construction is a truly laudable and praiseworthy endeavour.
It's also utterly beyond my abilities and level of determination / persistence: I've settled for flying and maintaining one myself and restoring others with a friend.

Find a design you like the look of, fulfils your mission profile, fits your pocket, and go for it!
Details like avionics, instruments, colour, upholstery etc can all be decided later - and you will end up considering options for your skybound steed that you cannot imagine now!

Hi Rick, the straight answer to your query is NO, the IC-A210 is not EASA approved, nor will it be. Icom has developed a replacement, the IC-A220 to overcome the shortcomings of the 210 which prevented it from getting FAA and EASA approval. The 220 is available in an FAA TSO'd version, but I don't think it is EASA approved - yet. The word from Icom is that they intend getting EASA approval.
The handheld Icom IC-A6E and IC-A24E are approved for ground use but CAA has sensibly allowed them to be use in the air, in UK airspace only, so that the many aircraft currently using 25 kHz spaced handhelds do not simply go non radio when 8.33 comes in at the end of 2017.
To some extent I agree with Rob and would put off buying a radio until you are somewhat nearer to needing one. By that time you will have garnered considerably more knowledge on what will best suit your requirements.

Brian Hope wrote:To some extent I agree with Rob and would put off buying a radio until you are somewhat nearer to needing one.

Thanks for the vote of confidence, Brian!

Hi Rick,

The Trig TY96 is, I believe, fully approved and is the same size as the A220. But I suggest leaving it a while and see what else comes to the market (and what else changes legislation wise) before choosing your Avionics fit. There are people who bought SL30/40s early in their plans and cannot now fit them also there's hopefully going to be more developments regarding conspicuity.

And you are right about uncertified Rotax engines, they're fine in LAA aircraft.

rgds


Mick