title: Aviadesign A-16 Sport Falcon
text: # Aviadesign A-16 Sport Falcon
  
  The Aviadesign A-16 Sport Falcon is an American light-sport aircraft that was designed by Aviadesign, a certified aircraft modification company based in Camarillo, California. The A-16 was announced at Sun 'n Fun April 2006 and introduced at the LSA Expo held in Sebring, Florida in 2007. The aircraft was to be supplied as a complete ready-to-fly-aircraft.
  
  Jane's Information Group reports that two prototypes were completed by 2006, but it is not clear if any other examples ever flew before the company went out of business.
  
  ## Design and development
  
  The aircraft was designed to comply with the US light-sport aircraft rules. It features a strut-braced high-wing, a two-seats-in-tandem enclosed cockpit under a bubble canopy, fixed tricycle landing gear and a single engine in pusher configuration.
  
  The aircraft is made with a welded steel tubing airframe. Its 29 ft (8.8 m) span wing employs a single strut per side. The standard engine for production examples was intended to be the 100 hp (75 kW) Rotax 912ULS four-stroke powerplant. Entry to the cockpit is via an airstair door.
  
  The design is listed on the Federal Aviation Administration's list of accepted SLSAs, but as no longer in production.
  
  ## Operational history
  
  In March 2010 reviewer Dan Johnson reported on a test flight in the prototype:
  
     the interior is spacious and comfortable, more so than many other LSAs; handling is predictable with no bad traits I could uncover; the airplane is well equipped and expects to have a price somewhere in the $110,000 range, though this decision is still being reviewed; visibility is enormous, with the pilot sitting about 4 feet in front of the wing; even the aft seat has good room, very good visibility, and full controls — it turns out my smoothest landings were from the rear.
  
  ## Specifications (A-16)
  
  Data from Bayerl
  
  General characteristics
  
  * Crew: one
  * Capacity: one passenger
  * Length: 27 ft (8.2 m)
  * Wingspan: 28 ft 10 in (8.8 m)
  * Wing area: 130 sq ft (12 $m^2)$
  * Empty weight: 739 lb (335 kg)
  * Gross weight: 1,232 lb (559 kg)
  * Fuel capacity: 80 litres (18 imp gal; 21 US gal)
  * Powerplant: 1 × Rotax 912ULS four cylinder, liquid and air-cooled, four stroke aircraft engine, 101 hp (75 kW)
  * Propellers: 3-bladed Prince Aircraft composite
  
  Performance
  
  * Maximum speed: 140 mph (220 km/h, 120 kn)
  * Cruise speed: 121 mph (195 km/h, 105 kn)
  * Stall speed: 45 mph (72 km/h, 39 kn)
  * Range: 450 mi (720 km, 390 nmi)
  * g limits: +4/-2
  * Rate of climb: 980 ft/min (5 m/s)
  * Wing loading: 9.55 lb/sq ft (46.6 $kg/m^2)$
  