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| Kolb Firestar 2 SS |
AirVenture attendees visiting the Ultralight Display area might walk right past this new design thinking it is just another Kolb Mark 3. Some do not even notice the nose wheel at first. It is actually the new Firestar 2 SS. Bryan Melborne from Kolb said the side-by-side configuration and tricycle gear were the most requested features, so they put them both on this new design. Existing Firestar owners will be able to purchase a fuselage kit to convert their Kolb to the new configuration.
The new airplane has dual rudder pedals and a single center-mounted control stick. The prototype has both a nose wheel and a tail wheel and can be landed either way. The wings, tail, and engine from an existing Firestar can be used to make a new airplane. Bryan said there are several thousand tandem Firestars in service that could take on an entire new life. They hope to provide the fuselage kit for under $5,000.
The aircraft exhibited was not being flown at AirVenture because its test-flight period has not been completed. Kolb offers a variety of aircraft kits for experimental and ultralight aircraft. The new Firstar 2 SS is intended as a low-cost alternative to the heavier, more expensive models.
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