Canopy update
Also we have a Sliding canopy nearly ready for the Cobra Arrow This gives even more room in the cockpit and will be easier to install. UPDATE : The new canopy arrangement was not a good idea as a sliding unit we have now employed the same method as the Lancair and it looks and works great. We have also gained an extra 4 inches or 100 mm in the production kits for head room.

Fuel injection, gearboxes and glasswork
Our Subaru engines will now be fitted with redundant fuel Injection as std. We have also chosen to use the Hirth gearbox for the engines from now on they have a good reputation and we can use them on our bigger Rotary engine as well. We have been busy in the factory as we have taken our Glasswork back In-House to speed up the process a little , we may need to look at shifting a few doors up into a larger factory

The Cobra gets a new nosewheel/leg
Since the castoring system seems to bother some folk who find it hard to use the differential brakes to steer with, we have decided that we will fit our newly designed nose leg to our factory demo arrow. Watch this space for more news.

Steerable nosewheel working
Thats right the new noswheel works a treat and the turning circle is excellent we have tried the new leg and taxied the aircraft around the drive way at work over the bumps etc and turned the aircraft in the driveway easily so it looks like a a good upgrade to the kits all new kits will be supplied with the new leg upgrade

nosewheel picture
For a look at the nosewheel installed go to the discussion forums and login you will the be able to see the new noswheel assembly in full color on the forum ( but you must login ) cheers Tommy

test flight of new nosewheel
I flew the aircraft today and must say that it was airbourne in 200 meters with a 5 knot head wind the new leg worked very well but the engine needs to have cowling openned up a little guess thats this weeks job now , the ground performance was a whole lot better though and the ground run at least 100 meters shorter and less power needed to reach rotation speed

New Bolly made prop blades looking good
Bolly has been busy producing our new blades for the inflight hub and he has done a magic job the all carbon blades have Bolly's trademark all over them stay tuned for more info re-props soon

Another long weekend over
hi to all the Arrow was back in the air and stomping around the skies on the weekend, we have worked pretty hard getting the package all together and shall have a new set of prop blades fitted to make the trip to Narromine even better this easter the original blades have flown 60+hrs and we are keen to give them the big chop up and see whats going on inside so far they have performed with no problems at all but we need to keep on top of the R/D and the unfortunate thing is the only way to check is to sacrifice the blades so we must do what we must do . Apart from that all is running very well cheers Tommy

HI
HI

Rotary engine being built
Yes thats right we have started the assembly of the 160hp rotary engine , we expect them to be available in June for the public , if you want an engine send us an email and we will slot you in the list as its growing daily , the engine is being fitted to a car for street testing and will then be mapped on a dyno for the best results in power and economy , stay tuned for more info real soon

NZ kit almost ready to go
Well finally the first NZ kit will be crated and leaving very soon we are just getting a few bits sorted out this includes the new nosewheel system and she will be packed in the container ready to ship we expect it to be on the way next week stay tuned for that , we have been slow to deliver this kit and we have tried to get all things ready before packing there have been a couple of changes that we have incorporated in this aircraft

narromine and back
Well we had a great time again at Narromine and we had a good idea of just how well the Arrow flys , our 172 had no chance of keeping up with the arrow and over a 2 hour flight picked up 35 mins on the 172 , the new prop performed well and even the engine ran ok Ha Ha but in all it was a good run and great flying we sold another 2 aircraft and had a lot of fun just yapping about airplanes etc, Well done to the team at Narromine for a good job and great weekend

Nz kit leaves Aus
Well the first kit is on its way to our agent in NZ Mike jones is the man his contact in NZ is jmj@world-net.co.nz he will gladly show you all the goods We hope he enjoys his kit the Cobra Team See the forum and Gallery for Pictures

Aircraft accesories
Yes we have been hard at it and getting stock organised so we will be able to offer a full range of items to supply to the homebuilder , Wheels, Tyres, Brakes, Inflight adjustable props, instrument panels, wheel spats, wing tips, Custom fuel tanks, and Aircraft servicing re-fits and modifications and our range of aircraft the Cobra Arrow, Explorer, HS Utility, and stay tuned for a new idea in a cheap aircraft kit

Explorer update
Well its true the Explorer is taking shape and should be looking like a real airplane in a couple of months we are at the stage of assembly and getting it through the system as we work day to day , the centre carry through spars have been worked out and are being layed up at this point we should see wings in about 2 weeks going on with some luck and then its back to the engineering side working out the cables for the ailerons to connect easily but thats all part of the fun stay safe and use the forum we want more traffic through it Cheers Cobra

Another Cobra about to fly
Well take a look at Kim Penglaze's tail wheel Arrow about to fly real soon check out the pictures Great Job Kim looks fantastic

Well Done Kim
Check Out the gallery for pictures of Kim Penglaze Cobra Arrow all together and ready for its inspection then testflight Kim has done a great job with a nice aircraft at the end of it all he should be very pleased with his project. The CofG came in as predicted and it was perfect at 28% with 30kg baggage in the back It should fly depending on weather and time in the next 2 weeks

we are back on the net
Hi to all well sorry for the lack of updates etc but we were hacked into and all our system was screwed to the max, our good friend Duncan from NZ has been working with me and we are gaining control together . We should be able to post pictures again on the forums very soon this is a test to ensure the system is working well Tommy

Hows the rotary going
Yep its going well now we are back in control this is a test faq

pictures will soon be back on the forum
Hi guys well with the website all hacked about it is nearly fixed up and we will have the FAQ section and the pictures sorted out soon on the forum please be patient with us regards Tommy

Forums Going again
Well Our good mate Duncan has done it again and we have a new forum with all the old posts your username and passwords should still be working , sorry for the missing pictures but we may try and find them and reload them if possible otherwise any pictures the were posted can be re-posted in the new forums easily Thanks Duncan our NZ Cobra Maniac

RX8 engine running well
Well its been a while but we are running the RX8 engine and man can it produce the power we need, with our new inlet manifold we have managed to shorten the runners and create a Ram air effect that keeps the Torque high the engine will be fully Mapped next week and at this point 179 Hp cont and a massive 274 ftlbs Torque , keep watching this space as we will be posting pictures very soon

Engines and Aircraft
Well the Cobra Viper RX8 Rotary is very close to completion, We have 2 Aircraft almost ready to go each with our 160 hp Viper engine , all the fitting has finally been completed and the engine mounts are off to be coated then they can be fitted for the last time , its a good feeling to be able to get them sorted out rather easily but its been a lot of thought before even touching them see more in the engine forum

Carbon Arrow's
Hi Guys well I said it would not be a go but demand has prevailed and we are going to start to produce Carbon Fibre Airframes at customer request as an option , the proceedure is the same ie: glass layups only the major portion will now be Carbon Fibre instead it will be interesting to see just how strong they turn out to be , it puts us up with the imported Aircraft a bit more now , but the cost is minimal . Cheers Tom

explorer update
Hi again to all well Andy is down and working on the Explorer ready for Easter the good news and to our delight , the weight and balance came out perfect it will even take 85kg in the back seat , yep she is a real 3 place aircraft , the engines are nearly ready to run in the aircraft and we are going at it everyday should see a great product this year at Narromine Well cheers Tommy

See you all at Narromine
We shall see the group at Narromine and look foward to catching up , the Explorer we had hoped to get fully completed but just ran out of time its very hard when only 2 people are going at it ,I would like to thank Andish , and our Chinese guy Tom for their help these past weeks we could have used lots more but then thems the breaks but it will arrive on a trailer and all looking pretty then back home for the final bits and flown soon after . Cheers to all seeya there Tommy

Narromine was great
Well another Narromine over and what a superb turnout of aircraft , we took the new Explorer up on the trailer it was the hope it could be flying but best laid plans etc, The Cobra stand was a BUZZ with the new Viper engine on display the questions came fast and plenty of them there has been a lot of interest in the complete package and we will run the engine this week so be ready for the updates , thanks to those who came along to show their support it was greatly appreciated and thanks to the guys from Tecnam for the sponsorship and the RAA and Barry Hanchard for the hospitality it makes the trip and enjoyable one , cheers to all Tommy

Rotary Engine Running
Well its about time the Rotary engine ran for the first time in the aircraft today and I must say its very nice and smooth so far only initial running has taken place but we will start to get some serious running later next week I am very happy so far and it feels great to see the package all together and working . I shall post some more on the website as it happens next week cheers

See and hear the Rotary engine running
Yep you can see the engine running , just click on our aircraft then the Explorer and scroll down the page the to the video player and enjoy

Website updated
Hi. Some changes have been made to the website. Check out the Video Gallery and Discussion forum. Duncan

Explorer leaves home
That's right guys the Explorer has left on a trailer to her new home in sunny QLD it should be flown sometime later this weekend the guys up there will have a great time and should enjoy the bird with 165 hp up front its going to be great fun We wish them the best of luck and look foward to all the news Cheers

Rotary Arrow has Flown
Yep its official the rotary engined arrow has flown and at 50 % power just flew magic the engine went very well and temps were perfect only 1 circuit was flown and with a little trimming onthe ailerons it should be a very nice aircraft to fly but at least its going up and does it easy

Viper engine going well
Hi Guys the new Viper Rotary Engine is showing all the signs of being a very good choice , the engine is doing all the right things and has proved to be reliable so far we expect to have the aircraft back at our home base in a couple of weeks and then the real testing begins, so far so good and we are now taking orders for the engine package, So get yours in an RV 6 firewall foward package will be available in about 6 weeks as well cheers Tom

Viper is Home
Yep now some real testing can happen the Viper powered Arrow is home and we shall be doing more flight testing in the next weeks so we will be posting it as it happens. Stay tuned

check out the picture
check out the picture of the Viper powered Arrow in the air at YCEM it fly's very nice and clean see it in the forum cheers Tommy

Arrow accident the facts
Well how do you start this off, Viper powered Arrow has had an accident today and there is not much left of the aircraft, the pilot has received some burns to his face and hands and we shall post more news as as we get it, the full report will be listed on the website after we talk with the pilot, the aircraft was in a landing configuration and approach seemed to look fine, we can only assume that there was windshear just before the point of roundout, but more info will be posted as becomes available, the fire had started external of the aircraft after impact thats all for the moment We are more concerned that the pilot recovers quickly, aircraft can be re-built or made new, but a life is more precious. Tom

Pilot Update
Hi Guys well John is doing much better and is slowly getting up and about, the report has the Doctors pleased with his progress and he has been transfered to the ward now. it would appear he will be spending Xmas on Hospital food but we will be keeping and eye on him as he improves and post progress as it happens so far its looking good. We wish John a speedy recovery from here and look foward to sitting down and having a chat. For the rest of you we hope you all a Merry Xmas and look foward to catching up in the new year. We will be closed from Thurdsay 22nd Dec to the 19th of Jan but if you email or call (email is better) we will get back to you as I will still be around Cheers Tommy

More Pilot updates
Well I can only say I have had the best news this Xmas that I have had for a long time, John is out of the Hospital and walking and talking and I had a couple of minutes chat with him, he is still carrying the dressings and looks the worse for wear but its more for protection against infection than anything else he seems to be in good spirits, and should make the trip home in a few days where he will get some good sleep and recoup in his own bed, Johns wife and daugther agree the recovery will be easier at home. When John has had a little more time we will get him to give us the run down on his exact tale of the events as they happenned but for now we wish him all the best for the new year and a quick and trouble free recovery .

Forum Down
Hi Guys well the forum is down at the moment but our IT legend is on the case and will have a look at getting it up and going again . Barry Mayne has kindly offered to stand in on the tent at Narromine this year on the Saturday and will bring along his builders log and most of all looks like his aircraft will flying as well . We all look foward to seeing it. The new LSA version of the Arrow is nearly ready with parts being prepared as you read this email we hope to have it at Narromine this Easter . Stay tuned Cobra Team

Discussions back online
Hi, The good news is that the discussion groups are back online. We had a few anxious moments when it appeared that all was lost, but check them out - all there, and all working again. Enjoy. Duncan

The Forums are back online
Not only the forums, but the new Cobra Aviation web site now sports a new and improved FAQ, a really neat new Gallery and a Mailing List. Watch this space for further developments. Duncan

New Arrows comming online fast
Hi to all, well there will be a few more arrows getting around the skies very soon our old Girl 700 will be moving to her new home soon with a new heartbeat, Bazmay looks like being airbourne very soon , and the tail wheel Arrow has had a conversion and a 914 rotax so it will will be around soon. the new XLT Arrow is moving ahead and should be ready towards the end of June so its all going on here at cobra

Spitfire Updates
To all showing intrest in our Spitfire a website will be running and changed at www.ultracycles.com.au as for the Arrow kits and the XLT its comming along really nice so keep an eye out also the new 912/914 cowling is ready to pull a part from next week

Bazmay up and going well
Well Barry has got it all working well and has had a good flight he tells me its one of the nicest aircraft he has flown check out his blogg on the forum, it certainly made my day to hear its all going well I am please that we are not the only ones to do it all now somebody else has proven it can be done and he has done it well . I am yet to see one of my creations fly, I have always been in them doing the flying so that will my biggest BUZZ Congrats Baz , ps he is getting board and looking for another project already Tom

Stay tuned for news about the NZ Cobra...
It's coming - be patient...

Cobra takes to the air in NZ
We congradulate Peter Warner for his success with his Cobra in New Zealand his aircraft flew last weekend 3rd dec so far the reports I have is 2 flights completed a few tweaks and it will be nice more pictures are being sent this week so we shall add them to the website well done Pete

Merry Xmas to all
Well guys we wish you all a merry Xmas and a safe flying new year,may Santa bring you all you desire, with the flight of Bazmay and Peter Warner and Peter Lovell all in the air its been a nice way to end the year for us, we hope to see everyone around the traps good wishes to all Team Cobra

2007 its here already
Well 2007 is upon us and we trust it finds you all well, we have some exciting times ahead this year with the Arrow XLT and the first 914 powered Arrow , along with a 912S powered arrow , and a couple of more Viper powered arrows to flying this year so it should be a great year although a busy one for Cobra we hope yours is a good year and thanks for the support in 2006 Cobra Team

NZ Arrow update
Hi to all had an email from Peter Warner in NZ said his arrow has done over 6 hours flying and apart from a little final adjustment with the rigging its flying very well great start for 2007

NZ Arrow
Well had a nice email from Peter again he has flown his arrow himself after the test pilot had logged 11 hours and peter spent an hour solo and cannot wait for next weekend he is enjoying it so he tells me

XLT Arrow Painted
Hi Guys well the next evolution is getting closer to being ready the seats arrived back from upholstery and a very nice job in black leather, the paint is nearly finished and again BMW silver looks very expensive we shall post progress and pictures on the forum as it goes through the assembly stage cheers to all

XLT ARROW UPDATE
well again we are moving foward on the XLT the mass balance has been done and the controls are going in so far its all looking good and the wiring will commence very soon we are also busy fitting the AOA system as well thats all from me

XLT Cowlings fitted
Well the XLT cowlings are all fitted and the inlets have also been cut in so it will be seeing paint on the cowling, the engine has been bolted in and the control colum is also well into the fitting stages the instruments are in the panel and will require the electrics to be installed but progress is good

XLT Progress
Well the cowlings are painted the interior is practically done and we are waiting on the Aero electricin to start setting out some wiring. The aircraft is pretty well complete and should be ready for engine runs very soon we will keep you all posted

XLT Update
Well the Aero Elec has done a great job on the electrics and the panel looks a treat I will expect re-install it later this week , we are re-plumbing the engine and shall then start to fit out the ECU wiring its getting close now and I am looking foward to the first flight test

XLT Progress
Hi to all well the XLT is moving ahead again we had a hold up with the new ECU version as the updated software was not converting the files correctly but many a sleepless night getting it sorted out should now see the engine running over Xmas as for the rest we will keep you all posted to the test running we hope you all have a very merry Xmas and a safe flying new year we will be around over the break so drop us an email and catch up cheers Tommy