CAAC Validates Flight Design F2-CS23 Type Certification

Flight Design’s F2-CS23 recently received type certificate validation from CAAC. [Courtesy: Flight Design]

Flight Design announced Wednesday that the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) type certificate for its two-seat F2-CS23 piston single has been validated by the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC).

The light aircraft manufacturer has been working toward CAAC validation for some time, reporting in November that it had passed an engineering audit designed to confirm certification specification compliance with the agency. According to Flight Design, plans are also in place for China-based company FX to build the F2-CS23 in Shenzhen. FX entered into a partnership with Flight Design at the beginning of the F2 project.

READ MORE: Flight Design Passes CAAC Audit

“This is a great achievement and related to the very good cooperation between CAAC, EASA, and our team,” said Matthias Betsch, head of Flight Design’s EASA design organization. “The F2 is the first model of the F Series which follows the safety requirements of the new EASA CS23 certification specification and [provides] outstanding safety, performance, space and comfort for this kind of private-use and training airplane.”

Flight Design is also pursuing FAA validation for the F2-CS23, which earned its EASA type certificate in December 2021. Offering a top speed of 233 kph (126 knots), 2,000-kilometer (1,080 nm) range with 30-minute reserve, and maximum takeoff weight of 1,320 pounds, the model was developed as a certified version of Flight Design’s F2 special light sport aircraft (SLSA). Powered by the Rotax 912iS engine, the F2-CS23 comes equipped with Garmin G3X flight displays.