Primarily for general aviation discussion, but other aviation topics are also welcome.
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By patowalker
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1893934
This was posted by Vladimír Pekár of Shark on his facebook account.

"This December it was 35 years from Voyager non-stop flight around the world.
I was 21, started studying aircraft design in Czech technical university in Prague, flying Blaniks and Zlins in aeroclub. Burt Rutan, his designs, high performing canards possible to build at home, in garage, was for me one of the biggest inspirations. Even Voyager was build from hot-wire cutted blue foam, wrapped with carbon fabric and epoxy. This shows me, that if you have courage, you can beat even giants as Boeing, Airbus, Tupolev and Ilyushin that time.
Czechoslovakia was part of east-block, behind steel curtain. When building models, we was dreaming about carbon fiber - which was embargoed. I was searching and stealing any available information about composites.
In 1989 “Velvet revolution” in Czechoslovakia opened doors even for most crazy dreams. Czech Flying amateur association was established, anybody can legally design and build his own aircraft and fly it. And hundreds of people who was dreaming about it whole life - now they did it. Based on rich history of aircraft designing and building in Czech, corresponding know-how, mixed with great skills and flexibility of people, new very liberal rules with minimum barriers - brought incredible progress in designing and building ultralights. They today easy outperform typical GA aircrafts, fly faster, with lower fuel consumption, they are more comfortable, safer - alltogether -and most important - they fly much cheaper, so they are much more affordable.
Czechia and Slovakia was some years producing about 50% of world amount of light aircrafts, in ultralight and LSA category. Countries with population 10+5 million. Incredible.
Shark design started 15 years ago. Jaro Dostal as chief designer with his design competency, experience and skills, and me experienced in composites and production of parts for light aircrafts - plus team of engineers and thanks to community of plenty of small competent suppliers - started to work to design, develop and produce the best UL aircraft, with at that time available materials and technologies. Defined design targets for this new aircraft was - it must respect strict UL limits, must be fast, comfortable, safe, efficient, sexy. It must be pilot dream.
Shark is for me Czechoslovak aircraft. We are producing it in Slovakia, it was engineered in Czech, Moravia.
Shark holds world speed records, 100+ aircrafts is flying around the world.
Today Zara landed in Dubai. Within some days we wait her in Senica. For me, as small aircraft producer - what can be bigger than fly it around the world?
One of the most important inspirations for me, and it means as well for Shark, was Burt Rutan, and Voyager. He just show -Yes, you CAN do it! And the rest is just up to you. Up to your dreams, and your sweat. »
Dave W, Iceman, Nick and 5 others liked this
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