ADVERTORIAL
PILOT REPORT ON THE EKOLOT TOPAZ By Ron McElroy If you are looking for a truly innovative, fun, and efficient airplane, the Ekolot Topaz deserves to be at the top of your list. Ekolot has risen above the many attempts by airplane manufacturers to create the KR-030 Topaz with great looks, great fuel efficiency and performance, plus the added safety features of a modern cockpit and airframe emergency parachute. The Topaz LSA is simple to fly and is fueled by the same gasoline as your car which results in lower costs to fly than other LSAs in this category. Fuel and fixed operating costs for the KR-030 Topaz is one-third that of the Cessna 172. For those on a budget, it’s an airplane that can’t be beat. COCKPIT AND CABIN EVALUATION Access to the Topaz cockpit is simple with the standard door opening on each side. First, sit on the bottom part of the door rim and edge of the seat and then swing the legs into the cockpit for a comfortable recumbent profile during the flight. The cabin has plenty of head room, shoulder room, and leg room to reach the rudder pedals. Although it is rather snug with two occupants, there is a small storage area just aft of each occupants’ head for small bags. The cockpit layout is very efficient and logical for a LSA, with easy access to all the displays, switches, and levers. The safety feature of blocking the starter push-button with the fuel cutoff valve is a feature I would like to see on more aircraft. The fuel cutoff valve is readily visible on the forward center console and must be selected to the ON position to allow access to the starter button. Although different from most aircraft, the Topaz has two throttle levers. One for the pilot and one for the passenger which are positioned on each side of the cabin, just under the door frame next to the pilot and passenger seats. Despite the unusual location, it is easy to use, is not an obstacle to normal movement, and are in a logical location for use by the outboard
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hand (left hand for the pilot) with the inboard hand using the center console location of the control stick (right hand for the pilot). With this configuration, the Topaz is easily flown from the right seat. The fuel tank quantity is visually inspected from behind the right hand seat padding as a direct indication of the fuel available in addition to the fuel quantity displays on the instrument panel. The expansive instrument panel easily facilitates state of the art flight, navigation, and engine displays. The Topaz ballistic recovery system (BRS) is installed just above the cockpit and has a safety pin and release handle within easy reach of either occupant centered aft on the ceiling panel. In flight, the cockpit visibility is great with the strutless high wing configuration to facilitate looking at the countryside and scanning for other airplanes. In fact, it makes a great camera platform for documenting special sights or memorable trips with friends. GROUND OPERATIONS The preflight inspection of the Topaz requires a screw driver for access to the oil dipstick and a key for the fuel filler cap, but is otherwise simple. The fuselage fuel tank behind the seats can be filled either from a traditional filler nozzle at airport gas pumps, or using a self-contained electric pump to suction fuel from a storage gas can. Both of these filler locations are on
