Pilot Take 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 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 the left side of the fuselage behind the pilot’s door. The Topaz uses either 100LL or auto gasoline with the Rotax engine.

The remainder of the exterior inspection is very familiar and as easy as most small fixed-gear aircraft. The fit and finish of the entire aircraft shows a great deal of experience and precision in the manufacturing by Ekelot from their many years of sailplane production and use of composites.

The Topaz is very comfortable in the cockpit, has great visibility for ground operations, and is very easy to brake and steer. A unique configuration for the brakes, that I liked, was the bicycle-like braking lever attached to the control stick that applies equal brake pressure to each wheel. This is not the differential brake steering that many airplanes have incorporated. Rather, the Topaz nose steering is linked directly to the rudder pedals and is very easy to learn and use. After a few turns, the brakes and steering are as familiar “as riding a bike.”

FLYING QUALITIES The Topaz flight control system forces are very light and the flying qualities are smooth and predictable. Responsive to aileron and elevator inputs, the Topaz is quite stable in a trimmed condition, with only minor deviations in turbulence. As is normal with most LSAs, the Topaz requires active use of the rudder during the turns to offset adverse yaw. In addition, with the rudder connected to the nose wheel steering both on the ground and in flight, the rudder requires deliberate pushing of the rudder pedals to displace and return the rudder to/from neutral because of the added influence of the nose wheel fairing that resists a return to neutral with the feet off the rudder pedals. This is only a minor rudder pedal movement that is easy to monitor and correct.

The stall characteristics of the Topaz require a little more attention than some aircraft because of the efficient laminar flow wing design. There is only a brief buffet warning accompanied by an expected drop of the nose upon stall entry. With normal monitoring of the yaw, there was no tendency to spin, and the stall recovery is quick with increased power and elevator inputs to reduce the angle of attack and return to level flight. I recommend stall training with an instructor that focuses on slow flight, stall prevention, recognition, and recovery.

The elevator forces during takeoff and landing are very light with use of the elevator trim that is adjusted with a button on the control stick. The initial climb after takeoff when using flaps requires only small trim inputs to maintain the desired pitch attitude as the flaps are retracted for cruise climb.

PERFORMANCE This Topaz uses a Rotax 912 engine (with either 80 or 100 horsepower options) with a three-bladed propeller. The takeoff, climb, and cruise performance is remarkable and noteworthy.

In my opinion, the Topaz can operate comfortably with a 1,000 feet long runway or shorter. The POH takeoff performance chart with the 80 horsepower Rotax 912UL that I flew shows a 295 foot takeoff distance on hard surfaces and 725 feet total distance to clear a 50 foot obstacle. The published liftoff speed is 38 KIAS with takeoff flaps while accelerating to 51 KIAS to clear the obstacle.

After takeoff, with approximately 5200 rpm at full power, pilot and 40 pounds of baggage, the climb rate at 80 KIAS was greater than 1000 feet per minute.

On the two cross country flights I flew, at cruise using 4800 rpm, the Topaz cruises at 90 KIAS at 3,500 feet MSL (approx. 97 KTAS) using only 3.5 gallons per hour. With the 20 gallon fuselage tank, the Topaz should be able to fly over 350 NM with VFR reserves.

Published landing distance from the POH is only 660 feet from a 50 foot obstacle with an approach speed of 55 KIAS.

SUMMARY The Topaz flying qualities and performance exceeded my expectations. It is easy to fly, very stable, and efficiently operates with the Rotax 912UL 80-hp engine. Certified as a Light Sport Aircraft, I believe it is a very fun aircraft for anyone to fly.

As the aviation industry is aggressively looking for new pilots to fill the ranks of professional pilot jobs for the next 20 years, the Topaz has all the features I like as an instructor for teaching new pilots. Too many of the current LSAs have unique flying characteristics that are difficult to compensate for and not transferable to the traditional and expected qualities of a certified aircraft required for commercial operations. However, the Topaz design allows for both the low cost, performance and traditional flying qualities for flight instruction that builds the skills, habit patterns, and experience needed to advance to the professional jobs in aviation.

I believe it’s also important to note that the unique low-profile cockpit configuration, displays, controls, and accessibility of the Topaz makes it a great candidate for pilots and passengers with special physical requirements or disabilities.

In addition, with its stable flying qualities and efficient operation, the Topaz would also be a good platform for special missions requiring dedicated equipment installation (under Experimental or Restricted category FAA approval).

Ron McElroy is an experimental test pilot, trained at the Edwards AFB, CA USAF Test Pilot School. He has flown over 11,000 hours in over 180 types of aircraft during a 42 year career as a military and commercial pilot, instructor, test pilot and consultant.