Zenith CH701 STOL (Simworks Studios)

OVERVIEW First introduced in 1986, the STOL CH 701 aircraft was developed as an off-airport, short take-off and landing kit aircraft to fulfill the demanding requirements of both sport pilots and first-time builders. With the STOL CH 701, designer Chris Heintz combined the features and advantages of a “real” airplane with the short-field capabilities of an “ultralight” aircraft. The aircraft features fixed leading-edge slats for high lift, full-span flaperons (both ailerons and flaps), an all-flying rudder, and durable all-metal construction.

PERFORMANCE The STOL CH 701 was not designed to be just another ‘pretty’ light aircraft, but was engineered to offer outstanding short take-off and landing performance, all-metal durability, and unparalleled ease of construction. With form following function, the STOL CH701 looks like a ‘Sky Jeep’, as it is often called by its owners. Popular since 1986, there are hundreds of STOL CH 701 aircraft flying around the world! Not many of the more than 500 STOL CH 701’s flying today can be found at airports – most are operated from short off-airport grass fields, in backyard fields and in remote areas. The aircraft’s all-metal construction makes it suitable for continuous outdoor storage – providing their owners with continuous cost savings (no hanger or tie-down fees).

FEATURES Created in meticulous detail, the SWS 701 features:

Note: The aircraft makes use of the default GNS530 and GTX330 systems

The STOL CH701 is a single-engine, two-seat, short takeoff and landing (STOL) kit aircraft produced by American firm Zenith Aircraft Company. Designed for austere conditions, the CH701 is not only capable of flying in and out of small unimproved airfields in a variety of environments, its all-metal construction allows it to be stored outside in the elements. The aircraft falls under a number of ultralight designations in countries throughout the globe and is in compliance with light-sport aircraft rules in the United States.

The STOL CH701 features a side-by-side cockpit, a tricycle landing gear, and a high main wing with a span of 27 feet, 0 inches. The wing is a marvel of high-lift aerodynamic engineering, with a number of specialized components and design elements to maximize flight performance. These include fixed leading-edge slats and full-span flaperons, a fusion of flaps and ailerons that give pilots a tremendous degree of authority at low speeds, down to its stall velocity of 30 mph.

Powered by a liquid-cooled, four-cylinder Rotax 912 engine that delivers 80 horsepower to a tractor propeller, the aircraft, which has an empty weight of 580 pounds, can take off in a distance of 90 feet, land in 150 feet, and has a climb rate of 1,200 feet per minute. It cruises at 80 miles per hour, tops out at 95, and has a service ceiling of 12,000 feet above sea level.

The Zenith STOL CH701 is a distinctive, rugged, and eminently utilitarian aircraft that allows pilots to explore the world, from the frigid arctic, to searing deserts, to mist-shrouded rainforests. Able to operate out of the most rugged strips, even those not formally classified as runways, this airframe can bring aviators to just about any corner of the planet they can imagine.