Frequently Asked Questions 
Frequently Asked Questions Our M106 and M212 demonstrator aircraft are based at Kortrijk-Wevelgem (EBKT). Please contact us to arrange a factory visit and schedule a demonstration flight.
Alternatively, check the Upcoming Events and meet us at any of the shows listed.
No. At present the Mission M212 is only available as a kit aircraft. However, for many countries, we can offer a “Nearly Factory Built®” option. This option can dramatically reduce your build time, with your involvement possibly limited to a 10-day course at the factory.
Information on this option can be found under Nearly Factory Built®.
The Mission M212 was initially certificated under the PFA system in UK and has joined the list of PFA approved types in April 2005. We expect to obtain equivalent type approvals in several other European countries in the near future.
1. Operational
Since Homebuilt/Experimental category regulations are a national matter, there
are differences from country to country. Generally speaking, in Europe,
Homebuilt category aircraft operate on a Permit to Fly or equivalent. With the current regulations this limits the aircraft to private/recreational use in VFR Day conditions.
Aircraft with EASA Type Certificate will operate under a Certificate of Airworthiness and may be used for hire, instruction, IFR (provided
it is IFR certificated and is fitted with the required equipment), etc.
2. Technical
On the technical side, the implications of EASA Type Certification would be
quite massive for the Mission M212.
For example, all equipment such as engines and avionics installed must be either
EASA Type Certificated or JTSO approved. Therefore, it would no longer be
possible to install a DeltaHawk diesel engine or the Dynon avionics.
For example, any modification or upgrade to an aircraft must be EASA-STC
approved. Under EASA requlations, only companies with CS-21 design approval can
apply for a new STC's. As a consequence, the flexibility in "customizing" your
aircraft becomes very limited.
For example, whereas Homebuilt/Experimental category regulations permit
maintenance and repairs to be carried out by the aircraft owner, nearly ALL
maintenance and repair work on EASA Type Certificated aircraft must be carried
out by an approved maintenance organisation.
3. Cost
From the above, it is clear that EASA certification would only result in a less
advanced aircraft which would cost a lot more to buy, maintain and fly, and
would not offer any noticable benefits to the private aircraft owner.
Series production of the Mission M212-200 is scheduled to start in the second quarter of 2006 and we are now taking orders. Please contact us for up to date information about available production slots.
Absolutely no problem! You can order the firewall forward kit without the engine or even order any individual part you may need.
We will be pleased to assist you with advice and information regarding the types of engines which will fit with the parts we offer, since there are numerous variants around in the Lycoming O-320 and O-360 series.
In kit form we are projecting a short build time of approximately 800 hours. Therefore, unlike most other composite kits, ALL composite components are premoulded, including internal parts such as wing or aileron ribs and fuselage frames. This will leave you with having just to assemble the aircraft. The assembly of the airframe requires two factory visits and is assembled in a jig under supervision from factory staff. This approach results in a guaranteed quality airframe. The supervision also eliminates the risk of a customer ruining expensive parts in the building stage, e.g. as a result of inexperience.
Alternatively, if you have little interest in assembling the aircraft yourself, we are able to offer a “Nearly Factory Built®” option in many countries. This option can dramatically reduce your build time, with your involvement possibly limited to a 10-day course at the factory.
Please contact us for details on “Nearly Factory Built®” options.
This is one area where composites can be at their best. First of all the Mission M212 airframe is very robust and can stand a lot of abuse before it even gets damaged. In the event of structural damage, an assessment of the damage must be made by an experienced person, e.g. your PFA inspector, PFA engineering or by us. Depending on how severe the damage is, a repair scheme is agreed upon. Usually components can be repaired to original strength using wet lay-up techniques. The only drawback is that each repair will add some weight to the airframe.
Composites do not suffer from corrosion or fatigue like metals, and therefore a composite airframe has no life limit. However, epoxies slowly deteriorate when exposed to UV rays. Therefore it is essential that a UV blocker is applied during the finishing process.
Usually, a primer with UV blocking capability is used. This will avoid long term
deterioration.
Since composites are poor thermal conductors, a dark painted surface will heat up quickly in direct sunlight. Mechanical properties of the composites and adhesives will start dropping significantly above their HDT (Heat Distortion Temperature). Structures built using the wet lay-up method have the lowest HDT, which can be as low as 50°C if not postcured. All structural components in the Mission M212 are premoulded from prepreg materials. Curing is achieved under vacuum at 85°C, so the HDT is in the order of 90-100°C. Nevertheless, we do not recommend the use of a dark topcoat for any composite airframe.
The first prototype aircraft G-XFLY is a M212-100 version. The kit-built version is the Mission M212-200, and has exactly the same airframe. In addition to numerous minor improvements, the M212-200 has a higher max. all up weight of 1135 kg (2500 lbs), has more baggage capacity and larger wing tanks, instead of a single fuselage tank in the prototype.