The all-new Mermaid is the first amphibian to be designed especially to comply with the FAA’s new Light Sport Aircraft rules. It is also the first new certified single-engine amphibian to reach production in decades.
The design parameters were challenging: make a certifiable, roomy amphibian that will fit the LSA rules (2-place, 1432 pounds gross, low stall speed), and that will be affordable, reliable, and fun to fly; then give it the speed and range to be practical as a transportation device, and dual controls, for training and peace of mind. The Mermaid does it all, and more.
Of conventional all-metal design, the Mermaid is built by European craftsmen, with US-sourced materials. The useful load is over 500 pounds, and the large baggage area is located nearly on the CG, to make its capacity truly usable. The wide cockpit is comfortable; and it affords a large panel area.
Versatility is the hallmark of true amphibians: even the energy-absorbing seats are quick-removable, so the Mermaid can double as a dockside bed, making those remote camping trips all the more enjoyable.
The hydraulic-damped tricycle gear retracts, and the pilot has visual confirmation of gear position, as well as the usual indicator lights; and the stable, quick-planing hull allows water takeoffs, at gross, in just 750 feet.
The fast (for a Sport Pilot-class aircraft) yet docile air manners are made possible by a streamlined fuselage and modern-design airfoil that provides very high lift and low drag, throughout the Mermaid’s speed range. This wing, coupled to fowler flaps, permits landings on land or water in just 500 feet.
CZAW president Chip Erwin noted, “The Mermaid makes it possible to cruise high above more than four hundred miles of land and water, at an easy 100 knots, in great comfort – and still carry the things you need for the trip. Until now, the only options were floatplanes, landplanes, or expensive, old-technology amphibians. Today, you can have a true amphibian, with its great comfort and capabilities – it’s fast enough, and has enough range, that it competes well with other LSA landplanes – and it simply leaves floatplanes in its wake.”
At roughly the price of a luxury sedan, the Mermaid offers what that car simply cannot: point-to-point navigation, no-speeding-ticket cruising, with an incomparable view… and of course, the ability to float.
CZAW designed the Mermaid after its experience in building over 700 all-metal aircraft and hundreds of aluminum floats. In fact, the company’s airplanes and floats have taken home the Schneider Cup three times:
Everything about the Mermaid indicates long and reliable service: full zinc chromate coating, AN and MS-series fasteners, US-sourced aircraft aluminum and tubing; and its solid, conventional design promises not only outstanding longevity – it is repairable anywhere, without relying on “special” production and inspection techniques.