When designer Ladislao Pazmany was encouraged to come up with an easy-to-build, simple, safe, inexpensive, metal plane that could carry a Volkswagen 1600-cc or Continental A-65 engine in the early l970's, he came up with the PL-4A. The fuselage is made up from formed sheet metal channels and standard extruded aluminium angles for the longerons with sheet metal skins. The wing consists of a centre section and two outer panels which can be folded back along the fuselage. Each panel incorporates a metal spar, a Zed section rear spar, pressed metal ribs and metal skins. Pop rivets are used extensively. Plain ailerons, but no flaps or trim tabs are fitted to the wing. The empennage is of “T” tail configuration with an all moving tailplane at the top of the fin with a large anti-servo tab. The tailwheel undercarriage consists of spring steel main legs with 3.50 x 6” tyres and brakes and a steerable tailwheel. A 9.5 Imperial gallon moulded fibreglass fuel tank is fitted behind the firewall. Engines from 50 to 75 hp may be installed. The PL-4A won the "Outstanding New Design" and "Outstanding Contribution to Low-Cost Flying" awards at the 1972 EAA Fly-In. By 2000 more than 50 had been built and flown.
