Origin of 701 and Savannah designs

[JG3]

The Origins of both the 701 and the Savannah aircraft designs

 

We keep hearing the accusation that the ICP Savannah is a rip-off copy of the CH701.

 

Well, that’s not true at all.

 

This is the true story of how it all happened.

 

At Sun’nFun 1983, Chris Heintz and Max Tedesco, who had first met in 1980, started considering the possibility of designing an all-metal ultralight using conventional aircraft construction. At that time most ultralights were very basic tube and fabric construction.

 

First sketches started on scraps of paper and napkins right then, at a Lakeland café, one evening from 6 pm to midnight, with Max’s younger daughter sleeping on a chair… This was followed by six trips from Columbia to Canada by Tedesco, to work on the design with Heintz, and to check the flying characteristics of the plane, Max being a very experienced pilot, and a good test pilot. Several modifications were incorporated to the design following these test flights. That’s a considerable involvement on his part! Max is a very modest man, so when he emphasizes to me that he contributed a lot to that process, I take that to mean a whole lot.

 

So the 701 itself wasn’t designed only by Chris Heitz, it was already very much a joint venture.

 

Now that’s a surprise to all of you, eh!!!

 

But as Max says, “An aircraft design needs only one ‘father’, so Chris took on that roll and Max stayed in the background.

 

At this point we need to introduce Max Tedesco. Born in Colombia, he went to a Technical High School in Italy, studied Mechanical Engineering at MIT, then Aeronautical Engineering at McGill University, specializing in monocoque and semi-monocoque construction. He set up an aircraft factory in Colombia and built a variety of aircraft under license, often modified for agricultural spraying. These are ideal qualifications and experience to work on the design of an aircraft such as the 701. To learn more about Max have a look at http://aeroandina.com/eng/maximo.htm

 

http://www.aeroandina.com/eng/historia.htm

 

When the prototype 701 was flying, Heintz began selling plans and kits from Canada, while Tedesco returned to Colombia and commenced manufacturing ready-to-fly 701s. By 1990, when I first met him at Sun’nFun, Tedesco had built 112 701s for the South American market, and had introduced in 1989, the first 80% ready kit as a world exclusive.

 

In those days, Zenair used to assemble a 701 during the week of Sun’nFun and fly it at the end of the air show. I noticed that the quick-build kit that we assembled at Sun’nFun in 1990 was one of those made in Colombia, not Canada....

 

Max is an innovative and experimental engineer, and couldn’t help seeking improvements to the 701. Any designer will know that a first prototype can almost always be improved, and evolution leads to better and better results. The 701 prototype had lots of aspects that could be improved (and it still does....) Max was never satisfied with the cutaway over the cabin and the inverted airfoil horizontal stabilizer. So Max redesigned the 701 to become the first MXP 740 in October 1992, with a longer wing, and a different cockpit construction to accommodate the carry-through centre wing section instead of the cut-away. Also, a different tail section, with a symmetrical horizontal stabilizer instead of the inverted airfoil of the 701, larger elevator, and conventional rudder on a fixed vertical stabilizer.

 

In Kitplanes Magazine December 1997 there’s a photograph of Chris and Max in Colombia looking over an MXP 640, Max’s derivation of the 601 which was completed in November 92. This was a month after the first 740, so Chris saw and experienced the 740 at that time. Chris had a chance to incorporate those mods, but chose to stay with the original 701, while Max went on to produce the much improved 740’s.

 

Max was exporting 740’s to an agent in Italy for the European market, and had shipped 142 ready-made aircraft there. Little did he realize that the agent had set up a factory nearby, which became ICP, and who then disassembled a 740 and copied it into a CNC machine, pretty much rivet hole by rivet hole!

 

It was this rip-off copy that became the Savannah.

 

SO THAT’S THE TRUE STORY OF HOW THE SAVANNAH CAME TO BE!

 

Credit where credit is due, eh........

 

Full credit must go to Max Tedesco!

 

He designed a great aircraft, for which others are now reaping the benefit......

 

Max couldn’t find any protection from patent law, and so his company ended up in bankruptcy and he lost his house as well........

 

Then, how about the twisted irony that, when BRM in Portugal copied the Savannah, ICP tried to sue them! I’m told that lawsuit failed, and so it should have.....

 

....................................................................................................................

 

But the sad story doesn’t end there at all........

 

It’s way too long for a forum posting so read it at

 

http://www.stolspeed.com/origins-701-savannah

 

-There’s a whole lot more about how Max’s other designs have been ripped off in Eastern Europe, and at home....

 

-Remember the “Patriot” that was going to be Zenith’s LSA entry?? That was designed and built by Max and company.

 

-To see what one of Max’s other designs can do, have a look at

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T0_DGNKlzXs

 

-Find out about the ‘Guardian’ aircraft that Max has been asked to supply for US law enforcement.

 

-See the new designs Max has coming out in the spring.

 

- The story’s not over for this man, who’s a brilliant designer, but who doesn’t do much for self-promotion.....

 

His work sure deserves to be better known and recognized!

 

More at http://www.stolspeed.com/origins-701-savannah

 

John Gilpin

 

 

[eightyknots]

For the information of thread-browsers, there is a very similar thread to this one (but with more people posting) at: http://www.recreationalflying.com/showthread.php/139499-Origin-of-701-and-Savannah-designs

 

 

[eightyknots]

The Origins of both the 701 and the Savannah aircraft designsWe keep hearing the accusation that the ICP Savannah is a rip-off copy of the CH701.

 

Well, that’s not true at all.

 

This is the true story of how it all happened.

 

......

 

So the 701 itself wasn’t designed only by Chris Heitz, it was already very much a joint venture.

 

Now that’s a surprise to all of you, eh!!!

 

But as Max says, “An aircraft design needs only one ‘father’, so Chris took on that roll and Max stayed in the background.

 

.....

 

In Kitplanes Magazine December 1997 there’s a photograph of Chris and Max in Colombia looking over an MXP 640, Max’s derivation of the 601 which was completed in November 92. This was a month after the first 740, so Chris saw and experienced the 740 at that time. Chris had a chance to incorporate those mods, but chose to stay with the original 701, while Max went on to produce the much improved 740’s.

 

Max was exporting 740’s to an agent in Italy for the European market, and had shipped 142 ready-made aircraft there. Little did he realize that the agent had set up a factory nearby, which became ICP, and who then disassembled a 740 and copied it into a CNC machine, pretty much rivet hole by rivet hole!

 

It was this rip-off copy that became the Savannah.

 

SO THAT’S THE TRUE STORY OF HOW THE SAVANNAH CAME TO BE!

ZENITH CONTINUES TO SAVANNAH-FY THEIR AIRCRAFT:

 

It is interesting how the people at Zenith continue to adapt their aircraft to take on Savannah-like characteristics. Not only has the CH-750 (essenctially a CH701 on steroids for larger clients) taken the wingspan of the ICP Savannah, but just now I noticed the announcement of the latest Zenith CH750 modification. This modification is an attempt to create a lifting surface over the cabin ....just like the ICP Savannah, except much smaller. I will let the Zenith folk speak for themselves:

 

We've made the popular Zenith STOL CH 750 light sport utility kit aircraft even bigger and better!

 

The STOL CH 750 cabin, which by all measures is already very roomy for a light aircraft, has been increased in size by raising the cabin height by nearly three inches (or 70 mm.)

 

The top front of the cabin (the ceiling) has been raised and is now part of the lifting surface of the aircraft (further adding to the STOL capability of the aircraft):

 

 

Here's a side view approximation depicting the curved top "sky light" window

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The cabin frame's top diagonal cross member has been replaced by two beefy smaller diagonal "hand-holds" by the front of the cabin, and the formed plexiglass top window adds to the lifting surfaces of the aircraft, to provide better STOL performance and capability.

 

Here's a walk-around video clip of the new bigger STOL CH 750 cabin:

 

 

 

The Zenith STOL line of aircraft was first introduced as a single model in 1986, the STOL CH 701.

 

 

 

[rankamateur]

Since Skykits are now distributing Max Tedesco's designs in USA now and we have an Australian distributor, http://www.worldaircraftco.com/contact-us/,

 

Australia

 

World Aircraft Company – Australia

 

Mr. Tom Abell

 

PO Box 513

 

Mareeba, Queensland 4880

 

Australia

 

If someone is going to Nat-fly it might be worth asking Tom when we will see something like the "Spirit" flying in Australia, when you are visiting the ICP/Outback site.

 

 

http://www.worldaircraftco.com/spirit/

 

 

[Kyle Communications]

Tom says is hoping to have one here for Monto this year