Aeroprakt A-32 compared with the A-22LS

[fly_tornado]

the essential character is intact just refined.

 

 

[ozbear]

When solo with a Y try to jot down a few notes if your right handed.

You should be able to trim for hands off

 

 

[Guest SrPilot]

I don't know why you would go past a kitfox7 SLSA

Humm. Let me count the reasons (for me, not for everyone). I think we all can agree that one person's needs is not another's cup of tea. But I am asked, why not a Kitfox? My reasons. Choices and opinions obviously may differ.

 

The Kitfox is a fine aircraft if it fits your needs and desires. It doesn't match up very well with my needs or desires. No aircraft meets both needs and desires 100%, but of those most approaching some of the particularly attractive features, the list narrows to such airplanes as the A-32, the A-22LS, the Zlin (Savage) "Cub," the Just aircraft (although the Just is kit built, and I would not undertake a build project [again] - I would have to find a suitable flying airplane to select a Just), all of which beat out the Kitfox for my purposes. I might consider a flying Rans S-7 but only if it was low time and very well built.

 

I have been focusing on the A-22LS (and have now begun considering the new A-32). Why do they push me away from the Kitfox? I list some factors, but first I note that I take all info on the Kitfox from their website and their Parts Catalog:

 

http://www.kitfoxaircraft.com/images/PDF/SLSAPDF/Equip-Features-SLSA-2014.jpg

 

http://kitfoxaircraft.com/images/PDF/SLSAPDF/SLSA-Order-Pricing-10612.pdf

 

Factor 1. Wide cabin, side-by-side seating over narrow cabin or tandem seating. I have entered, exited and sat in a Kitfox taildragger cockpit. I cannot see my wife liking the task, and I don't favor it much either.

 

Advantage - Aeroprakt A-32/A-22LS

 

Factor 2. Performance.

 

Using data from the various websites and POH, I rate the planes as follows:

 

Cruise speed -- Advantage - Kitfox

 

T/O and landing -- Advantage - Foxbat

 

Factor 3. Gear and brakes.

 

Gear configuration: Kitfox - taildragger or nose-gear / A22LS and A32 - Nose-gear.

 

Advantage Kitfox if one desires a taildragger; otherwise, no overall advantage. I probably slightly prefer nosegear over taildragger at this point, but I fly both. It's simply not as serious a factor as others considerations in this list. Both the A-22LS/A-32 are nose-gear aircraft, and Kitfox comes either way. All three aircraft can be equipped with wheels, skis, or floats although I have no interest in the latter two. I sit by a fireplace when snow is (rarely around here) on the ground, and my water sports are limited to scuba diving and, infrequently, boating or fishing.

 

Brakes: Kitfox - dual toe brakes, hydraulic / Foxbat - hand-operated lever, hydraulic.

 

Advantage Kitfox generally, but although I prefer toe-brakes over hand-lever brakes, I presently own an airplane with a hand-lever system. So for me, it a serious factor and I rate it no advantage.

 

Factor 4. Construction. General description; both have composite parts, etc)

 

Kitfox - fabric covered (Poly-fiber)

 

Foxbat - aluminum

 

Advantage - Foxbat

 

Opinions may differ, but I've owned multiple aluminum and fabric-covered aircraft. I am familiar with the local availability and costs of repairs in case of a boo-boo, and I think aluminum aircraft get a nod here although I will consider a fabric-covered airplane. If I move from the A32/A22LS family to a fabric-covered taildragger (which always is a possibility), I probably begin with the Zlin Savage "Cub" airplane rather than the Kitfox. Although the Savage is a tandem seat airplane, it does provide more elbow room for both pilot and passenger. But like the Kitfox, the Savage is a higher-priced alternative to the Foxbat. In fact, initial figures I've seen favor the A32 over both the Kitfox and the Savage. We'll see.

 

Factor 5. Folding wings

 

Kitfox - yes / Foxbat - no

 

Advantage Kitfox generally, but for me, absolutely no advantage. I own an fully enclosed metal hangar, heated and air conditioned. I built my GlaStar with folding wings and never folded them - not even to demonstrate the possibility (even during the sale of the aircraft).

 

Factor 6. Costs (a gorilla in the room - don't ignore it)

 

Kitfox SLSA "Standard" US$95,995 (AU$124,200)

 

But to equip one the same as the Foxbat package I have been offered at about US$80,000 (AU$103,500), add US$6500 (AU8410) for the Dynon panel, US$850 (AU$1100) for the ELT upgrade, and possibly some other stuff I am overlooking.

 

Advantage -- Foxbat. More than US$23,345 (AU$30,202) cheaper than a Kitfox similarly equipped). The difference shrinks somewhat if the A32 is considered, but preliminary figures I've heard - if they prove true - still leaves the A32 as a signicantly cheaper buy)

 

Add to those figures the taxes which will be incurred. The "use tax" (a tax to replace the sales tax that would be paid if the aircraft were purchased from an in-state dealer - any of these planes would come from out-of-state) is about 4.5%, so the difference in price of US$23,345 increases by US$1050, AU$1358, at purchase. Additionally, the annual property tax on the higher-priced aircraft would be more each and every year during ownership because the tax is based on value and presumably the higher-priced aircraft would be valued at a higher figure. Insurance coverage would be higher, but possibly not significantly so.

 

Factor 7. Parts and repairs. The Kitfox is U.S. built. The Foxbat is Ukrainian built. Parts and repairs issues may favor the Kitfox

 

There are a lot of other factors that have been considered, but to save bandwidth I will forego discussion of engines, props, ballistic parachutes, training packages, etc, which add no advantage to any of the aircraft - all have them as standard features or available as options.

 

Because I am not interested in building another airplane (and if I was, it would be an RV-3B anyway), the kit and alternative engines options provide no advantage for me). Moreover, I would be interested in an RV-3B only if the U.S. Congress passes the pilots' rights bill which removes the requirement for a physical to fly smaller general aviation aircraft for non-commercial purposes. An RV is just too fast for light sport; ergo, a current physical is required to fly one. But I think it's a great airplane if you can live with a single-seat steed. I owned an RV-3A and I've regretted the fact that I sold it almost every day since I did so.

 

A closing "factor" -- Cute decals. Both companies have cute logo decals (no advantage either airplane although the Foxbat logo looks less "cute" for those not looking for cuteness).

 

 

[ozbear]

The only thing more fun than a foxbat is a foxbat with floats

[pylon500]

the annual property tax

OK, not directly related to the thread, but does this mean you guys have to pay an annual tax, just for owning something expensive?

 

 

[Guest SrPilot]

OK, not directly related to the thread, but does this mean you guys have to pay an annual tax, just for owning something expensive?

Yes. But we do not have a VAT. We pay sales or use taxes on many goods at the time of purchase, and annual property taxes on land, houses, airplanes, automobiles, boats, motorcycles, etc. Those on autos, boats and motorcycles are collected with the annual registration (boats) or license plates (autos, motorcycles). Somebody's got to pay for the roads. Airplanes are registered with the feds, not the state, so they are taxed through property taxes the same as land and houses.

 

If you buy an auto, airplane or boat within your state, you pay a sales tax (e.g., in our state 2% on autos), then you pay a property tax in the form of a license plate with its coupled fees and taxes. If you buy the auto, airplane or boat in another state and bring it into your state, you pay a "use" tax (a substitute for the lost sales tax), but you are given a credit for the taxes if any (there should be none) for taxes paid in the state where the sale occurred. Most states do not collect sales taxes on products going out of state; the receiving state waits to collect the use tax. Some states have no sales tax or no sales tax on certain products. Each state is a taxing entity, and as such it is a sovereign entity.

 

Taxes on airplanes theoretically go to pay for the airports, fire and police protection at airports, etc. Theoretically speaking. And its not limited to "something expensive." It could be a $500 scooter that belonged to your dad. Gotta have a tag to ride it on the road.

 

If I bought an airplane in Australia, there is also the issue of a federal import tax. If I bought one in Canada or Mexico that was built in either of those countries, it might be import tax exempt. (NAFTA law). The 3 countries tax each others exports/imports differently under NAFTA. I don't do tax law so I do not know the details.

 

Buying a Foxbat in the US would involve an import tax due to the fact the aircraft must be imported from the Ukraine, but that's a one-time tax. Subsequent sales of that airplane would only raise the issues of sales and use taxes.

 

 

[Guest SrPilot]

http://www.aeropraktusa.com/

Thanks again for the information fly_tornado." I spoke with the fellow today and it's possible that he is coming through our airport in an A22LS as soon as this weekend. It's nice when a plan comes together. I may actually get to fly one of these puppies over the coming days. The A32, though, may be a long time coming judging by some of the information I am collecting. Perhaps too long out for someone like me. I do not even buy green bananas.

 

Carpe diem, my friend.

 

 

[fly_tornado]

That A-32 looks really nice though

 

 

[Guest SrPilot]

That A-32 looks really nice though

I agree. So did a number of my aviation friends. But, based on the best info I can get to date, the A22LS [not called the Foxbat in the U.S. except by people like me] is the aircraft currently available to those of us in the U.S. and that one was not approved as a full SLSA in the U.S. until last week. Until then, it appears they were being registered as ELSA. [i cannot tell from the sources available to me. The FAA lists the manufacturers of the registered aircraft under a couple of names of companies in the U.S., not under Aeroprakt Ukraine. Only one that I have seen lists Aeroprakt as the manufacturer, and it was registered on May 21, 2015].

 

We have a new source for the A22LS in the states and he is just getting underway. Weather permitting, he will be at our airport on Sunday so hopefully I will finally get to fly the A22LS. Word also has it that assembly of the 22LS may now be in Poland with aircraft being shipped from a Polish seaport on the Baltic (at least those to the U.S. (?)), rather than through the "autonomous region" of the Ukraine along the Black Sea. Thus, even for the 22LS, I wrestle with a new dealer, a new assembler, a new shipping arrangement, and a new certification as an SLSA. But Aeroprakt and the A22LS still do not show up on the lists I've seen from the FAA, AOPA, EAA, and others listing SLSA light sport aircraft. Therein probably lies part of the reason Australia has so many Foxbats and the U.S. has very, very few.

 

And with regard to the A32, I have been told by a source -- with no information to the contrary to date -- that Aeroprakt is moving slow on the A32 because it's a new airplane still undergoing some pre-production testing. In that regard, it is understandable that they have a proven product (22LS) with parts on hand and orders pending so why impede their ability to produce the A22LS by rushing the creation of a parts production and assembly process for a new model. Just take a deep breath and do it in an organized way without upsetting a successful program. I have been told that they are producing some A32s (one of which will be in Australia long before any hit our shores, but those aircraft are not rolling off an eatablished assembly line. According to the information given, they are being built under a more restrictive plane-by-plane approach with fewer aircraft per year compared to the more mature A22LS program. While the A22LS is a hit in many countries, it appears that there has been no breakthrough in the U.S. Given the potential market, one would think that Aeroprakt would be most interested in promoting sales in the U.S. The A32 may be the future, but the A22LS could be the present for them. It can be sold in the U.S. significantly cheaper than some of its competition; they already have a proven product and a mature production process. With a new importer and new routing that is even closer to the U.S. ports, and with the reported recent - last 10 days - certification of the A22LS as an SLSA (with alternative certification as an ELSA), they might be positioned to move on the U.S. light sport scene. Now if they can have display and demo aircraft at Oshkosh 2015, so much the better. The A32 has not been certified as an SLSA (or anything else to my knowledge) in the U.S. That may or may not be a slow process. I do not know, but I suspect that with the aircraft being assembled in Poland, a member-state of the European Union, it is possible that Aeroprakt can certify their aircraft much easier in both Europe and the U.S. So it could be that the A32 will be rushed as soon as aircraft start flowing into the U.S.

 

Add to the start-up challenges of producing a new airplane without impeding their ability to meet production needs for an established model, there are other possibilities.

 

They may be finding it difficult to transport aircraft across Ukraine from the factory to a Black Sea port for worldwide shipping due to the declared "autonomous region" along the Black Sea. Ergo, an assembly point in Poland with the shift to a Polish port along the Baltic Sea makes sense. Poland adjoins the Ukraine on its western border far removed from trouble spots, and has at least 13 seaports along the Baltic Sea. With the troubles in Southern Ukraine, a western shipping route is quite understandable.

 

All of this is supposition flowing from a fertile mind after obtaining some information. Because my undergraduate degree was in business (management, finance, production, sales, etc), give me a little information and I start gaming it to see what's likely to happen. I never went into business though because I've never been very good at the gaming.

 

Opinions vary (not to quote Dalton in the movie Road House, but saying the same words), but those are my thoughts based on what I have been told. YOMV.

 

Ergo, given the situation, I cannot await the arrival of the A32 in the U.S. I do not even buy green bananas these days, and I am challenged enough by just a 60-120 day wait from date of order on the A22LS to delivery. A year or two wait for just the possibility of getting an early A32 just doesn't compute for me. So, this weekend I hope to fly an A22LS to see if I want to wait 60-120 days for one. (The quickest I have heard was 65 days; the promise is within 120 days).

 

j

 

 

[Maritime_Ev]

Strange that there's nothing on their UA website about the new model http://www.aeroprakt.kiev.ua/airplanes/

 

It's a more sophisticated looking aircraft for sure, but I call хуйня on the 20 knots speed improvement... That would take it from being among the slowest LSAs to one of the fastest.

 

Even with the aerodynamic improvements it is still optimized mostly for slow flight and short landings, not a lanceair/glassair racer. No free lunch in aviation... not even a cheap lunch :)

 

I've done a bit of flying in the A22LS and I like it a lot, it has a few big advantages compared to the other LSAs in the aeroclub hanger: mostly the very low stall speed (and this landing run) and especially the load carrying ability. You can take a full tank of fuel and two healthy sized adults and still not worry too much about the W&B (try that in the Pipersport or Pioneer). But of course this comes at a price, it's quite bare bones and noisy inside (to keep the empty weight down) and it is very slow in the cruise 85-90 knots IAS, perhaps 95 if you go pedal to the metal.

 

Can't wait to have a go in the A32 though, hope they call at Sunny coast airport when they go on a demonstration tour.

 

 

[eightyknots]

Very interesting. The no-such-thing-as-a-free-lunch theory should mean that the A32's stall speed is likely to be higher if the cruise speed increases by about 20 knots. Will it still be able to fit within the Australian 19-xxxx/LSA criteria?

 

 

[BoxFat]

Ok ! The registration papers for the first Aeroprakt A32 in Australia arrived on Monday and (thanks to Peter Harlow of Foxbat Australia) I was able to fly it yesterday. I will write up the experience up for an article in SP but here are the bottom lines as regards certain questions that have arisen in this thread:

 

1. Turns out there IS such a thing as a free lunch. Who knew ?

 

2. Against, all experience (starting with my first remembered birthday) apparently it IS possible to have the cake and eat it too.

 

In other words...

 

1. Stall at 27 kts

 

2. Level at 2500' straight from climb out and crosswind leg departure, 5000 rpm, trimmed and stable, two large-ish blokes aboard, 115 kts IAS, 116-117 kts TAS.

 

Cheers

 

BF

 

 

[Maritime_Ev]

Ok ! The registration papers for the first Aeroprakt A32 in Australia arrived on Monday and (thanks to Peter Harlow of Foxbat Australia) I was able to fly it yesterday. I will write up the experience up for an article in SP but here are the bottom lines as regards certain questions that have arisen in this thread:1. Turns out there IS such a thing as a free lunch. Who knew ?

 

2. Against, all experience (starting with my first remembered birthday) apparently it IS possible to have the cake and eat it too.

 

In other words...

 

1. Stall at 27 kts

 

2. Level at 2500' straight from climb out and crosswind leg departure, 5000 rpm, trimmed and stable, two large-ish blokes aboard, 115 kts IAS, 116-117 kts TAS.

 

Cheers

 

BF

I better go and book a test flight then to check it out, I love free food! Where is it stationed? Are they going to do a promotion tour with it?

 

 

[dazza 38]

Ok ! The registration papers for the first Aeroprakt A32 in Australia arrived on Monday and (thanks to Peter Harlow of Foxbat Australia) I was able to fly it yesterday. I will write up the experience up for an article in SP but here are the bottom lines as regards certain questions that have arisen in this thread:1. Turns out there IS such a thing as a free lunch. Who knew ?

 

2. Against, all experience (starting with my first remembered birthday) apparently it IS possible to have the cake and eat it too.

 

In other words...

 

1. Stall at 27 kts

 

2. Level at 2500' straight from climb out and crosswind leg departure, 5000 rpm, trimmed and stable, two large-ish blokes aboard, 115 kts IAS, 116-117 kts TAS.

 

Cheers

 

BF

Can you write an article and see if The Aviator magazine will publish it ?

 

 

[BoxFat]

I promised one to SP and will try to write it today. Peter at Foxbat Australia has various press stuff planned - not sure if that includes "The Aviator". It's going to get a lot of attention regardless as there is no doubt it is a significant step forward, not just for Foxbat but for the LSA "brand". Actually, despite the appearance, it really ISN'T a Foxbat either in name or in some other respects, about which more anon.

 

I went in with two main questions in my mind:

 

Q1. Will it meet expectations ? A. No. It exceeded them

 

Q2. Will it leave me dissatisfied with my A22LS ? A. No not at all. The reasons for that I will explain in the article.

 

The demonstrator is currently at Tyabb but is going north for a fly-in event soon. I forget which one it is but details of this and other planned "tours" can no doubt be had from [email protected]

 

Cheers

 

BF

 

 

[eightyknots]

Ok ! The registration papers for the first Aeroprakt A32 in Australia arrived on Monday and (thanks to Peter Harlow of Foxbat Australia) I was able to fly it yesterday. I will write up the experience up for an article in SP but here are the bottom lines as regards certain questions that have arisen in this thread:1. Turns out there IS such a thing as a free lunch. Who knew ?

 

2. Against, all experience (starting with my first remembered birthday) apparently it IS possible to have the cake and eat it too.

 

In other words...

 

1. Stall at 27 kts

 

2. Level at 2500' straight from climb out and crosswind leg departure, 5000 rpm, trimmed and stable, two large-ish blokes aboard, 115 kts IAS, 116-117 kts TAS.

 

Cheers

 

BF

 

I promised one to SP and will try to write it today. Peter at Foxbat Australia has various press stuff planned - not sure if that includes "The Aviator". It's going to get a lot of attention regardless as there is no doubt it is a significant step forward, not just for Foxbat but for the LSA "brand". Actually, despite the appearance, it really ISN'T a Foxbat either in name or in some other respects, about which more anon.I went in with two main questions in my mind:

 

Q1. Will it meet expectations ? A. No. It exceeded them

 

Q2. Will it leave me dissatisfied with my A22LS ? A. No not at all. The reasons for that I will explain in the article.

 

The demonstrator is currently at Tyabb but is going north for a fly-in event soon. I forget which one it is but details of this and other planned "tours" can no doubt be had from [email protected]

 

Cheers

 

BF

Hi B/F,

 

I look forward to see a full write-up on your experiences

 

 

[dazza 38]

I promised one to SP and will try to write it today. Peter at Foxbat Australia has various press stuff planned - not sure if that includes "The Aviator". It's going to get a lot of attention regardless as there is no doubt it is a significant step forward, not just for Foxbat but for the LSA "brand". Actually, despite the appearance, it really ISN'T a Foxbat either in name or in some other respects, about which more anon.I went in with two main questions in my mind:

 

Q1. Will it meet expectations ? A. No. It exceeded them

 

Q2. Will it leave me dissatisfied with my A22LS ? A. No not at all. The reasons for that I will explain in the article.

 

The demonstrator is currently at Tyabb but is going north for a fly-in event soon. I forget which one it is but details of this and other planned "tours" can no doubt be had from [email protected]

 

Cheers

 

BF

Fair enough, this months Aviator magazine mentions that LSA stories are important to them. I think they are going to expand LSA type stories to cover SP going electronic.

 

 

[eightyknots]

I wonder if Aeroprakt are thinking of bringing out an electric version of the A-22 or A-32 ...like Pipistrel?

 

 

[Guest SrPilot]

After trying to school myself on the A-32 and it's likely arrival in the U.S., I decided I could not wait that long just to see if the plane was for me and . Since starting this thread, I've simply moved on. I ordered an A-22LS, flown in anotherA-22LS (finally), and even flew an A-22. I am now preparing for the soon-I-hope arrival of my new bird - a yellow one.

 

If there's any interest in chatting about the process of purchasing an A-22LS - my first-ever purchase of a new airplane from a manufacturer (and a foreign one at that) - from looking through a list of components and accessories, making the choices, working through the ordering process, preparing to fly an airplane almost nothing like any of the ones I've own or flown, etc, simply let me know and we'll start a thread. We can compare my experiences from the U.S. side of things - different though it is from the Australian process, I am sure, with those of you who have made similar buys Downunder. Although the experiences may be different in many respects, I am sure there are some similarities here and there.

 

 

[SDQDI]

Congratulations SrPilot, hopefully it's not too long of a wait for you.

 

How did you like your flight in the foxbat?

 

 

[BoxFat]

Congrats SrPilot ! I think you will have a lot of fun with the Foxbat. Unless you plan a fair bit of XC touring it's the right choice (in my opinion) over waiting for an A32. Apart from having to wait longer, I think there are some small tweaks that will happen from user feedback over the next year or so whereas the A22LS is well bedded in.

 

Re comparitive experience of going from purchase to first flight I'm not sure we are on a level playing field: the local agent in Oz handles this all seamlessly for us. All I did was use my ship tracker app to watch my FB leave Odessa and wend it's way south to the antipodes. That was kind of fun. It arrived on the docks at Fremantle and within a week or so of that I was airborne ! Although many things will be different in the US you might benefit from a chat with Peter Harlow and I'm sure he would not mind sharing his wisdom.

 

Cheers

 

BF

 

 

[eightyknots]

Congratulations SrPilot, hopefully it's not too long of a wait for you.How did you like your flight in the foxbat?

Foxbat? probably "Valor" for SrPilot

 

 

[Guest SrPilot]

Congrats SrPilot ! I think you will have a lot of fun with the Foxbat. . . . I'm not sure we are on a level playing field: the local agent in Oz handles this all seamlessly for us. All I did was use my ship tracker app to watch my FB leave Odessa . . . Although many things will be different in the US you might benefit from a chat with Peter Harlow and I'm sure he would not mind sharing his wisdom. Cheers BF

Thanks BF. Our new Aeroprakt rep is very helpful but we don't have the experience held by Peter Harlow. There aren't nearly as many A22s in the U.S. but our Aeroprakt rep is trying to change that and I'm doing my little bit.

 

 

[Guest SrPilot]

Foxbat? probably "Valor" for SrPilot

I flew an A22 Valor last week. I'm not sure that the name Valor ever became widely used, and I'm doubly not sure it is affixed to the A22LS. In the U.S., the A22s were called Valors though. I quote from a 2008 posting in South Africa explaining the naming across the continents: "The A-22 is manufactured in the Ukraine by Aeroprakt. The official type is the A-22, but because the name is not too inspiring, we in SA, the UK and Australia we have nicknamed it the "Foxbat". In France it is called the "Vision", in Eastern Europe the "Shark", and in the USA the previous dealer called it the "Valor".

 

Note though that this discussion was about the A22, not the A22LS. The most recent FAA registry posting for an A22LS lists the model only as an A22LS. No name is affixed. (I've flown that particular airplane too, albeit just for a brief period). It, my plane, and -as I understand it - all of the A22LSs being built for the U.S. are being assembled in Poland, not in the Ukraine. The EU build probably helps with the U.S. licensing (compliance with ATSM standards in a EU country are accepted in the U.S. for LSA certification) and shipping. No need to transport the aircraft through the "autonomous region" of the Ukraine for a Black Sea port departure; just run it over to the Polish coast - closer to the U.S. and no border conflicts or "assessments" or "tolls" for shipment through an "autonomous region."

 

 

[eightyknots]

I flew an A22 Valor last week. I'm not sure that the name Valor ever became widely used, and I'm doubly not sure it is affixed to the A22LS. In the U.S., the A22s were called Valors though. I quote from a 2008 posting in South Africa explaining the naming across the continents: "The A-22 is manufactured in the Ukraine by Aeroprakt. The official type is the A-22, but because the name is not too inspiring, we in SA, the UK and Australia we have nicknamed it the "Foxbat". In France it is called the "Vision", in Eastern Europe the "Shark", and in the USA the previous dealer called it the "Valor".Note though that this discussion was about the A22, not the A22LS. The most recent FAA registry posting for an A22LS lists the model only as an A22LS. No name is affixed. (I've flown that particular airplane too, albeit just for a brief period). It, my plane, and -as I understand it - all of the A22LSs being built for the U.S. are being assembled in Poland, not in the Ukraine. The EU build probably helps with the U.S. licensing (compliance with ATSM standards in a EU country are accepted in the U.S. for LSA certification) and shipping. No need to transport the aircraft through the "autonomous region" of the Ukraine for a Black Sea port departure; just run it over to the Polish coast - closer to the U.S. and no border conflicts or "assessments" or "tolls" for shipment through an "autonomous region."

When are you expecting your Shark/Valor/Foxbat?A-22/Vision?

 

You can see, from the gills in the engine compartment, why it is called a Shark in some places: