Some Impressions of the New Lark

There have been quite a number of foreign light aircraft visiting this country during the last few weeks. In last week’s issue I wrote some notes following a brief flight in the Ercoupe, and one warm evening last week needed no persuasion to fly the Danish KZ-VII.

This four-seater KZ, also named Lar, will be of particular interest to aircraft-starved British pilots because, believe it or not, an import license can be obtained and delivery dates are only about two months behind orders. R. K. Dundas Ltd., the agents for Skandinavisk Aero Industri A/S in this country and the Commonwealths, would be glad to arrange delivery of a standard KZ-VII, for a price of GBP2,150, 200 of which is duty, or of a de luxe model fitted with electrics and in non-standard colours for 2,300.

In our issue of August 29th last I described my impressions of flying the two-seater KZ-III Lark, and the VII is very similar, being in fact a four-seat version with a little more power and some improvements to detail. The engine is a C.125 Continental flat six, while the KZ-III had a 100 h.p. Currus Minor. To simplify and speed up production, only one model is being produced, and as the main demand in Europe, also borne out by American experience, is for a four-seater, the KZ-III has been discontinued.

The principal flying characteristics of the Lark is the control at very low speeds and the aircraft’s reluctance to stall and refusal to spin. While these safety qualities, which are becoming the talking poing of so many modern light aircraft, are 100 per cent desirable, I think it is time a small warning notice was displayed on the windscreens, like the running-in instructions on a new car, to say that the aircreaft should not be flown at less than 30 m.p.j., for the first thousand feet. More than one very experienced pilot has lost his life in the last year or so through overdoing the walking-pace-climb-off-the-deck demonstration. As far as the KZ-VII is concerned, any unintentional stall which might occur during normal flying practice would be due to abnormal pilot error.

I tried a circuit and bump with three people up after first flying with only two, and could hardly detect any difference in handling. The climb figure of 590 ft/min claimed seems to be accurate, and flown solo, 1,000 ft/min initial climb can be obtained. Over a short run I reached a speed of 195 k.p.h. or 121 m.p.h. at full throtle and cruised without effort at 175/180 k.p.h. or 110 m.p.h.

The main criticism of the earlier KZ-III was its lack of rear-ward view, but on the KZ-VII this is quite satisfactory, and the straight-forward view is also slightly improved.

For a machine of its type, the Lark’s low landing speed of about 35 m.p.h. i a good feature, and although I wouldn’t try it with someone else’s aircraft. I am told by Mr. Kramme, the demonstration pilot, that on grass the machine may be landed safely with brakes full on. For small-field work, in the mountaneous Scandinavian countries in particular, this and its full load, still-air take-off run of only 165 yd will be most useful. The full-span two-position flaps, of course, have a lot to do with this low-speed performance. They are full-span in so much as both ailerons are depressed by 15 degrees when flap is fully lowered. Flown solo, the Lark can be pulled off safely after a 70-yd run, and an emergency landing could be made in little more than tennis court area.