The expansive gray concrete of Oshkosh’s runway 27 drops away. Golden early-morning sun throws long shadows ahead of us, the sky is clear and blue with picture-perfect white puffball clouds, and before we’re 500 feet AGL, I’m smiling large.

Really now: What better way to start your day than in a Remos GX?

The GXNXT is the newest iteration of my favorite-handling LSA, the GX. The airframe and flight characteristics are the same: It’s the cockpit that’s gotten an updo.

My host is Ryan Hernandez, the easygoing CFI down South who’s wrangling demo duties for Remos, on behalf of Tommy Lee’s Adventure Flight Aviation out of Springdale, Ark.

Hernandez has a few hundred hours in the GX. He also wears a Wichita Tin hat by teaching in Cessna 172s and 182s, doing contract flying in twins and pulling right-seat duty in a Citation Jet. That diverse GA background prompts me to ask what he likes most about the GX.

“Its handling characteristics,” he answers, and that’s no surprise to me. “It’s just great for training. I always recommend this airplane to my new students, over a Cessna 152 or 172, because you can go right from light-sport training to the private and the instrument rating, at a more affordable cost.”

He tells me Tommy Lee rents the GX for $95 per hour. Even older Cessnas can rent for more than that. Factor in the lower fuel burn of the industry-stalwart 100 hp Rotax 912S engine, and you’ve got a winner for flight-school operations.

The Plane NeXT Door
We head north to nearby Brennand Airport, a lovely flying-community strip far from the madding Oshkosh air-traffic crowd. Crossing over the strip to enter a left pattern, I’m remembering why I was so impressed the first time I flew the GX 18 months ago: It’s as friendly and familiar as the girl next door. I’ve yet to fly a more enjoyable LSA. The steerable nosewheel and pushrod ailerons and elevator make for a smooth, no-slop control feel. No matter how rusty you may be, the airplane makes you feel like an ace again. What a sweetheart.

The GXNXT is forgiving and stable, and requires little rudder to initiate coordinated turns. The bird has a wonderfully crisp, balanced, sports-car-like (but not overly sensitive) responsiveness whether you move the stick around subtly or briskly.

Ryan Hernandez demonstrates his confidence in the airplane by letting me pretty much do everything on our flight, including landing at Brennand a mere 10 minutes after departing Oshkosh. That may not sound like such a big deal until I tell you that the strip at that pretty little flying field is only 20 feet wide…and looks like 10 on short final!

Yet here I am in the slot, relaxed as a just-fed hound dog sleeping in summer shade, though I haven’t flown anything in weeks. Remos has made it a breeze to line up on that thin asphalt ribbon, as if I had a hundred hours in type.

Hernandez calls out nominal speeds and sets the flaps at 15 degrees, then 30, making it even easier. Such a tough job I’ve got.

He affirms my 65 mph approach speed is about right, (the Dynon SkyView EFIS is set up for mph). I rotate, we settle, I’m easing back on the nice leather-covered stick to flare when a quick, slight rumble of wheels on tarmac tells me we’re planted and rolling.

The steel-tube gear absorbed that slightly fast touchdown without complaint or tendency to divert from the straight and narrow…so nice. I keep the nose lined up well enough on that skinny strip; nosewheel steering is plenty responsive but damped sufficiently that, in a couple of seconds, I’ve figured out the right amount of pedal pressure. Soopah!

The only control challenge I find is the push-forward hand brake on the center console. It’s very effective, but counterintuitive for me: I learned to pull back for braking in the LSA in which I got my sport license. A couple false pulls, and I get squared away with that.

So What’s GXNXT?
Each pilot has a singular top priority with any airplane. Mine is simple: How does it feel in flight? That’s why I’ve emphasized the wonderful handling of the GX, and please excuse my personal indulgence. The new model is indeed the same airplane aerodynamically as the GX Aviator II model that I flew before, but hey, who doesn’t enjoy rambling on about their favorite thing?

The GXNXT is an important step forward though, even if it (merely) sports the same superb aerodynamics, thanks to the efforts of those clever Remos designers and engineers, who have been listening to customer squawks and making changes.

The most immediately visceral update is the redesigned instrument panel. They’ve lopped off 1.5 inches from the top and one inch from the bottom. That may not sound like much, but the effect is tangible and agreeable: Forward visibility and leg room are much enhanced. Combine that with good side-, rear- and overhead-window real estate, and you’ve got excellent all-around visibility, especially for a high winger.

The Aviator II model sported a Dynon D100 and D-120-based panel. The NXT goes full tilt with the seven-inch Dynon SkyView. It’s a perfect choice: The SkyView is rapidly becoming everybody’s must-have, can-do-everything glass avionics platform.

The version I flew upped the ante further with dual SkyViews, Garmin’s lovely 696 GPS and SL30 Nav/Com, a PS Engineering PM8000BT audio panel, backup battery, matching leather seats and carpet, and interior pads. The result: one Star Wars-y panel to go with a gorgeously comfy, functional cockpit.

Pilots over six feet will find they have to bend forward a bit to look out spanwise below the top of the door frame. I’m 5’11”, and I had plenty of headroom and eye room. One welcome feature: Looking through the large top window in turns adds a real traffic-spotting sense of security.

You can fly the Remos with the doors off. It’s one of Ryan Hernandez’s favorite ways to beat the hot Arkansas summer and improves the visibility picture even more.

Four knobs, previously placed on the center console—carb heat, choke, cabin heat and air vent—now adorn the left and right segments of the three-section panel. The result? A narrower between-seat console…with even more leg room. Factor in the comfortable, beautifully made leather upholstery (with good lumbar support, a feature lacking in some LSA), and you end up with elegance, form and function in the catbird seat.

The four-point safety belts prevent “submarining,” or sliding forward under the belts in a sudden deceleration. Also new are dark-tinted visors and air vents in the upper-left and -right corners of the cabin.

The Complete Package
There are many excellent LSA on the market. Remos aims to carve out a place in the top tier, and it deserves to be there. The German company has endured some management changes during the economic meltdown and feels like a leaner, meaner company now, with less of a big-splash marketing presence.

As of now, more than 120 Remos models are flying in the United States, with even more overseas. And its worldwide network of dealers, Service Centers and Pilot Centers is steadily growing.

Remos Pilot Centers feature the Gleim three-screen pilot simulator I like so much that allows students to practice flight lessons, rain or shine, without requiring an instructor to always be present.

The Remos GXNXT is a fabulous update, and, as such, is priced in the upper tier of leading S-LSA. Base price at current dollar/Euro exchange rates is around $142,000. If you can summon that tariff, look no further for an airplane that can carry a bigger useful load than many LSA, for several hundred miles, and all the while keep a big smile on your face.

Angling In On AOA
Dynon’s trendsetting SkyView EFIS panel has so many features already, it’s hard to keep up. Still, its angle-of-attack (AOA) indicator is one of the most vital for enhancing flight safety. Angle of attack is a more accurate and useful indicator of the near-stall regime, once you get used to referring to it, than any other readout. Why? Because it constantly measures, in real time, the angle between the wing chord and the oncoming air the wing is flying through. Since wings can stall at any velocity or attitude when AOA gets too large, keeping the wing below that critical maximum angle will always prevent a stall. Knowing AOA also is useful for nailing approach-to-landing speed. Navy pilots use AOA almost exclusively for carrier landings to stay within the tiny, precise performance profile required to plant it on the deck every time. Dynon’s AOA/Pitot Probe measures both angle of attack and airspeed for not only SkyView but also several of its other EFIS displays. The special probe has two pressure ports, one for airspeed, the other to measure critical angle of attack. Each port has a separate air line to the instrument; calibration is made after installation for the precise critical AOA value for a specific aircraft. The display you see here is integrated into the EFIS screen. When the indicator moves into the red zone at top, you’re at the stall. Yellow marks the near-stall caution zone, and green means you’re safe. An audio alarm also can be connected, and customized to pilot preference.

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Remos GXNXT
Price as flown:	$164,648
Engine make/model:	100 hp Rotax 912 ULS
Cabin width (in.):	46.8
Max takeoff weight (lbs.):	1320
Empty weight (lbs.):	718
Useful load, full fuel (lbs.):	602
Wing tank capacity (gals.):	22
Wingspan:	30 ft. 6 in.
PERFORMANCE
Max cruise speed (kts.):	105
Vs (kts.):	43
Vso (kts.):	38
Best rate of climb (fpm):	1280
Range (nm):	480
Takeoff distance (ft.):	430
Landing distance (ft.):	610
Source: Remos Aircraft www.remos.com

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Designed by engineer Lorenz Kreitmayr, the first Remos G-3 took to the air in 1997 (10 years before the upgraded GX first flew). In 2008, N447RA, the first GX, arrived in the States for the big summer flyfest in Oshkosh, and that’s where I had a chance to update my Remos experience (previously earned in the G-3). Assisting and educating me were two Remos reps: National Technical Service Manager Cris Ferguson and Managing Director of Sales and Marketing Michael Meirer.

Derived from the earlier G-3, the new GX brings many updates to suit American pilots, including a new Sensenich ground-adjustable propeller. A large baggage area aft of the pilot is accessed by removing the pilot seat.

What’s The Difference?
While G-3 sold more than 250 copies, performing well for European pilots for years, the arrival of the U.S. LSA market spurred fresh development. After a proper gestation period, the GX landed in America in time for EAA AirVenture 2008.

Ferguson clarified the differences between G-3 and GX, explaining that the new arrival bears a clear lineage, but is a genuinely different airplane. Whereas G-3 had parts fabricated in Poland, all components of the GX are made in Germany.

Foremost in the new features is a replacement of G-3’s partially fabric-covered wing; GX uses an all-carbon-fiber construction. “Remos engineers built new test fixtures and sandbagged the wing to destruction,” Ferguson explained. “The first wing was overbuilt and held 15,000 pounds of static weight; it was lightened because the wing was much stronger than it needed to be.” Among the refinements, Remos built a landing light smoothly into each wing’s leading edge.

The wing strut shed its former jury strut, and the main structure is now a larger-diameter chrome tube that’s faired for aerodynamic and cosmetic reasons. Remos also replaced the plain flap with a slotted one to increase lift efficiency.

GX’s fuselage is also built of carbon fiber. Remos added a dorsal fin that straddles the fuselage as it joins the vertical stabilizer. On the smaller ventral fin, a fixed-position tailwheel acting as a landing skid has been converted to a tiedown. (Wing tiedowns will also be added, though they weren’t installed on the article aircraft.)

The older G-3 model had a very visible seam where the fuselage boom’s left and right halves were joined. GX uses a two-inch, nearly invisible lap seam that’s glued to the opposite component; the new method looks more polished, though it can hardly be any stronger.

“The interior structure—the number of bulkheads—was also beefed up,” added Ferguson. “But the airplanes weigh the same, which is really amazing. The visible things—like the cowlings, the firewall and such structures—use the same design as the G-3.” The trim surface on the left side of the elevator is now a seamless construction with nylon providing the hinge action.

The GX continues to use the Rotax 912S powerplant common among LSA, but Remos has replaced the earlier Woodcomp propeller with a ground-adjustable Sensenich prop with a nickel leading edge.

At this writing, Remos was set to introduce a further-revised GX at the Sebring U.S. Sport Aviation Expo in January. Changes to the new interior include new panel-surface materials, two-tone paint scheme, “wall-to-wall” floor carpeting, door padding and optional two-tone leather seats. The updated interior is complemented by fresh exterior paint schemes and a three-blade Neuform prop (standard with the Aviator II package; optional on the Explorer and Aviation I packages).

The fully loaded GX features Dynon EFIS-D100 and EMIS-D120 instruments with Garmin radios, transponder, GPS and avionics switch panel.

Cabin Classiness
In its 46.8-inch-wide cockpit—now Kevlar-reinforced for increased occupant safety—GX uses Dynon EFIS-D100 and EMS-D120 glass instruments with Garmin radios, transponder, GPS and avionics switch panel. For GX, Dynon provides an angle-of-attack indicator with an audible warning that can be heard through headsets. Contrary to most producers, Remos stacks both Dynon screens in front of the pilot with the analog gauges facing the right seat. For repair service, the GX panel is composed of four segments that can be easily removed.

GX retains G-3’s dual throttles so both pilots can keep their right hand on the joystick while operating the power with their left. “We have a baggage area aft of the pilot’s seat that’s large enough to accommodate a full-sized golf bag,” boasted Ferguson. To access this baggage area, the pilot seat must be removed, thus in-flight access isn’t possible. A hat rack area, however, permits occupants to carry a few things that can be reached while aloft, and map pockets are built into the doors. When seated in the cabin, it’s easiest to reach under your leg to find the large door handle. The seats offer a three-position adjustment, although you must do this while still outside the aircraft. Additionally, fresh-air vents are complemented by window vents that pull back and then push out on an angle.

The attach point for the shoulder belt was moved to a stronger bulkhead location, and the seat belts are constructed with strategically placed cords that substitute as gust locks for the joystick.

On Wings Of Carbon
“Remos engineers started with the basic aerodynamic design of the airplane,” explained Ferguson about the decision to replace fabric covering with a solid surface. “The entire wing is completely different: it’s now an all-carbon-fiber structure. The wing has a different taper ratio and has approximately one less meter of span.

“GX flies so much better than the G-3,” Ferguson added. “You can’t knock the G-3, as it was a good design, but it’s like a kite, very lightly loaded, and you never used flaps in higher-wind landings. GX has a heavier wing loading and penetrates better.” That’s one way of saying it was changed to suit the American piloting experience. Later this year, Remos will offer all-new landing gear (made of chromoly steel, which the company says is much sturdier) and easily removable wheel pants that can fit oversized tires. “Roll rate is better and landing characteristics are better. In all, GX is a major improvement,” Ferguson asserted.

For landing, Ferguson advised using 40 degrees of flaps in normal conditions, 15 degrees if it’s a windy day. We used the smaller deployment on a pleasant summer day in Oshkosh. Our arrival over the runway was planned at 55 mph.

I used 3,800 rpm abeam the numbers, adding 15 degrees of flaps once below 80 mph. You have to give the slippery GX time to slow down; it doesn’t happen automatically. If needed, as you closely monitor your speed, GX can perform a deep slip. Ferguson explained that the lower the speed and/or the higher the bank angle, the greater the descent rate.

Many European pilots start their training in sailplanes, so long-gliding aircraft are consistent with their experience. The Remos G-3’s glide angle was a flat 17:1 and its sink rate was 400 fpm. To better match the American pilot experience, GX was designed to land in a shorter distance with steeper approaches; glide ratio is 10:1 and sink rate is 700 fpm.

We did a performance takeoff on one of our takeoff-and-landing examinations. Lowering 15 degrees of flaps, you add full throttle while applying full brakes. This achieves ground break in less than 200 feet, though a normal-procedure launch requires about 500 feet.

As I maneuvered the GX aloft, I found that throughout steep turns, the updated Remos felt very solid and secure. The handling is light enough to keep physical effort low, but it doesn’t surprise you with too-fast responses.

Power-off stalls were nonevents with the Dynon showing speeds down into the high 30s before a mild stall break occurred. Accelerated stalls, slowed to full aft stick at 40 degrees of bank, automatically rolled to level in both directions.

If you’re so inclined, you can open GX’s doors when you’re flying under 65 mph, but you can remove the doors and operate the aircraft up to 90 mph. Are you up for a little breeze on your knees?

When you’ve wrapped up your day of flying, you can take advantage of a feature rare to GA aircraft: folding wings. This can help lower costs with less hangar space or the use of a trailer for storage.

When the wing structure changed, so did the flap. It now offers a generous 40 degrees of extension.

Gee Whiz GX
Priced at $116,500, the basic Remos GX includes standard flight instruments, a VSI, a Garmin SL 40 radio and a Garmin transponder. GX comes standard with a night VFR package including position lights and a strobe light atop the tail.

The loaded version—which comes with a $135,500 price tag—includes goodies such as the dual-screen Dynon EFIS-D100 and EMS-D120, Garmin SL 40, Garmin SL 30 NAV/COM, HSI expansion module and removable Garmin 496 GPS. Those who don’t want all-glass may select electric-powered analog gauges. You can also add an autopilot, an airframe parachute, leather seats and an upgraded transponder. If you opt for a parachute system, it will be mounted centrally between the seats on a bulkhead behind the cabin area.

At this writing, the Remos GX is ranked #5 in U.S. LSA sales. Seek out a Remos dealer and make your own evaluation. Visit www.remos.com.

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REMOS GX
Base/used price:	$116,500
Engine make/model:	Rotax 912S
Horsepower	100@SL
Propeller type:	Sensenich
Gross weight (lbs.):	1320
Empty weight, std. (lbs.):	670
Useful load, std. (lbs.):	650
Payload, full std. fuel (lbs.):	518
Fuel capacity (lbs.):	22
Wingspan:	30 ft. 6 in.
Overall length:	21 ft. 3 in.
Overall height:	7 ft. 5 in.
Wing area (sq. ft.):	118
Wing loading (lbs./sq. ft.):	11.2
Power loading (lbs./hp):	13.2
Seating capacity:	2
Cabin width (in.):	46.8
PERFORMANCE
Vso (kts.):	38
Vne (kts.):	134
Cruise speed (kts.):	113
Max range (mi.):	857*
Fuel burn (gph):	2.3*
Max rate of climb (fpm):	1050
Takeoff over 50 ft. obstacle (ft.):	730
Landing over 50 ft. obstacle (ft.):	760
* Estimated Source: Remos Aircraft Inc.

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While German lightplanes have benefited from the same uncompromising quality control, they’ve been notably less successful in the U.S. and world markets. The delightfully handling Extra 300 series has made its mark as an excellent aerobatic machine, but other German-produced aircraft have found tough sledding on this side of the pond. Ruschmeyer was a fun retractable that never caught on the first time around in the 1990s, then was revived a few years ago as the Solaris, which still hasn’t caught the pilot public’s fancy.

The Remos G-3 is an airplane from Germany that could change all that. The G-3 represents the dream of German designer Lorenz Kreitmayr, a lifelong aviation fanatic who was determined to do things his way.

His way turned out to be the light-sport aircraft market. In many respects, the Remos is one of the most exotic LSAs available. Kreitmayr initiated design efforts in 1993, and the prototype first flew in 1997. Following a recent infusion of capital by software entrepreneur Eberhard Faerber, the factory in Pasewalk, Germany (an hour’s drive from Berlin), is currently turning out about one airplane every two weeks, and many of those G-3s are finding their way to the vital U.S. market.

I flew a G-3 with Doc Williams of Corona, Calif. Williams purchased his Remos through Remos USA, (888) 838-9879, in Fullerton, Calif., the West Coast distributor for the line. At first sight, the Remos promises a different experience, and it delivers exactly that. It’s an attractive little airplane, and one can easily see that good quality control and intelligent design were foremost in the Remos’ conception. As partial acknowledgement of Kreitmayr’s efforts, the G-3 was voted “Aircraft of the Year” at the AERO Show in Friedrichshafen, Germany, in 2000.

The G-3 is constructed primarily of carbon fiber, a nearly ideal material for airplanes, a third lighter than fiberglass, yet twice as strong. Fabric-covering is also used on portions of the Remos’ wing.

The G-3 is an economical design with a pod-shaped cabin up front, trailed by a waspish empennage and conventional low tail with a small ventral fin. Kreitmayr’s philosophy was to produce the most efficient design possible, minimizing wetted area and equivalent flat-plate area, consistent with the mission of carrying two folks in comfort. The gear legs are smoothly faired into the wheel-pants, and the overall impression is one of clean, efficient aerodynamics.

Power is provided by an Austrian Rotax 912 ULS, a 100 hp mill at 5,800 rpm with a gear reduction of 2.43:1. Now that Rotax has dropped its V6 program, this is effectively the largest engine the company produces. TBO is listed at 1,500 hours.

Entry to the cabin is through a pair of fold-up doors, à la DeLorean. The front office is wide and comfortable, nearly 47 inches across, easily capable of accommodating two big men. The panel is straightforward and simple, with a surprising variety of avionics options available. Garmin, Becker and Bendix/King avionics are on the list, even a Dynon seven-inch EFIS display. VFR is the rule on LSAs, but utilizing the panel-mounted Garmin 496 and 330 Mode S transponder, you can select TIS uplink traffic, XM Satellite Weather and terrain if you’re so inclined.

Once you’re settled inside, the cowl slopes slightly downhill to provide a good view forward. The view to the sides through the combination doors/windows is also excellent. There are even mini-side windows on each side of the aft cabin, more stylish than functional.

Pitch and roll control are via a conventional stick with a coolie-hat electric trim for both elevator and ailerons. The nosewheel is steerable, and flaps are electric with 40 degrees of deflection available. In combination with a high-aspect-ratio wing, flaps help produce a stall speed of only 39 knots, allowing approaches as slow as 50 knots. As you might expect, such a slow stall doesn’t demand much runway—less than 600 feet for both takeoff and landing.

A relatively large wing (131 square feet), 100 hp out front and the LSA legal limit of only 1,320 pounds to lift translates into good climb, 1,300 fpm according to specs. Even if that’s a little optimistic, the airplane can easily manage 1,000 fpm, putting it well ahead of most other LSAs.

According to Remos, the typical unequipped empty weight comes in at 625 pounds. Add even 75 pounds for options, and you’ll still be left with a useful load better than 600 pounds. Subtract 21 gallons of fuel, and you have about 480 pounds remaining for people and stuff, a more than reasonable allowance and better than some certified two-seaters.

Handling qualities are appropriately benign. Stalls are practically nonexistent with no tendency to fall off on a wing, provided the ball is somewhere near the center. The airplane simply sets up a hobbyhorse bobbing as it settles toward the ground. Roll rate isn’t exactly lightning quick, but it’s fast enough to make the airplane responsive without being quirky.

In cruise mode, the Remos turns in about 110 knots in keeping with Remos’ company motto, “The Sky Is Your Freeway.” (Notice use of the term “freeway” rather than “autobahn.” Years ago, I was delivering a new Piper Archer to Munich, and cars were passing me on the autobahn below.) Perhaps the best news is that you can pull back the little Rotax to sip fuel at 3 gph, providing up to six hours of endurance plus reserve. Remember, this is a European airplane, and they’ve been paying the equivalent of $5 to $6 per gallon for fuel over there for decades. The Rotax is even approved for high-test auto fuel if avgas is in short supply.

Another concession to economy on the Remos is folding wings. The wing-fold mechanism allows rotating and swinging the wings back alongside the fuselage, so you can trailer the airplane home to store it in your garage. Alternately, you can fit three G-3s in a standard T-hangar at the airport.

Base price on the Remos is $89,500. A reasonably equipped airplane would sell for about $110,000. In keeping with its international lineage, the Remos is distributed in Germany, Austria, Brazil, Denmark, France, Switzerland and Turkey.

What’s left unspoken is the fact that the Remos is plain fun to fly, easy to maneuver, simple to operate. If you’re into LSAs, by all means, check out the Remos G-3. You may be surprised at how much airplane you can buy for a little more than $100,000.

SPECS: Remos G-3 LSA

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Remos G-3 LSA
Base price:	$89,500
Engine make/model:	Rotax 912 ULS
Horsepower@rpm:	100@5,800
TBO hrs.:	1500
Fuel type:	100/100LL & auto
Propeller type/diameter:	Tri./Fixed
Max ramp weight (lbs.):	1320
Gross weight (lbs.):	1320
Landing weight (lbs.):	1320
Empty weight, std. (lbs.):	625
Useful load, std. (lbs.):	695
Payload, full std. fuel (lbs.):	578
Useful fuel, std. (gals.):	21
Wingspan:	32 ft. 4 in.
Overall length:	21 ft. 5 in.
Height:	5 ft. 6 in.
Wing area (sq. ft.):	131
Wing loading (lbs./sq. ft.):	10.1
Power loading (lbs./hp.):	13.2
Seating capacity:	2
Cabin doors:	2
Cabin width (in.):	47
PERFORMANCE
Cruise speed (kts.):
75% power:	113
Max range (w/ reserve) (nm):
55% power:	600*
Fuel consumption (gph):
75% power:	4.0*
Vso (kts.):	39
Best rate of climb (SL fpm):	1300
Max operating altitude (ft.):	20,000
Takeoff ground roll (ft.):	330
Landing ground roll (ft.):	590
*Estimated
Source: Manufacturer’s Website

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