Zenith Aircraft debuts CH 750 Super Cruzer at AirVenture
New four-seat kit aircraft combines utility, speed, payload
Zenith Aircraft Co. introduced the CH 750 Super Cruzer at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh in Wisconsin, adding a new four-seat kit to its lineup.
The high-wing, all-metal design combines the useful load of the STOL CH 750 Super Duty with the higher cruise performance of the CH 750 Cruzer.
Rather than creating an entirely new airframe, Zenith combined the Super Duty's structure with the Cruzer's wing and tail. Sebastien Heintz, Zenith's president, said the goal was to create a new aircraft with the load-carrying ability of one design and the cruise speed of the other.
The Super Cruzer uses a 2+1 seating arrangement with two seats and a rear jump seat. The cabin measures 42 inches wide at the shoulders, expanding to 50 inches when the swing-up bubble doors open.
A prototype powered by a 180-horsepower Lycoming O-360 engine and a fixed-pitch Sensenich propeller has demonstrated cruise speeds above 120 mph while maintaining takeoff and landing rolls of less than 500 feet, according to the company.
Roger Dubbert, demonstration and test pilot as well as the recipient of the Society of Experimental Test Pilots' Spirit of Flight Award in 2024, said the airplane flies much like the two-seat CH 750 Cruzer, and described the control response as well balanced for a utility-category airplane.
The airplane has a 33-foot, 5-inch wingspan; an empty weight of 1,100 pounds; and a 1,900-pound maximum gross weight, providing 800 pounds of useful load. Fuel capacity is 48 gallons, and approved engine options range from 140 to 230 horsepower, and VNE is 150 mph.
Like Zenith's other kits, the Super Cruzer uses computer numerical control-cut, match-drilled parts intended to simplify construction. The company estimates assembly time at under 400 hours and offers options including its repositionable "UnPanel" instrument panel, floats, and a ballistic recovery parachute system.
The introductory airframe kit is $33,790, with the finishing kit listed at $12,990. Engine, avionics, shipping, and crating are separate, allowing builders to configure the airplane with their preferred equipment.
Zenith is demonstrating the Super Cruzer prototype at AirVenture through July 26.
