Primed for Mosaic

This is my introductory flight in a Tarragon, a sleek, two-seat, carbon-fiber sport airplane made in Latvia, and this exotic airplane is both entrancing and strangely familiar.

The bubble canopy, ergonomically ideal seating position and cockpit layout, big-screen avionics, and sublime handling take the best qualities from a variety of leading aircraft—and that combination creates an instant sense of being at home.

The Tarragon is built and licensed in Europe as an “ultralight,” yet its retractable landing gear, variable-pitch propeller, and faster-than-120-knot top speed disqualify it from the U.S. light sport aircraft (LSA) category. The FAA is actively considering redefining LSA under its Modernization of Special Airworthiness Certification (MOSAIC) proposal, however, and those new rules could allow the Tarragon and others like it to be flown by here by U.S. sport pilots.

The Tarragon’s semi-reclined seating angle matches that of an F–16 fighter or high-performance glider; the optically perfect, side-hinged canopy is reminiscent of an Extra (and it’s supplied by the same European manufacturer); the logical cockpit layout is like a TB–30 Epsilon; the centerpiece of the IFR panel is a ubiquitous Garmin G3X touchscreen primary flight display/multifunction display; and the smooth-running turbocharged Rotax 915iS engine has become a modern staple of the general aviation fleet.

“No matter whether a pilot’s background is military or civilian, they’re going to find parallels with their previous flying experience,” said Chuck Barth, my guide on this flight and Tarragon’s U.S. dealer based in Peoria, Illinois. “Everyone who flies it finds similarities with their favorite airplanes from other eras even though this is a very forward-looking design.”

Our main task on this flight is aerial photography, and we join up with a Beechcraft Bonanza A36. AOPA Director of Photography Chris Rose wears a set of yellow gloves to make his hand signals visible, and the Tarragon makes following those directions second nature. Moving forward or aft, up or down, in or out, is automatic. Even Rose’s cruelest command—stacking high and tight during a steep inside turn—is doable. The Tarragon’s canopy rails are so low that the photoship remains in plain sight.

The Tarragon’s four-blade, constant-speed propeller provides instant acceleration and deceleration, the ailerons are responsive and well balanced, and rudder forces are light and linear. Even minor position adjustments can be made with precision.

MOSAIC magic

The Tarragon was designed by CFM Aero in Turin, Italy, about 15 years ago, and it was based on the Millenium Master, a low-wing, two-seat aircraft that first flew in 2006. Tarragon production began in Latvia in 2010 under rules that govern European ultralights weighing 600 kilograms (1,320 pounds) or less.

The Tarragon first gained wide attention in the United States in 2017 when it was displayed at EAA AirVenture in Wisconsin. Then, the model was offered with 100- or 115-horsepower Rotax engines and cruised about 130 knots.

More recently, Tarragon has adopted turbocharged 141- and 160-horsepower Rotax 915s and 916s that make full rated power all the way up to 15,000 feet where higher true airspeeds are attainable. Tarragon claims an unofficial ultralight speed record of 250 mph set in 2020.

A few Tarragons have been imported under FAA experimental exhibition rules, and a half-dozen or so U.S. owners have built kit versions that fly under experimental/amateur-built regulations. But the proposed MOSAIC changes now being considered by the FAA could dramatically expand the definition of light sport aircraft as soon as 2025, and that would allow the Tarragon to be flown by U.S. sport pilots as factory-built SLSAs.

Barth says Tarragon is planning to increase production to about 20 aircraft a year in anticipation of MOSAIC approval. The company also plans to expand its “factory assist” program in which U.S. buyers travel to Latvia for two weeks and build structural portions of their airplanes, then ship those parts home for final assembly and experimental/amateur-built registration.

Click on the images below to read captions. 

First impression

The mirror-smooth external surfaces and exacting fit and finish stand out, as well as the Tarragon’s dramatically swept tail and pronounced anhedral in the horizontal stabilizers. The anhedral tail is meant to keep the horizontal stabilizers out of the turbulent airflow behind the wings and propeller at high angles of attack, and Barth says that also reduces stall speeds.

Preflight inspection is normal for a Rotax-powered airplane including the requirement to pull the propeller through by hand before checking the oil level. The four-blade, composite propeller has almost a full foot of ground clearance, and that distance is especially important in Europe where many general aviation airports have turf landing strips. The tricycle, retractable landing gear is attached to Beringer wheels and brakes, and the gear has straight shock absorbers (no trailing links). An LED landing light is placed just above the nosewheel. Each gear has a fixed door that fits flush with the belly when retracted but no wheel covers.

A heated pitot tube is under the left wing and includes an angle-of-attack sensor. Each aileron has a large external counterweight to avoid aerodynamic flutter.

Each wing has a 21-gallon fuel capacity (42 gallons total), and the engine is approved for avgas, 93-octane auto gas, and unleaded aviation gas (G100UL, 94UL, and 91UL). The pilot must select the Left or Right tank as the fuel source and there’s no way to draw from both wing tanks simultaneously.

Boarding begins with a big step over the leading edge of the left wing, then swinging your right leg into the cockpit and sliding down into the seat. Once inside, the cockpit is comfortable with a firm, semi-reclined seat and leg supports that extend all the way down the pilot’s thighs. Strap into the four-point harness and the control stick and throttle fall neatly in hand.

The avionics are all Garmin. A touchscreen 10.4-inch G3X PFD/MFD is front and center, a G5 standby instrument is next to it, and a GNX 375 on a lower subpanel provides an IFR navigation source as well as an ADS-B transponder.

The canopy must be closed and latched before engine start, so on a hot day that means waiting until the last moment to close the greenhouse lid. The canopy latches firmly with double locks on the left side, and there are two air vents on the right.

The airplane’s hand brake is its most unusual feature, and pilots accustomed to toe brakes—and that’s basically all of us—are likely to involuntarily press on the rudder pedals even while using the hand brake. The brake handle is logically placed on the throttle lever (why not use the same lever to go fast and slow?) and setting the parking brake requires a powerful grip.

Runup is Rotax standard, and the only semi-novel pre-takeoff item is removing and stowing the safety pin from the whole-airplane parachute system. (The rocket-powered chute is stowed inside the fuselage behind the rear seat.)

With two adult American males and 35 gallons of fuel on a sweltering 96-degree afternoon, we set the Fowler flaps at 10 degrees for takeoff. Initial acceleration at full power and high propeller rpm is moderate and a pronounced left-turning tendency is countered with moderate right rudder.

Light back-pressure lifts the nosewheel at about 40 knots and alleviates a slight shimmy, and the airplane reaches its 60-knot liftoff speed in about 10 seconds and 900 feet of ground roll. The landing gear takes about four seconds to fully retract, and raising the electric flaps at 100 knots creates no noticeable sink. Cruise climb at 110 KIAS nets 700 feet per minute at 34 inches manifold pressure and 5,300 engine rpm (2,650 prop rpm).

We level off at 3,500 feet and let the airplane accelerate to 155 KTAS at 75 percent power while consuming 6.7 gph of avgas. A series of steep turns shows no perceptible adverse yaw and a maximum roll rate of about 100 degrees per second. The airplane is rated for a maximum plus-4.4 Gs and many Tarragon pilots perform positive-G aerobatics, but I didn’t evaluate aerobatic maneuvers during my demonstration flight.

Power-off stalls take place at 53 KIAS with flaps up and 44 KIAS with flaps fully down (30 degrees). The stall break is crisp, and the left wing drops slightly in the clean configuration. The same wing falls more sharply with full flaps. An aural stall warning chirps about 10 knots above the critical angle of attack and becomes a more insistent, solid tone as the stall becomes imminent. Recovery is instantaneous with forward stick or just the relaxation of elevator back-pressure.

Returning to the airport traffic pattern at low cruise, slowing to the airplane’s 90-knot landing gear deployment speed requires about five seconds of level flight at idle power, and the constant-speed prop helps the aerodynamically slick airframe decelerate.

With landing gear down and full flaps, Barth advises a minimum 70 KIAS on final approach. Smooth air and a light surface wind simplify the task of holding that target airspeed.

Elevator forces are light but linear in the landing flare, and increasing back-pressure after touchdown allows the pilot to hold the nosewheel off the ground until about 30 KIAS. Ground roll is about 800 feet with light braking.

Darn near perfect

The benefits of MOSAIC are likely to be big, varied, and unpredictable because myriad details are as yet unsettled. But manufacturers making airplanes that fit the European ultralight category have a head start because their products already meet the proposed outlines. The Tarragon, JMB Aircraft, Blackshape, and Shark all have clean stall speeds of 54 knots or less. They’re known quantities, and they could almost certainly be imported and licensed as SLSAs as soon as MOSAIC is finalized. These airplanes are sleek and efficient, technologically advanced, highly refined, and fun and exciting to fly.

They’ve got some built-in disadvantages, too. Insurance companies have all but declared war on retractable landing gear, and rates can be punitive or unattainable for older pilots. These airplanes also are expensive to buy despite generally favorable exchange rates. And U.S. customers accustomed to driving spacious Lincoln Navigators, Cadillac Escalades, and Chevy Suburbans (and flying Cessna 206s and Beech Barons) are sure to find their internal space and carrying capacity quite limiting.

But Americans also like flying far and fast on not much gas. Rotax engines prefer unleaded fuel, and that allows pilots who own them to turn blissfully away from the controversies, uncertainties, and circular debates on the future of leaded avgas.

The Tarragon could use a few tweaks for the U.S. market: A front step to ease boarding; trailing link landing gear that’s more forgiving on hard surfaces; a larger, more robust flap switch, and an honest-to-goodness landing gear handle (instead of a metal switch) would be welcome additions. And if there’s a way to hold the canopy partially open during taxi, those who live in hot climates would appreciate it.

In general, however, the Tarragon is a delight. It’s beautifully designed and ergonomically outstanding. Its flying qualities are superlative.

Personally, I adore centerline seating, and having a right-hand stick and left-hand throttle aligns with the fundamental forces of the universe. Throw in an acrobatic category rating of plus-6/minus-3 Gs and the Tarragon would be darn near perfect.

[email protected]