Description
Dean continues his phase 1 flight tests in his Zenith CH 750 Cruzer light sport kit airplane that he built.
The Zenith CH 750 Cruzer is an all-metal, two-seat light-sport kit aircraft designed by Chris Heintz and manufactured by the Zenith Aircraft Company. It serves as the "on-airport," cross-country-optimized sibling to the famous STOL CH 750 "Sky Jeep" bush plane. Instead of high-lift bush slats, the Cruzer uses a more conventional, clean wing to achieve faster cruise speeds while preserving generous cabin space and excellent visibility. Dean's CH 750 Cruzer is a "Big Tire" variant to also provide off-airport / grass field capability. The homebuilt aircraft, built from a kit, is powered by a UL Power engine with a ground-adjustable Sensenich propeller.
Overview of the Zenith CH 750 Cruzer:
Cruise Speed: 118 – 120 mph
Stall Speed: 35 – 39 mph
Rate of Climb: 1,000 – 1,200 feet per minute
Takeoff Distance: 275 feet
Landing Roll: 150 – 420 feet
Gross Weight: 1,440 lbs.
Useful Load: ~650 lbs.
Design and Ergonomics
Unmatched Visibility: The "above-cab" wings taper at the root. In level flight, the nose sits roughly one degree down, giving pilots an incredible, sweeping view of the terrain.
Cabin Comfort: Features side-by-side seating, large bubble doors for added shoulder room, and a massive rear baggage bay that holds up to 22 kg (approx. 50 lbs).
Control Ergonomics: Utilizes a standard Y-shaped center control stick. This keeps the floor clear, making it much easier to slide in and out of the cabin compared to dual-stick or yoke setups. Dual stick controls are optionally available.
Fuel System: Standard dual wing tanks hold a total of 20 gallons of fuel.
Kit Assembly and Construction
The Cruzer is highly praised in the homebuilt community for being an accessible, beginner-friendly build.
Matched-Hole Assembly: Zenith uses CNC computer-guided manufacturing to pre-punch all fastener holes. Parts line up precisely out of the box.
Pulled Rivets: The airframe relies on blind (pulled) rivets rather than solid rivets. They are quick, quiet, and allow a single builder to assemble the plane without an assistant.
Build Time: The airframe requires roughly 400 hours of assembly time using basic skills and hand tools.
Engine Versatility
Because it shares a firewall design with the CH 650 and STOL CH 750, builders can select from a massive variety of firewall-forward engine packages:
Traditional Aero Engines: Continental O-200 or Lycoming options.
Lightweight Purpose-Built Engines: Rotax 912 series or the fuel-injected ULPower 350iS (130 hp) utilized on the factory prototype.
Auto-Conversions: Corvair or Viking (Honda-based) packages, which allow builders to economically run on regular auto fuel.
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