Zenith Zodiac CH 601
2 models built 2001 · 445 on the US register today
The Zodiac, Chris Heintz's all-metal two-seat low-wing with a bubble canopy, first flown in 1984 as the CH 600 and built as kits by Zenair in Canada and Zenith Aircraft in Missouri in HD, HDS, UL and XL versions, with more than 1,000 flying worldwide. The CH 601 XL is the version developed for the amateur-built market and the US light-sport category, with a new 27 ft wing, wing tanks, new landing gear and a new canopy, 1,320 lb gross and engines from a 100 hp Continental O-200 to a Jabiru 3300; AMD also built it as a ready-to-fly S-LSA. After several in-flight wing failures the FAA's 2009-10 review led to the spar-reinforcement and aileron-balance upgrade known as the XL-B, which is the dividing line in the used fleet. Zenith's current equivalent is the CH 650.
The variants
| MODEL | YEARS | ACTIVE | TAILFAX SCORE | WHAT CHANGED |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zodiac CH 601 XL | 2001 | 327 | 30.4/50 | Light-sport XL version of the Zodiac |
| Zodiac CH 601 HD | — | 118 | 21.8/50 | CH 601 HD / HDS / UL of the 1990s, before the XL |
Data as of: FAA registry Sep 28 · NTSB Oct 2 · scores Sep 30