Zenith Zodiac CH 601 HD
These figures describe a typical build. Each aircraft of this design was built by its owner, and the one you are looking at may differ.
The Zodiac CH 601 HD is the 1990s 'heavy duty' version of Chris Heintz's two-seat all-metal low-wing kit, built by Zenair in Canada and Zenith in Missouri before the 601 XL: 1,200 lb gross, about 530 lb empty, designed for 80-100 hp engines, with the short 23 ft 'speedwing' version sold as the HDS and a Canadian ultralight version as the UL.
The HD matters to a buyer mainly as the Zodiac that is not an XL: it predates the XL wing and so is outside the 2009-10 FAA review and the XL-B spar-reinforcement programme that defines the later fleet, but it is also a lighter, older aeroplane with a smaller useful load and whatever 80-100 hp engine its builder chose, from a Rotax 912 to a Continental O-200 or a VW conversion. No manufacturer performance figures for the HD were found in this research, so speeds and climb are blank; an owner's manual or the aircraft's own test-flight figures are the source. The HDS's clipped wing makes it a quicker, less forgiving aeroplane than the standard HD, and a registry entry does not always say which wing is fitted. Pulled-rivet aluminium construction is easy to inspect; look at the builder's log and the condition of the spar attachments. The owner may maintain it and the condition inspection needs an A&P or the repairman certificate.
Variants of the Zenith Zodiac CH 601
- Zodiac CH 601 XL · 2001 · 327 active
- Zodiac CH 601 HD · 118 active · this page
Also consider
TAILFAX SCORE
Among 1–2 seat pistons (321 models)
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Put Zenith Zodiac CH 601 HD side by side with up to three other models.
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What it is
| Seats | 2 |
|---|---|
| Landing gear | tricycle |
| Engines | — |
| Engine | 80-100 hp (Rotax 912, Continental O-200, Jabiru, VW conversions fitted) |
| Horsepower | — |
| Fuel | — |
| Certification basis | amateur-built |
| Production start | — |
| Production end | — |
| Endorsements required | — |
Performance
| Cruise speed | — |
|---|---|
| Range | — |
| Service ceiling | — |
| Climb rate | — |
| Stall speed (Vso) | — |
| Takeoff over 50 ft | — |
| Landing over 50 ft | — |
Load and fuel
| Seats | 2 |
|---|---|
| Useful load | 670 lb |
| Full-fuel payload | — |
| Max takeoff weight | 1,200 lb |
| Empty weight | 530 lb |
| Usable fuel | — |
| Fuel burn at cruise | — |
Cost of ownership
| Price, low | — |
|---|---|
| Price, high | — |
| Prices as of | — |
| Engine TBO | — |
| Overhaul cost, low | — |
| Overhaul cost, high | — |
The fleet and its record
| Registered, all time | 222 |
|---|---|
| Active fleet | 118 |
| Median year built | 2004 |
| NTSB events, last 10 years | 14 |
| Fatal events, last 10 years | 3 |
| Events per 1,000 active, last 10 years | 118.641 |
| Personal-flying events per 1,000 active | 110.172 |
| Ownership transfers, last 24 months | 23 |
| Transfers per 100 active | 19.493 |
| Airworthiness directives | 2 |
| Directives, last 5 years | 0 |
| Rate confidence | ok |
- Events per 1,000 active, last 10 years: per 1,000 active aircraft · base 118 active.
- Personal-flying events per 1,000 active: per 1,000 active aircraft · base 118 active.
- Transfers per 100 active: per 100 active aircraft · base 118 active.
Peer scores6
| Peer class | Fixed wing single-engine, piston, 1 engine, 1-2 seats |
|---|---|
| Accident record | 0.3 of 101 |
| Severity | 3.2 of 102 |
| Access | 7 of 103 |
| Support | 6.6 of 104 |
| Liquidity | 4.7 of 105 |
| Overall (sum of the categories shown) | 21.8 out of 506 |
- Accident record: class median 36.69 · 321 models in class.
- Severity: class median 13.04.
- Access: class median 1,000.
- Support: class median 77.5.
- Liquidity: class median 20.
- Each of the five categories places the model within its peer class, from 0 (the worst of the class) to 10 (the best): a position among comparable models, not a grade. The overall score is the sum of the categories shown that are scored, out of 10 for each (50 when all five are); it is given only when at least 4 of the five are scored, and it can be set against another model's only when both are in the same peer class and scored on the same categories. When accident record and severity cannot be scored because the model has too few records, the other three give a partial score out of 30, labelled as such; it is never set against a full score.
Data as of: FAA registry Sep 28 · NTSB Oct 2 · ADs Oct 6 · scores Sep 30