Texas Aircraft eyes aerial work
Experience in Brazil is shaping plans for Colt, four-seat Stallion
As the biggest change to the light sport category since its creation takes effect July 24, manufacturers are beginning to introduce new aircraft. Texas Aircraft, operating in Brazil and the United States has been developing aircraft with the new rules in mind for years.
Caio "Kyle" Braga, director of sales and marketing at Texas Aircraft and a member of ASTM International's F37 Committee tasked with developing consensus standards for light aircraft, said Brazil's regulatory framework already includes standards comparable to those anticipated under the Modernization of Special Airworthiness Certification rule, giving the company a head start as the FAA transitions to certification under the new FAR Part 22. According to Braga, that experience has allowed Texas Aircraft to begin adapting its existing Colt (which entered service under the former light sport aircraft rules) while continuing to work on the four-seat Stallion, a clean-sheet design developed around the expanded capabilities enabled by the new rule. "We have already been doing the work and delivering the airplanes," Braga said.
The Colt already serves as Texas Aircraft's entry in the flight training market. Powered by Rotax 912 ULS engine, the two-seat aircraft is approved for pilot training from private through commercial instruction. Braga expects MOSAIC to expand its utility further through increased useful load and, eventually, additional propulsion and propeller options.
Those changes are significant, but Braga believes one of the largest impacts of MOSAIC extends well beyond individual aircraft. For the first time, many aircraft in the expanding category will be eligible for commercial aerial work, opening opportunities for missions such as aerial surveying, photography, pipeline patrol, and glider towing. Commercial operations with passengers remain outside the scope of the rule, but Braga expects the expanded operational flexibility to create new markets for manufacturers and owners alike.
The company's longer-term focus is the Stallion, developed specifically with the expanded MOSAIC category in mind. Braga describes the aircraft as a clean-sheet design rather than simply an enlarged Colt. Three prototypes are already flying in Brazil, with the company expecting its first aircraft developed in the United States to arrive in 2027 as certification activities continue.
Projected performance places the Stallion alongside established utility aircraft. Depending on engine selection, Texas Aircraft anticipates cruise speeds between roughly 140 and 165 knots, seating for four, endurance of approximately six hours or more, and a maximum takeoff weight of 2,800 pounds. Braga said the goal when designing the Stallion was to combine the mission capability of a Cessna 182 with a more modern cabin and lower acquisition cost.
"We refined the design," Braga said. "The airplane may have similar dimensions, but everything else has been redesigned." The company's international footprint has also shaped its manufacturing strategy. Airframes are built in Brazil, while engines, avionics, propellers, and other major components are sourced from U.S. suppliers before final assembly in the United States. That arrangement, Braga said, has allowed Texas Aircraft to benefit from development work already completed in Brazil while positioning itself for U.S. regulatory transition.
For Braga, who spent the past two years helping develop ASTM standards governing aerial work operations under MOSAIC, the regulatory change represents more than a new certification pathway. "This is a turning point in how we build and fly airplanes," he said. "We're going to see airplanes, capabilities, and technologies that weren't available before."
