Skyleader GP Ones (Only One) of New Zealand

We are now up to new types of sport aircraft to be registered in New Zealand in 2014, the first of which was the Skyleader GP One:

The Skyleader GP One is a carbon fibre aircraft manufactured by Zall Jihlavan Airplanes s.r.o. of Jihlavan in the Czech Republic.  It was first introduced at AERO Freidrichshafen in 2010.  It has a very clean airframe with the high wing having no struts (like Pipistrels).  Its specifications are:  length 6.25 metres (20 feet 6 inches), wingspan 10.2 metres (33 feet 6 inches) and the wing area is 120 square feet.  The empty weight is around 280 Kg and the MAUW is quoted as 472.5 Kg (1,042 pounds) but the aircraft can also be approved as an LSA.  With the standard 80 HP Rotax the cruise speed is around 120 mph (104 knots) and the stall speed is 40 mph (35 knots).

We have had just the one Skyleader GP One registered in New Zealand, and not for long.

Our New Zealand Skyleader GP One was registered OK-SUU 49 to Jihlavan Airplanes in the Czech Republic in 2003 and it became ZK-WLB (c/n 8005005) for Skyfreedom Aviation Ltd of Invercargill (Bruce Conway), on 9/1/14.  It was test flown by Murray Hagen from a strip near Manapouri on 1/2/14, and I suspect that is where the above photo was taken.

It was on line with U Fly at Wanaka for a time, as in the above photo.  It was advertised for sale but there were no buyers and it was exported with its registration being cancelled on 27/6/16.  It is now on the Australian microlight register as 24-8774.