JMB Aircraft coming to SUN 'n FUN 2024!

[Matt Ricciardi]

(March 21, 2024)  Sun ’n Fun 2024 is just around the corner. From its humble beginnings in 1974 as a fly-in for sport aviation enthusiasts, the SUN ‘n FUN Aerospace Expo has grown into one of the largest and most successful aviation events on earth.

Are you ready to see VL3, Evo & Phoenix up close and personal? NOW IS THE TIME! Join us this year in Lakeland, FL at booth MD-033B from April 9-14.

If you’re interested in scheduling a demo, we will have a demo plane ready and available.  Send us a demo request and we will contact you with more details.  The JMB team is looking forward to seeing you all down in Florida 🌴

[Jim Harris]

Anybody coming to SnF?   I’ll be there Friday afternoon. 

[Matt Ricciardi]

11 hours ago, Jim Harris said:

Anybody coming to SnF?   I’ll be there Friday afternoon. 

I can't make it this year, but I'm aware of one other Florida-based customer who plans to attend.  Not sure he's on here, so I'll send you a private message with details.

[Jim Badalamenti]

Attended first day of Sun’N’Fun today after dropping off my Legend Cub to broker… the blue and white Air Force trainer paint scheme Cub in American Legend’s booth. Had to make room for the VL3! Takeaway is clearly the VL3 doesn’t yet have a close competitor, the 2 aircraft there show well and every time I went by there was a decent amount of visitors on what is always the slow opening day. Hot! Bring the sunscreen!!

[Matt Ricciardi]

1 hour ago, Jim Badalamenti said:

Had to make room for the VL3! Takeaway is clearly the VL3 doesn’t yet have a close competitor, the 2 aircraft there show well and every time I went by there was a decent amount of visitors on what is always the slow opening day.

Excellent, and not surprising.  Any photos of the VL3 booth you can share?  I won't be able to make it this year.

[David Galardi]

Jim and Jim,

Not going to make it to Sun'N'Fun this year still recovering from the trip to Prague!  Great seeing you both and good to hear about the interest in the aircraft.

[Jim Badalamenti]

Matt, the only photos I took at JMB's booth was inside one of the two VL3's, attached, only glimpse of the surroundings. 2 VL3's, the Evolution turboprop, and the new motor glider on display. To me the booth setup was underwhelming, not trying to upset the marketing folks, perhaps the approach of 'let the aircraft do the talking' but if it were me, seeing how the VL3 "owns" the lightweight speed 'mini Ferrari' niche, I'd be 'in your face' with bannering proclaiming dominance as they do on the website. We obviously get it, but perhaps the rest of the world needs a push. Interesting to see if things step up a notch at Oshkosh where perhaps MOSAIC is again on everyone's mind?

David, if you've been to Sun'N'Fun recently I saw little difference from years past. The biggest thing to me was the Aithre Turbo unit on display and maybe because I was 'in the know' so to speak. Amazed no VL3 killer revealed though maybe one is somewhat close with a roomier you might say upgraded cabin finish and big cargo area yet a good bit slower and lacking in the exterior pop. Cirrus displays get larger every year and noticed, not sure if there in the past, a huge Cirrus clothing booth in the indoor area. Cirrus and Garmin are the Apples of the airplane world these days. Personally with the VL3 booth near Cirrus I'd love to see more of a "Cirrus killer" approach! The BIG NEWS for you David is the new JMB brochure touts paint schemes and I'm fairly sure yours is shown... see the photo from the brochure. Is that not the Texas flag colored "pixel" design?!

[Jim Badalamenti]

An interesting hmmmmmm studying what I brought home from the show..... attached is from the JMB brochure at Sun'N'Fun, the first page is scanned from the Evolution section describing how you get your Evolution which includes the Build. The second page from the VL3 section speaks of selections and "specific color schemes" and upon approval it enters production culminating in an expected delivery date. Me thinks a brochure aligned with production in the MOSAIC world (Oshkosh announcement?). Who knows. Good for JMB if that's the goal and it indeed happens, presumably well poised to give the high $ 4-seaters serious competition and open up private piloting nice new airplanes to many. Maybe reading too much into it? In any case can't wait for mine. 

from JMB brochure at Sun'N'Fun '24.pdf

[Matt Ricciardi]

49 minutes ago, Jim Badalamenti said:

Me thinks a brochure aligned with production in the MOSAIC world (Oshkosh announcement?). Who knows.

In the Evo Turbine section, the reference to "the required 40 hours of test flying" sure sounds like proceeding under the EAB regime.  Even that doesn't make much sense, however, since buyers could still use the new task-based testing approach following the factory test plan, similar to how things are done on the VL3 side now.

In the VL3 section, yep, my understanding is that the VL3 will qualify as a MOSAIC LSA and so no longer need to go the EAB route here in the States.  The comment period on the draft MOSAIC regulations closed in January.  The FAA is reviewing the comments now.  Next step is, I believe, for the FAA to publish responses to the comments and any amendments to the draft regulations accordingly.  Timing could work for an announcement at Oshkosh, like you said.  Reasonably safe bet, I think, that any new orders placed today would be delivered after MOSAIC comes into force.  We'll see!

[Matt Ricciardi]

Here are a few photos of the JMB area for those unable to attend.  Photos courtesy of @Doug Garrou.

[David Galardi]

On 4/10/2024 at 7:44 AM, Jim Badalamenti said:

Matt, the only photos I took at JMB's booth was inside one of the two VL3's, attached, only glimpse of the surroundings. 2 VL3's, the Evolution turboprop, and the new motor glider on display. To me the booth setup was underwhelming, not trying to upset the marketing folks, perhaps the approach of 'let the aircraft do the talking' but if it were me, seeing how the VL3 "owns" the lightweight speed 'mini Ferrari' niche, I'd be 'in your face' with bannering proclaiming dominance as they do on the website. We obviously get it, but perhaps the rest of the world needs a push. Interesting to see if things step up a notch at Oshkosh where perhaps MOSAIC is again on everyone's mind?

David, if you've been to Sun'N'Fun recently I saw little difference from years past. The biggest thing to me was the Aithre Turbo unit on display and maybe because I was 'in the know' so to speak. Amazed no VL3 killer revealed though maybe one is somewhat close with a roomier you might say upgraded cabin finish and big cargo area yet a good bit slower and lacking in the exterior pop. Cirrus displays get larger every year and noticed, not sure if there in the past, a huge Cirrus clothing booth in the indoor area. Cirrus and Garmin are the Apples of the airplane world these days. Personally with the VL3 booth near Cirrus I'd love to see more of a "Cirrus killer" approach! The BIG NEWS for you David is the new JMB brochure touts paint schemes and I'm fairly sure yours is shown... see the photo from the brochure. Is that not the Texas flag colored "pixel" design?!

Jim -- that is certainly the paint schema of my Texas Top Hatters in the 4th photo.  I agree 100% with you related to the marketing.  So far, there is nothing like the VL3 on the market -- however, a few designs made with Carbon certainly can get there over the next year or two.