Zenair CH 200

Zenith CH 200 & 250
CH 200
Role	Homebuilt light aircraft
National origin	France/Canada
Manufacturer	Zenair
Designer	Chris Heintz
First flight	22 March 1970

The Zenair Zenith CH 200 and CH 250 are a family of Canadian single-engined homebuilt light aircraft. It is a low-winged single engine monoplane, that was first flown in France in 1970, with kits being made by the Canadian company Zenair from 1974, with hundreds built and flown.

In October 1968, the German aeronautical engineer Chris Heintz, who worked for Avions Pierre Robin, started work on the design of a two-seat all-metal light aircraft suitable for amateur construction, the Zenith, with the prototype making its maiden flight on 22 March 1970.

Heintz migrated to Canada in 1973, and set up Zenair in 1974 to sell plans and kits of the Zénith. The Zenith, which gained the designation Zenith CH 200 when Heintz produced plans for larger and smaller derivatives, is a low-winged cantilever monoplane of all metal construction. The pilot and passenger sit side-by-side under a clear, sideways opening plexiglas canopy, while the aircraft is fitted with a fixed nosewheel undercarriage. It is designed to be powered by a single piston engine of between 85 and 160 hp (63.5 and 119 kW).

The first Zenith to be built in North America flew in October 1975, and by 1976, over 300 plans had been sold. Plans continued to be available in 1999, by which time hundreds were flying.

At the 1976 EAA Convention in Oshkosh, Wisconsin the factory used volunteer labour to build and fly a CH 200 in eight days, using 550 person-hours.

Data from Jane's All The World's Aircraft 1982-83

General characteristics

Performance

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