Zenith CH 601

AMD Zodiac
Zenair CH 601 XL with Continental O-200 engine
Role	Kit aircraft
Manufacturer	Aircraft Manufacturing and Design
Designer	Chris Heintz
Introduction	1984
Retired	N/A
Status	in production
Primary users	recreational pilots/sport pilots private pilots
Produced	Eastman, Georgia
Number built	More than 1,000
Unit cost	US$18,500 (kit only, December 2011)

The Zodiac is a family of Canadian all-metal, two-seat, fixed landing gear airplanes that first flew in 1984. The aircraft have been produced as kits and completed aircraft by Zenair in Canada and Zenith Aircraft Company in the USA.

The latest models in the Zodiac family are the ready-to-fly AMD Zodiac LS and LSi produced by Aircraft Manufacturing and Design. The design has a single-piece bubble canopy.

The Zodiac airplane was developed by Avions Pierre Robin engineer Chris Heintz in the early 1970s. The Zenair CH 200 kit plane was developed as a Homebuilt aircraft, meaning that consumers can purchase the plane as components to assemble it themselves. Variants of the Zodiac have since been manufactured in Canada, Europe, United States and South America as a factory-assembled, ready-to-fly aircraft.

Heintz drafted the regulations for light-sport aircraft in Canada around the time he designed the Zodiac. He also played an important role in drafting the current light-sport aircraft (LSA) rules for the United States.

Zenith Aircraft Company still produces kits and Quick-build kits for the Zodiac kit for the homebuilt-market. The company also provides engine mounts and instructions for mounting the Stratus EA 81 engine in the CH 601 series.

There are over 1000 Zodiac aircraft flying worldwide.

In the Netherlands, the Dutch government grounded the 12 Dutch-registered CH 601 XLs on 24 October 2008. The planes were banned from flying pending an investigation into their structural strength, following the crash of a European variant of the design (Rotax powered and 450 kg (992 lb) maximum take-off weight) that killed two people. According to the Dutch government, since 2005 "at least seven accidents with Zenith CH601 XL's have happened in which one or both wings have failed". Zenair Europe investigated these accidents, concluded that none are due to a design defect and, after a first-hand review of the wreckage, also rejected suggestions that the aircraft in the Dutch accident experienced a structural failure.