Savannah S

The Savannah S is the 472.5 kg series of ICP's Savannah family from Castelnuovo Don Bosco in Piedmont, and it is still in production. It represents the second stage of the fuselage widening programme: in 2009 ICP introduced the Savannah XL with a wider body and 1,130 mm cabin width, in 2010 the S followed with an even wider, rounded fuselage, and in 2013 the S Taildragger with tailwheel gear was added. The 2022 brochure quotes 1.16 m cabin width and the older product page 1.18 m – either way, considerably more shoulder room than the narrow 1997 original.

Structurally the S stays true to the Savannah: a riveted all-metal aluminium high-wing with struts, cruciform tail, flaperons at 0, 15 and 35 degrees and no fixed slats. German DAeC data sheet 61170.1 covers the Savannah S, Savannah XL and Savannah S Taildragger series with a 9.00 m span, 6.60 m length, 11.9 m² wing area and 472.5 kg takeoff mass with a rescue system installed. Approved engines are the Rotax 912 UL/A/F (59.6 kW / 80 hp) and Rotax 912 S/ULS/ULSFR (73.5 kW / 100 hp) with an IVO three-blade in-flight adjustable propeller or DUC Swirl 68"; ICP additionally offers the Rotax 912 iS. Per the data sheet, fuel is carried in 2 × 36 l wing tanks plus a 6 l collector, 3 l of which are unusable; the 4 × 36 l option quoted in ICP's 2022 brochure is not entered on the German data sheet. Approved rescue systems include BRS units and the Junkers Magnum 501 and 601, and with the 100 hp Rotax and DUC propeller the S is cleared for glider towing.

On performance, ICP quotes 175 km/h cruise in the 2022 brochure and 179 km/h with the Rotax 912 S on the product page, plus 1,200 ft/min climb and 18.5 l/h at 75 per cent power. Takeoff and landing distances contradict each other between manufacturer sources: the 2022 brochure quotes 50 m takeoff and 75 m landing, the product page 55 m takeoff and 70 m landing (full flap) – both manufacturer figures without stated conditions. The data sheet limits VNE to 210 km/h – the brochure states 230 km/h – with 180 km/h at maximum power, 135 km/h manoeuvring speed, a 100 km/h flap limit and a 60 km/h minimum speed, while ICP quotes a 48 km/h stall speed. Empty weight is given by the manufacturer as 286 kg, with 20 kg of baggage capacity.

Strengths: noticeably more room and cruise speed than the original and the VG while keeping genuine short-field ability, a rugged all-metal airframe, a towing clearance and an active spare-parts programme. Weaknesses: at 472.5 kg with a 286 kg empty weight the payload gets tight once the tanks are full; the 600 kg upgrade claimed by some dealers cannot be verified in data sheet 61170.1 (issue 5, 2019), which lists 472.5 kg only; ICP publishes no dependable range or endurance figures; and VNE, cabin width and ground rolls differ between data sheet, brochure and website.

The Savannah S suits pilots who use short strips and grass runways but also travel two-up with baggage – and clubs looking for a robust towing and training aircraft. Anyone who wants the full payload of the 600 kg class needs the Savannah SR. Savannah S offers will appear on this page as soon as listings are available; across all ICP series, asking prices on ul-flugzeugmarkt.de span €17,500 to €100,000, with minimum, maximum and average calculated live by the price overview.