Just a year and a half after first flight of the prototype SAM aircraft, President Thierry Zibi has put the company up for sale.
Why, after so much work – design, fixturing, successful flight test, certification, and orders – would that be a good time to sell the company? Zibi says, “I came to the realization that I love designing airplanes, but I am not so keen on running a production company.”
Indeed, the stage is well-set for the new owner. The SAM has flown a full test regimen, which has shown it to be spin-proof at both full-forward and full-aft CG; its Canadian certification has been awarded (and LSA is completely documented, awaiting only another production example). Tooling and fixtures are done, production has already started , and orders are in the books.
Over the past year, the SAM has generated a lot of publicity, having been flown by most of the major publications, and appearing on several covers.
Zibi has reached that point when he is ready to hand off his “child” to a team that wants to build the population.
“The entire project is laid out to be manufacturable, for both factory and kit-builder,” Zibi, a designer by trade and training, emphasizes. “We have made ease of building second only to the flying qualities, comfort, and safety of the SAM.”
The SAM is certified in Canada as an Advanced Ultralight, and is fully compliant with the LSA Rule in the USA. It is an all-metal, two-place tandem machine, with remarkable room and flying manners. Its classic looks (the Ryan STA was the inspiration for its eye-appeal) set it apart on the ramp.
“Come to Lachute and see the SAM, the factory, and everything that is part of the SAM Aircraft legacy,” said Thierry. “See what convinced our customers to put down their deposits, and you’ll have a ready-to-go operation, for dimes on the development dollar, or a tested, ready-to-deliver design to add to their existing line.”
