Savannah

The ICP Savannah is a two-seat Italian ultralight: the original MXP-740 appeared in 1997 and traces its design back to the Zenair/Zenith STOL CH 701 – Zenith designer Chris Heintz called the Savannah an unauthorised copy of his design in 2002, and in 2012 ICP and Zenair entered a partnership. The Savannah family is built by ICP in Castelnuovo Don Bosco, Piedmont, and is delivered both factory-built and as a kit.

The Savannah is a strut-braced all-metal high-wing aircraft of aluminium alloy, with a cruciform tail, fixed nosewheel gear and tractor engine. The original series is recognisable by the fixed leading-edge slats; the flaps are flaperons interconnected with the ailerons and operate at 0, 15 and 35 degrees. The German DAeC type data sheet 61170 covers the MXP-740 V and MXP-740 V/S series, approved with the Rotax 912 A/F/UL (59.6 kW / 80 hp) or Rotax 912 S/ULS (73.5 kW / 100 hp) at 450 kg takeoff mass, raised to 472.5 kg with an emergency parachute installed since November 2004. The original spawned the slatless VG in 2004, the wider-bodied XL in 2009, the S in 2010, the S Taildragger in 2013 and the 600 kg SR series in 2023. ICP lists the original series and the VG as discontinued today.

The fixed slats make the original series a genuinely slow-flying aeroplane. Data sheet 61170 quotes a minimum speed of 57 km/h, a maximum flaps-extended speed of 90 km/h (86 km/h at 472.5 kg), a manoeuvring speed of 135 km/h and a VNE of 180 km/h; the speed at maximum power is given as 160 km/h – an operating limit in full-throttle level flight, not a cruise speed, and no dependable manufacturer cruise figure exists for the slatted original. Fuel capacity per the data sheet is 78 l, of which 3 l are unusable (75 l usable). Seat load limits, load factors and the bank angle limit have to be taken from the individual aircraft's flight manual.

Strengths: the riveted all-metal airframe tolerates outdoor storage and is easy to repair, the short-field performance opens up small grass and gliding fields, visibility from the high cabin is excellent, and the ubiquitous Rotax 912 keeps parts supply uncritical. Weaknesses: at 180 km/h VNE and 160 km/h at full power the original series is clearly slower than modern touring ultralights, the slats cost speed and add noise, the type is out of production, and the data sheet gives empty weight only "as per weighing report" – so the real payload has to be read from each individual aircraft's paperwork.

The Savannah suits pilots who fly low and slow, use short strips and enjoy working on their own aircraft. Anyone prioritising cruise speed, modern avionics and high payload is better served by the Savannah S or the 600 kg SR series. Across all ICP listings on ul-flugzeugmarkt.de, asking prices currently span €17,500 to €100,000; the live price overview on this page calculates the current range for this model from the active listings.