Z-602

The Roland Z-602 is a two-seat all-metal low-wing ultralight built by Roland Aircraft at Mendig airfield in Germany's Eifel region. Its roots lie in the Zenair Zodiac CH 601 designed by Canadian engineer Chris Heintz: Roland Hauke initially assembled bought-in kits, modified them from the start, and has produced all sheet-metal parts in-house since 2008. On 7 September 2007 the CH 602 XL was renamed Z 602 XL, documented in DAeC type certificate data sheet 61144.5, whose issue 5 of 15 May 2019 lists the Z 602 XL series (nosewheel or tailwheel) and the Z 602 RG (tailwheel with retractable gear). Roland Aircraft, Am Flugplatz 12, 56743 Mendig, holds type support and manufacture.

Two trim levels are offered: economy as the plain version, and exclusiv with flush rivets on the wing leading edges, tail fairings, a luggage shelf behind the seats, a padded centre console, wing lockers (2 x 18 kg) and step plates. Approved equipment options listed on the data sheet include dual controls, winglets (reducing span to 8.19 m), an oil thermostat, the retractable tailwheel gear and a TOST E 85 glider tow hook at the tail – the latter only with the Rotax 912 S/ULS, with a 300 daN weak link and a towed aircraft mass limit of 650 kg.

Certified performance figures: VNE 243 km/h, 225 km/h at maximum power, 203 km/h in severe turbulence, 150 km/h manoeuvring speed, 64 km/h minimum speed, split flaps to 45 degrees with a 105 km/h flap limit. With 2 x 65 litres in the wing tanks, the Z-602 is built for long legs. For the Exclusiv RG the manufacturer quotes 230 km/h cruise, a 5 m/s climb rate and a 3,700 m service ceiling; Roland Aircraft itself notes that retracting the gear buys only some 10 to 15 km/h over the tailwheel version with wheel fairings, and the retractable gear uses air suspension exclusively.

Strengths: rugged, easily repaired all-metal construction, genuinely fast cruise with the 100 hp Rotax, generous fuel capacity, type support and spares straight from the German factory, plus the tow approval. The weaknesses are just as clear. The data sheet gives empty weight only as per each aircraft's individual weighing report, so there is no reliable type figure – payload and equipment must be checked aircraft by aircraft. There is no higher takeoff mass for this series: DAeC data sheet 61144.5 stays at 450 kg, or 472.5 kg with a rescue system, and uprating runs exclusively through DULV data sheet 997-23 (type Z-602-600, first issued 1 March 2023) – 540 kg with the Junkers Magnum Light Speed Softpack / Magnum 501, and 600 kg only with the Junkers Magnum 601. Tailwheel and especially RG versions demand more handling skill than a nosewheel type, and both top speed and noise level depend on the propeller fitted.

The Z-602 suits pilots who want to travel fast and weatherproof two-up, who prefer metal over composite, and who value a factory they can reach – as well as clubs needing a tug. Roland listings on ul-flugzeugmarkt.de currently range from €33,000 to €99,000; where an individual listing falls within that depends on build year, gear type, uprating, avionics and engine time.