Kappa 77 KP 2U-SOVA

Lore & Background

The Kappa 77 KP-2U Sova was designed and initially built by Kappa 77 from 1997 to 2004. When Kappa became insolvent in 2005, Jihlavan Aircraft obtained marketing rights and later became a subsidiary of Skyleader Aircraft in 2008, at which point the type was redesignated Jihlavan Skyleader. The aircraft is all-metal apart from a carbon fibre cockpit frame, with two-spar tapered wings featuring 6° of dihedral, electrically operated Fowler flaps, and upturned Küchemann tips. The fin and rudder are swept, and the straight tapered tailplane is mounted on top of the fuselage with a trim tab on the port elevator.

The original Sova/Skyleader 150 has staggered side-by-side seating with the starboard seat 200 mm aft, while the Skyleader 200 introduced a widened fuselage for true side-by-side seating. The earlier version uses a forward-hinged canopy with fixed rear transparencies; the Skyleader 200 has a single-piece canopy.

Both variants normally have an electrically actuated tricycle undercarriage with a steerable nosewheel, though a fixed version is optional and becomes standard on later Skyleader 500 and 600 variants. The standard engine for the 150/200 is a 60 kW Rotax 912UL, with more powerful Rotax 912ULS or Rotax 914 options available, all driving two-blade propellers. The Skyleader 500/600 variants can also use the Rotax 912 UL or 912S, or Jabiru 2200 or 3300 engines, and are fitted with three-blade propellers.

In July 2015, Bulgarian company ACS began producing the Skyleader 600 under licence at the state-owned TEREM-Letets aircraft factory in Sofia. Airplanes Africa Limited, a Czech manufacturer, set up a plant in Tanzania to assemble the Skyleader 600, and the Morogoro plant assembled Tanzania’s first aircraft in October 2023.

Reader's Guide

The Kappa 77 KP-2U Sova and its subsequent Skyleader variants represent a sustained line of Czech light aircraft that evolved from a kit-built design into a family of certified and light-sport models. Its all-metal construction, Fowler flaps, and retractable undercarriage options positioned it as a capable utility and training aircraft. The type’s adaptability is shown by the introduction of widened cockpits, alternative engines, and specialized variants such as the single-seat Skyleader 100, the hydrogen-powered Rapid 200FC, and the electric Skyleader 400.

The Skyleader 600, with its wider cockpit and increased fuel capacity, became the basis for licensed production in Bulgaria and assembly in Tanzania, extending the design’s reach beyond Europe. Over 210 aircraft had been sold by November 2010, with 145 Sovas and 12 Skyleaders on European civil registers in mid-2010. The type’s legacy includes its role in introducing light-sport aircraft manufacturing to new regions and its continued availability in both kit and flyaway forms.

Did You Know?

• A one-off hydrogen-powered variant, the Rapid 200FC, first flew on 20 May 2010.