Zenith STOL CH 701
 Zenith STOL CH 701. Photo: Ahunt at English Wikipedia, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
| |
| Make | Zenith |
|---|---|
| Model | Zenith STOL CH 701 |
| Type | Kit aircraft |
| Country |  United States
|
| First flight | 1986 |
| Built | 1986–present |
| Status | In production |
| Number built | 870 (CH 701, December 2011), 45 (CH 750, December 2011) |
| Registered in the US | 334 (FAA register, October 30, 2026) |
| Seats | two |
| Engine | Rotax 912, 80 hp |
| Cruise speed | 80 mph (CH 701) |
| Range | 372 mi (CH 701) |
| Service ceiling | 12,000 ft (CH 701) |
| Max weight | 1,100 lb (CH 701)
|
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The Zenith STOL CH 701 is a light, two-seat kit airplane built for short takeoffs and landings (STOL), designed by Canadian engineer Chris Heintz through his company Zenair of Midland, Ontario. It first flew in 1986 and is still in production; the related CH 750 arrived in 2008, and the CH 701 grew into the four-seat CH 801.[1] In the U.S. there are 334 with a valid registration, counted by model name because homebuilts are registered under their builders' names.[2]
The kit is made and sold in the U.S. by the Zenith Aircraft Company of Mexico, Missouri, and full drawings and manuals are also available for builders who start from scratch. In Europe, Czech Aircraft Works built it under license from 1992 to 2006.[1]
Design
Built for off-runway flying, the all-metal CH 701 has a high-lift wing with full-length fixed slots on the leading edge, an all-flying rudder, big tires, flaperons and an inverted elevator, and Heintz also designed an amphibious float system for it. Common engines include the 80 hp Rotax 912UL and 100 hp Rotax 912ULS.[1]
Registered in the United States
The FAA register lists 334 of these airplanes with a valid U.S. registration. Here they are by the model name the FAA uses.[2]
| FAA model name | Registered |
|---|---|
| STOL CH 701 | 53 |
| ZENITH CH 701 | 37 |
| CH701 | 34 |
| CH 701 | 28 |
| ZENITH CH701 | 26 |
| ZENITH STOL CH 701 | 24 |
| STOL CH701 | 22 |
| ZENITH CH-701 | 14 |
| CH-701 | 12 |
| ZENAIR CH 701 SP | 11 |
| ZENITH STOL CH701 | 9 |
| STOL CH-701 | 8 |
| ZENAIR CH 701 | 7 |
| ZENAIR CH701 | 6 |
| ZENAIR CH701SP | 5 |
| CH 701 STOL | 4 |
| ZENAIR CH-701 | 3 |
| ZENAIR CH 701 STOL | 3 |
| ZENAIR CH701 SP | 3 |
| CH701SP | 3 |
| 18 other model names | 22 |
Specifications (CH 701)
| Item | CH 701 |
|---|---|
| Crew | two |
| Length | 20 ft 11 in |
| Wingspan | 27 ft |
| Height | 8 ft 7 in |
| Wing area | 122.0 sq ft |
| Empty weight | 580 lb |
| Maximum takeoff weight | 1,100 lb |
| Fuel | 20 US Gal (76 L) |
| Engine | Rotax 912, 80 hp (four-cylinder liquid-cooled piston engine) |
| Maximum speed | 85 mph |
| Cruise speed | 80 mph |
| Stall speed | 30 mph |
| Never-exceed speed | 110 mph |
| Range | 372 mi |
| Service ceiling | 12,000 ft |
| Rate of climb | 1,000 ft/min |
Figures as given in the Wikipedia article and its sources.[1]
Photos
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Zenair CH701. Photo: Ahunt (talk), Public domain -
Zenith STOL CH 701. Photo: FlugKerl2, CC BY-SA 3.0 -
Czech Aircraft Works Spol Sro ZENAIR CH 701 STOL. Photo: FlugKerl2, CC BY-SA 3.0 -
Zenair STOL CH750 at the Carleton Place, Ontario, Canada Fly-in. Photo: Ahunt, CC0 -
Zenair STOL CH 750 at the Carleton Place, Ontario, Canada Fly-in, showing instrument panel. Photo: Ahunt, CC0 -
CH701 Turboprop. Photo: FlugKerl2, CC BY-SA 3.0 -
CH701 Turboprop. Photo: FlugKerl2, CC BY-SA 3.0 -
Zenith CH750 cruzer. Photo: FlugKerl2, CC BY-SA 3.0
All photos are from Wikimedia Commons; click a photo for its full credit and license.
Buying a Zenith STOL CH 701
Sources
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Wikipedia, "Zenith STOL CH 701", read November 1, 2026. Airplane Wiki's text is written in its own words; facts are checked against this article and its sources.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Federal Aviation Administration, Releasable Aircraft Database, file dated October 30, 2026. Valid registrations of fixed-wing airplanes whose FAA maker and model names belong to this family. Airplane Wiki uses only counts from this file, never owner names or addresses.