After a rocky middle act, the quick, efficient, superb-handling Europa is ready for an encore.

By Marc Cook

Owner Kim Prout was once a salesman for Europa and remains a fan of the design.

Ivan Shaw’s speedy two-seater burst onto the scene in 1995 as a modern, high-performance homebuilt with a twist. Or two. Aside from its sleek composite construction, at the time straddling the new technologies of molded shells and cloth-over-foam (like the Long-EZ), the Europa was a standout for other reasons. The close-cut cabin helped reduce wetted area and gave it impressive speed for just 80 horsepower. The single mainwheel retracted into the belly, like a high-performance sailplane—outriggers that canted aft as the wheel came up helped add a dash of U-2 to the mix. …

Electronic Subscribers: Click Here for the Full Story

Non-Subscribers: Click Here to Subscribe

Pay Per View ($7.50)