Aero-TV: The Spirit SE-1 Continues to Turn Heads

Spirit Engineering Showed Off A New Option At AirVenture After making quite a splash at last year's event the SE-1 has undergone an OML change by putting a top on the open canopy design. The glass closes the flight deck area from the elements and more completely smooths the retro lines on the vintage inspired aircraft. Steve said the canopy has been “outrageously well received”. The unit on display is for demonstration only as it has not flown yet, however Steve reported the canopy is an airworthy iteration, they just ran out of time before the show to flight test it. Although the canopy hasn’t flown yet, gains of 4-5 mph are expected. Steve also stated the canopy gives significantly more headroom than the open cockpit cowl and is considerably more comfortable to the pilot with a headset on. “It appears to us that most people will want both the open cockpit and then enclosed canopy, so they really have a four-season airplane,” stated Wood. While the exact price was not yet locked in at the time of this interview, the estimate is between $2500 and $3000. The enclosed canopy swaps with the open cockpit hatch with just two hinge-pins and can be done by yourself in a matter of minutes. Steve also reported he has sold and delivered all the units he had backlogged at last year’s show and is in the middle of manufacturing the next batch of SE-1 aircraft. Nearly all customers order their aircraft with all available options; this was counterintuitive to the Spirit team. Of all the features of the SE-1 Steve said the folding wings are by far the most desired, attributed to nationwide limited hangar availability. The Spirit Engineering SE-1 captured widespread attention upon its surprise debut at EAA AirVenture, celebrated for its gleaming aluminum and minimalist configuration. ©2026 Aero-News Network, Inc.,ALL Rights Reserved FMI: www.spiriteng.com, www.aero-news.net