TYPE: Two-seat lightplane; four-seat lightplane.

PROGRAMME: Redesign of GlaStar to JAR 23 certification standards began in May 1998. First prototype (D-ETCW, c/n P1) was essentially unchanged and first flew May 1999; second prototype D-EMVP (c/n 0001), with modifications to meet JAR 23, first flown 7 October 1999; third aircraft (D-ENVG) had not flown by June 2000, when it made type's public debut at Berlin Air Show. LBA evaluation began mid-July 2000 and certification and production certificate both awarded 29 August 2000; FAA certificate A43CE awarded 9 April 2001; Transport Canada certification awarded 30 June 2003. IFR certification issued June 2002. Customer deliveries began November 2001.

CURRENT VERSIONS: Symphony 160: Baseline two-seat version; as described.
Symphony 250: Four-seat version announced at Sun 'n' Fun, April 2003 (as Symphony 4); expected first flight date before end 2003. Data given are provisional. Has longer, tapered wing and longer cabin section with wider door.
Symphony 135TDI: First flown mid-May 2003; powered by diesel engine. Certfication for Europe (main market) was expected by end 2003.

CUSTOMERS: By November 2003 some 41 production aircraft delivered and 34 on order. Company has a target production rate of 300 aircraft per year by 2008.

COSTS: Symphony 160 US$120,000 VFR equipped; US$140,000 IFR equipped; Symphony 250 under US$200,000 (estimated); Symphony 135TDI US$147,000 (all 2003).

DESIGN FEATURES: Intended to be an inexpensive trainer and lightplane. Completely redesigned landing gear and wing; retains only some 10 per cent commonality with GlaStar. Crashworthy cockpit and seats. Around 60 per cent of aircraft built by OMF; remainder sourced from abroad, including Czech Republic (aluminium flying surfaces), Poland, France, UK and USA. Service life of 18,000 hours. Braced, unswept high wing of constant chord; foldable for storage. Tailplane has curved, leading-edge root strakes; tall, sweptback fin. Centre-section of top wing thickened in late 2001, increasing maximum T-O weight.

FLYING CONTROLS: Conventional and manual. Mass-balanced Frise ailerons with three hinges each (compared to GlaStar's two), travel up 23°/down 17°; electrically operated, metal, three-position Fowler flaps (0, 20 and 40°). Horn-balanced, single-piece elevator with anti-balance tab, travel up 21°/down 20°; horn-balanced rudder, travels 21° in each direction. Vortex generators added to wings in front of ailerons and at wing roots.

STRUCTURE: Fuselage of GFRP with 4130 steel tube frame strengthening in cockpit area. Metal wings, struts, flaps, ailerons, tailplane, elevator and rudder; composites wingtips, fin fillet, tailplane strakes and wheel fairings.

LANDING GEAR: Tricycle type; fixed. Castoring nosewheel. Sprung steel mainwheel legs; Cleveland hydraulic brakes. All wheels 5.00-5 and have speed fairings. Nosewheel turning 6.7 m (22 ft).

POWER PLANT: Symphony 160: One 119 kW (160 hp) Textron Lycoming O-320-D2A flat-four, driving a two-blade fixed-pitch MT-186R-140-3D P-244-3 propeller. Fuel in two main tanks, each 58.5 litres (15.45 US gallons; 12.9 Imp gallons), and one 6 litre (1.6 US gallon; 1.3 Imp gallon) feeder tank, total capacity 123 litres (32.5 US gallons; 27.1 Imp gallons) of which 110 litres (29.0 US gallons; 24.2 Imp gallons) usable. Oil capacity 7.6 litres (2.0 US gallons; 1.7 Imp gallons).
Symphony 250: One 186 kW (250 hp) Textron Lycoming IO-540-C flat-six. Fuel capacity 189 litres (50.0 US gallons; 41.6 Imp gallons).
Symphony 135TDI: One 99.3 kW (133 hp) Thielert Centurion 1.7 four-cylinder, four-stroke, turbocharged diesel engine, driving an MT two-blade fixed-pitch propeller. Usable fuel capacity 114 litres (30.2 US gallons; 25.1 Imp gallons).

ACCOMMODATION: Two persons side by side on leather-covered glass fibre-reinforced composites material seats capable of withstanding 26 g forward and 19 g vertical crash; front-hinged door each side; baggage compartment behind crew with separate door on port side as alternative access.

SYSTEMS: Electric system 24 V 70 A DC. Vision Microsystems VM1000 engine monitoring system.

AVIONICS: Bendix/King KX 125 nav/com, KLX 135 GPS/com and KT 76 transponder as standard; Skyforce colour or black and white GPS optional.

EQUIPMENT: BRS parachute system being developed late 2003; will be standard on Symphony 250 and option for Symphony 135TDL.