Do they know something we don't

regarding the new Sport Pilot and Sport Plane rule? Here's why I ask:

The news from Airventure is that the rule has left the FAA and is on the way
to DOT. Quoting from the Airventure website:
"Major Step Forward for Sport Pilot Rule Announced at EAA AirVenture
July 31, 2003 - The new sport pilot and light-sport aircraft (SP/LSA)
categories passed a major milestone today when FAA Administrator Marion
Blakey announced at the Experimental Aircraft Association's (EAA) annual EAA
AirVenture fly-in that the FAA had completed work on the final rule. The
rulemaking package has now been forwarded to the Department of
Transportation (DOT) for review."

Also in the news from Airventure, two well-known manufacturers have
announced they will enter into the Sport Plane market, namely, Mooney and
Maule.

Mooney will be importing the TOXO from Spain and assembling it here.

Maule showed a new airplane targeted for the Light Sport Aircraft market.

Here's the deal though. Neither one of these airplanes meets the rule as we
know it. The TOXO has too high a landing speed and too high of a cruise
speed. The Maule, weighs 1000 pounds empty which means the useful load will
only be 232 pounds. Not very useful.

I'm just wondering if these manufacturers know something we don't about the
final rule or on the other hand, are they building airplanes to a rule that
they don't understand?

Rick Pellicciotti
http://www.belleairetours.com