The first thing that strikes you on approaching the Scorcher is it's size - it is tiny. The fuselage only has about 3 inches ground clearance, all three wheels being almost completely hidden by the pod and spats. It looks like a racer even before it leaves the ground.

The seat is remarkably comfortable, on the ground at least. It is deep, luxurious even, and steeply reclined, giving an almost recumbent flying position. Some padding is required by all but the most ape-like, as in the fully recumbent position afforded by the seat, it is impossible to push the bar fully forward. The length is about right, the right foot falling comfortably on the throttle with a slight bend of the knee. The pull start is well positioned, and the inverted Rotax 447 started first time despite having been left for a fortnight.

The Scorcher comes equipped with a heel brake, which is notable only by its ineffectiveness, barely able to hold the trike at 2500 rpm. However, the low profile of the pod allows both feet to be used as brakes, allowing the engine to be run up to 5000 rpm (on dry grass!). At full throttle, the acceleration is mediocre at first, and enormous back pressure is needed on the bar to prevent the nose from lifting, a characteristic of all Mainair machines. As the acceleration increases, you have no choice but to let the bar forward, and the trike pitches up very quickly, and a positive pull back required to stabilise into a comfortable climb. Despite the mere 40 hp developed by the 447, this machine climbs superbly, and the instinctive reaction is to pull the bar in to reduce the angle of climb. Even with substantial back pressure on the bar, and an IAS of 60 mph, the climb seems alarmingly steep, and only a reduction of engine revs reduces the climb rate to the more sedate figures normally expected of this engine, although at no time does it feel unstable or in danger of stalling. In fact, climbing seems to be what this machine does best, at hands off trim speed of 50mph the revs must be backed to 4200 before level flight is achieved.

In level flight, the aircraft feels extremely stable, and is relatively unaffected by turbulence. Pitch is fairly light, it is possible to pull on speed up to about 65mph without muscle strain. Roll is a different matter, and in common with its bigger stablemates the Flash and the Blade, considerable force is required to initiate a steep turn. Unlike its bigger brothers, however, the Scorcher wing does not exhibit a tendency to tighten the turn, and once the bank is initiated, relatively light pressures are required to maintain it. Response is positive, however, and and it is possible to throw this little baby about the sky with considerable panache.The stall is very obvious, the wing starts to mush at about 32 mph, and a very definite kick indicates the stall break. No tendency to drop a wing was observed, and the aircraft recovered very quickly with little input.

The recumbent flying position makes the approach slightly unnerving at first, and the low profile causes a tendency to flare too early, but the low stall speed allows the aircraft to keep flying well into the flare, making a soft touchdown almost inevitable. At 10 litres / hour, and a maximum fuel capacity of 44 litres, endurance should not be a problem, and the comfort of the seat would make any cross-country a delight. The fuel level indicator is hopeless, a stick on a float which is not calibrated, sticks regularly, and is impossible to see in any case. The hand throttle is also unsatisfactory, a bicycle gear level mounted on the seat frame in a position which requires some searching, and the choke is little better. However, these are minor niggles. This aircraft is a joy to fly, with performance to match its bigger brothers. If a single-seat aircraft is what you want, you want a Scorcher.