Comco Ikarus C42 B (c/n 0806-6983, YR-5152, Aeroclubul României), used as a glider tug during the 2012 edition of the Bucharest International Air Show, Bucharest, July 2012.
The Ikarus C42 general aviation ultralight aeroplane was developed in the mid-1990s, by the German aviation company Comco Ikarus GmbH.
Comco Ikarus was founded in 1970 in Hohentengen (Baden-Württemberg) and initially manufactured hang gliders. Over the years, the company has expanded its portfolio to include light and ultralight aircraft, parachutes, and parachute rescue systems for aeroplanes.
The C42 made its maiden flight in 1996. The aeroplane was well received by the market, winning the title of Germany’s best-selling ultralight aircraft several times.
The Ikarus C42 is a single-engine, high-wing monoplane equipped with fixed tricycle landing gear. The aeroplane features a fully enclosed cockpit with two seats in a side-by-side configuration. It can be powered by either an 80 hp or 100 hp four-cylinder boxer engine from the Rotax 912 series. The C42’s fuselage is made of aluminium tubing covered with glass-fibre-reinforced plastic.
The C42 is primarily used as a training or touring aircraft. The 100 hp version is certified for glider towing and is therefore frequently used for this purpose by aeroclubs.
Currently, Comco Ikarus offers the C42 in three variants: the C42 B, C, and CS. The last two are updated versions of the initial design and feature several improvements, such as a tubular engine mount, winglets, electric elevator trim, and Flettner rudder. The C and CS variants can also be equipped with a 100 hp Rotax 914 Turbo engine.
The aeroplane “YR-5152”, featured in our Photo of the Week series, was operated by Aeroclubul României (the Romanian Aeroclub). The aircraft was used for glider towing and touring flights, but also appeared at national aviation events, performing ultralight displays or flypasts alongside other examples of the C42 type.
In September 2025, this C42 B crashed near the Iași airfield in Romania shortly after take-off. Both pilot and passenger sustained serious injuries, and the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.
