Porto Aviation Risen Superveloce

The Risen is a two-seat, side-by-side, V-tail, all-carbon retractable designed by the Italian-Argentine engineer Alberto Porto and built by Porto Aviation Group in Lecco, Italy, with final assembly and test flying at Voghera Rivanazzano (LILH). It first flew in 2012 and was introduced at AERO Friedrichshafen in 2015. Early airframes were marketed through Swiss Excellence Airplanes, which is why the type appears in some references as the "Swiss Excellence Risen" — it is the same aircraft.

It is, by a clear margin, the fastest thing in this catalogue for the fuel it burns. The current Risen SV 916 Superveloce, on a 160 HP Rotax 916iS, cruises at 195 KTAS at 9,000 ft and 215 KTAS at FL180, and the type holds the FAI absolute speed record for its class — 428.18 km/h (266 mph) set 22 January 2023, raised to 453.20 km/h in October 2025. During record-setting transatlantic flying it burned roughly 4 GPH at 165 KTAS. That is a Bonanza's speed on a Cessna 150's fuel bill.

The efficiency is not marketing. It comes from a very small, very clean airframe: 91.5 sq ft of wing on the SV, fully retracting gear with no separate doors, a tightly cowled engine with minimal cooling drag, and a V-tail. The price of that efficiency is a narrow speed envelope at the slow end and a genuinely demanding descent-planning problem, covered below.

Note the wing change. The 915/916 "SV" airframes have 2.6 ft less span and 91.5 sq ft against the original's 104.4 sq ft. That is what lifts the top end and what raises the stall from 38 KIAS to 43 KIAS. If you want the docile end of the family, the long-wing 912iS is the one to look at; if you want the record numbers, the SV is, and you accept the higher approach speeds.

KITPLANES flew the long-wing 912iS and measured 160 KTAS at 6,500 ft on 4.7 GPH at 75% power, and 150 KTAS on 3.5 GPH at a typical full-throttle 4,800 RPM cruise. The factory book figure of 162 KTAS at 9,000 ft on 3.7 GPH is therefore honest, which is unusual and worth saying plainly.

For the SV 916 the factory publishes 395 km/h (215 KTAS) at 75% power at FL180, 1,680 km (905 NM) range in that configuration, and a maximum of 450 km/h TAS above 13,600 ft. Those are real but altitude-dependent numbers requiring supplemental oxygen. The catalogue figures above use the more realistic 195 KTAS at 9,000 ft on about 7.5 GPH, which gives roughly 800 NM with VFR reserves on the standard 31.7 gallons. Optional tanks add 60-100 liters (16-26 gal) and push maximum-range cruise past 1,500 NM.

Climb is 2,000-2,200 FPM initially, trailing off with altitude. Best rate is about 86 KIAS. Best glide ratio is 20:1 — this airframe does not want to come down.

The hard part of flying a Risen is slowing it down. Gear extension and retraction are limited to 70 KIAS, full flaps to 70 KIAS, partial flaps to 86 KIAS. KITPLANES was explicit: "the most challenging part of flying the Risen is getting it slowed down for the very modest flap and gear speeds… you'll have to plan to be level for quite some time before the Risen decelerates sufficiently." Compounding this, the tight cowling leaves thin oil-temperature margins, so you cannot simply pull the power back and wait. Descent and arrival planning is a real workload item on this airplane, and it is the single most likely source of a first-flight-in-type incident.

Handling is otherwise reported as conventional and pleasant: light and linear pitch forces, neutral roll stability (it holds whatever bank you select), good yaw stability with no pitch/yaw coupling despite the V-tail, which uses a ruddervator mixer similar in principle to a Bonanza's. It is slightly less trim-stable in pitch than a larger aircraft, damping out over several oscillations.

The SV 916 at 625 kg gross (1,378 lb) with a 772 lb empty weight gives about 606 lb useful load. This is the number that decides whether the airplane fits your mission:

• Full standard fuel (31.7 gal / 190 lb) + two 190 lb adults: 570 lb of 606 lb, leaving about 36 lb for baggage. It works, but only just, and only with light passengers.
• Two adults + bags (450 lb) : leaves 156 lb of fuel, about 26 gallons, which is still roughly 650 NM at 195 KTAS with reserves. In practice most owners fly this way.
• Solo with full fuel and optional tanks: the record-flight configuration. One pilot, ~50 gallons, and range past 1,500 NM. This is where the airplane is genuinely without peer.
• Real-world limit: as with the Shark, volume beats weight. There is no baggage compartment worth the name, and the 48-inch cabin buys shoulder room, not luggage space.

Compare directly with the Shark.Aero Shark — the Shark is tandem, slower, cheaper to insure by a little, and the only one of the two with certified turbulence cancelling; the Risen is side-by-side, 45 knots faster, and the better long-distance touring airplane. For the mission this aircraft is built around see Cross-Country Flying.

• Cross-country (9): This is the whole point. 195 KTAS on 7.5 GPH, 800-1,500 NM legs, a 48-inch cabin, and an autopilot. Nothing else in this catalogue does long-distance touring on this little fuel.
• Local fun flying (8): Fast, light-controlled, and a V-tail carbon rocket. Marked down slightly because it is an expensive, slippery airplane to bore holes in the sky with, and the pattern work is demanding.
• Business travel (6): The best score any experimental in this catalogue earns here. Genuine airline-competitive block times on 500 NM legs. Held back by VFR-only operation, US experimental operating limitations, and two seats.
• Surveying (4): Efficient and long-legged, but low-wing, fast, and unhappy at loiter speeds.
• Flight training (1): No. Retractable, constant-speed, V-tail, 70-knot gear and flap limits, and uninsurable for a student.
• Aerobatics (1): Not approved or stressed for aerobatics despite the +5/-3 envelope.
• Backcountry (1): Retractable gear, composite belly, low wing, and 1,500 ft over a 50 ft obstacle on landing.
• Cargo hauling (1): 606 lb useful load sounds fine until you subtract 190 lb of fuel and two adults. Baggage is soft bags only.

• Factory standard on the SV: a single 10" Dynon SkyView HDX with engine monitoring at the pilot position, with a mounting provision for a second screen in front of the passenger. Some airframes carry three Dynon touchscreens. See Avionics Pricing Reference.
• Typical additions ($15-35k): second HDX screen for redundancy, two-axis autopilot (frequently fitted from new; the base price with radios and autopilot runs about €306,000 against €289,700 bare), Dynon or Garmin com and transponder, and US-compliant ADS-B, which European deliveries often lack.
• IFR: not certified anywhere and not supported by the certification basis. This is a VFR airplane. Given the 20:1 glide, the 70-knot gear speed and no known-ice capability, treat that as a genuine operational limit rather than paperwork.

See Maintenance Ecosystem.

• Parts availability: poor. Everything comes from Italy, in euros, with customs. There is no US depot and no aftermarket.
• Mechanic familiarity: specialist. The Rotax 916iS is serviceable by any Rotax-capable shop, though the 916 is new enough that shop experience is thin. The airframe, gear and BRS need a composites-comfortable A&P, or the builder's own repairman certificate on an E-AB airframe.
• Factory support is unusually personal — owners deal directly with Alberto Porto and the Porto Aviation team. That is a genuine strength while the company is healthy and a concentrated risk if it is not.
• Annual condition inspection: $1,500-2,500 clean.
• Typical annual operating cost: roughly $19,500 at 100 hours — about $4,500 fuel, $9,500-11,000 insurance, $3,600 hangar, $1,500-2,500 inspection, $1,500 reserves. As with the Shark, insurance dominates, and the headline fuel efficiency is not what determines the cost of ownership.
• Expensive items: BRS repack/rocket ($4,000-6,000), canopy and electric lift mechanism, gear jackscrew motors, constant-speed prop overhaul (~$2,500), Rotax 916 turbo components.
• Reserves: budget $14-16/hr engine (the 916's overhaul cost is not yet well established — err high), $3-4/hr airframe and gear.

See Aircraft Valuation Methodology.

• Factory pricing: the 912iS model starts at €249,500 (about $272,000) including paint, interior, basic avionics, propeller, wheels, brakes and a training package. The SV 916 starts at €289,700 (about $316,000), or roughly €306,000 with radios and autopilot. Build-assist labor and travel sit on top.
• Early-adopter reality check: one US builder's completed airframe came to just under $200,000 all-in, but that reflects early pricing and component costs that have since risen. Do not plan on that number.
• Price tiers: used long-wing 912iS $200-260k; 915 iSV $260-330k; recent SV 916 $330-400k+.
• Engine is most of the delta. The step from 912iS to 916iS is 60 horsepower and roughly $60-80k of airplane. Decide whether you actually need FL180 performance before paying for it.
• Long-range tanks: $8-12k value add and the difference between an 800 NM and a 1,500 NM airplane.
• E-AB vs Experimental Exhibition: an E-AB airframe with a clean build log and a repairman certificate in the chain is worth materially more than an Exhibition import. Confirm which one you are buying.
• Records halo: the FAI records are real and do support residual values, but the market is thin. Very few exist in the US and comparable sales are scarce, so appraisals are weak and bid-ask spreads are wide.

No FAA Airworthiness Directives apply to experimental aircraft. Type-specific concerns:

• Gear and flap speed discipline. The 70 KIAS limits are low and the airframe is slippery. Overspeed damage to gear doors, jackscrews and flap tracks is the predictable failure mode. Inspect actuators and tracks, and ask directly about overspeed events.
• Three-motor gear system. More redundancy than most, but also more to go wrong. Confirm the emergency battery-direct extension circuit actually works during the pre-buy, not just on paper.
• Oil temperature margins. The tight cowl runs warm in the descent and hot in the climb on a summer day. Check for cooling modifications and ask about summer operations.
• Rotax 916iS is a young engine. TBO is nominally 2,000 hours but the in-service record is short and overhaul pricing is not yet settled — the $32,000 reserve here is an estimate extrapolated from 915iS experience, not a quoted figure.
• BRS currency. Rocket and canopy lives expire. Budget $4,000-6,000 and check the dates.
• Builder quality on E-AB airframes. The build-assist program produces consistent airframes, but a Risen finished outside it should be scrutinised hard, especially the wing layups and the spar joint.
• Single-source everything. There is no aftermarket. Canopy, gear components and control parts come from Italy or not at all.

Pre-buy red flags: any gear overspeed or gear-up event, undocumented composite repair, time-expired BRS, an Experimental Exhibition certificate where you expected E-AB, and avionics that will not meet US ADS-B rules.

See GA Insurance Underwriting. Similar to the Shark and, if anything, harder:

• Hull: roughly $9,000-11,000/year on a $320,000 hull (about 3% of hull value). Retractable gear, a V-tail, 195-knot cruise, composite construction and no US claims history all push the same direction.
• Liability: $1,000-1,500/year for $1M smooth.
• Underwriting quirks: expect 500+ hours total, real retractable and high-performance time, and a type-specific checkout that is very difficult to arrange in the US. Some carriers decline the type outright. Get a written quote before you commit to a build slot — a two-month build in Italy is a bad time to discover you cannot insure the result.
• Claim behavior: minor damage to a rare carbon airframe with a single European parts source tends to be settled as a total loss.