The ICP Savannah is the Italian answer to a question many light-aircraft pilots eventually ask: can a machine be genuinely happy on a short, imperfect strip without becoming a purely local-flight toy? The Savannah family built its reputation around that overlap. Its high-lift wing, external struts and Junkers flaperons make low-speed work the central theme, while later VG, XL and S developments worked to retain useful cross-country pace. It is not a slick composite traveller, nor does it pretend to be; the appeal is practical access, a wide view and a remarkably direct link between pilot, airfield and landscape.

ICP developed the Savannah as a versatile, all-metal ultralight platform rather than a single fixed recipe. Over time the line appeared with different cabins, wing treatments, engines and undercarriages, including tricycle, tailwheel and float-oriented arrangements. The Savannah S, introduced in 2010, revised the rear fuselage and cabin environment while retaining the basic high-lift wing concept. That continuity matters: the aircraft was designed to make short-field capability usable by ordinary sport pilots, not merely to produce impressive figures for a brochure.

Quick facts

What makes the ICP Savannah such a distinctive short-field aeroplane?

The Savannah’s personality begins at the wing. It uses a modified NACA 65-018 high-lift section and full-span Junkers-type flaperons: surfaces mounted below and aft of the wing’s trailing edge that combine aileron and flap functions. That arrangement preserves roll response at the lower end of the speed range better than the usual compromise of asking a conventional aileron to work beside a deeply deflected flap. On VG-equipped Savannahs, vortex generators ahead of the wing help energise the boundary layer and preserve control authority nearer the stall.

In practical terms, it is an aeroplane that rewards accurate speed control and deliberate energy management rather than brute force. The broad wing and generous flap effect allow steep, controlled approaches, but the same features mean a pilot should resist treating it like a fast, clean touring machine. It is happiest when flown as a utility-minded light aeroplane: keep the approach stabilised, use the flaperons intelligently and let the low-speed design do its job. The fixed gear and exposed struts create drag, naturally, but they also make the Savannah’s priorities perfectly clear before the wheels leave the ground.

Powerplant, systems and technical highlights

• Savannah S installations were offered with the 80 hp Rotax 912 UL or 100 hp Rotax 912 ULS four-cylinder engines.
• The standard propeller arrangement paired the 80 hp installation with a ground-adjustable two-blade Duc propeller and the 100 hp installation with a ground-adjustable three-blade Duc propeller.
• A rear-supported ring engine mount was used on the Savannah S to reduce vibration transmission, with a fully removable cowling for engine-bay access and a separate oil-check door.
• The high wing is externally braced and uses Junkers flaperons with manual control or optional electric actuation; elevator trim is electric and rudder trim manual.
• Wing tanks hold 36 litres each on the Savannah S, feeding a collector tank; the fuel system includes an additional electrically driven pump with heat shielding.
• Typical basic instrumentation comprises airspeed, altitude and vertical-speed indications, compass, slip/skid indication, tachometer, fuel pressure, oil pressure and temperature, cylinder-head or coolant-temperature indications, hourmeter and voltmeter. Panel fit varies materially between individual aircraft.
• The Savannah S is intended for VFR operation and is not an aerobatic design.

How it compares

Comparison rival: Zenith STOL CH 750. Published figures vary by model, certification category, engine, propeller, weight and installed equipment; compare the actual aircraft documentation before drawing purchasing conclusions.

Honest ownership note: A Savannah should be bought on paperwork, workmanship and condition rather than on the romance of a short take-off roll. The family spans several versions and engine fits, so establish exactly which Savannah variant, wing treatment, landing gear and national approval basis are involved. A pre-purchase inspection should pay particular attention to the wing-strut and jury-strut attachments, flaperon hinges and control runs, riveted skins and load-bearing panels, vortex generators where fitted, fuel-tank cups and vents, brake plumbing, nosegear steering and the engine installation. The Rotax installation brings the advantage of a very familiar light-aircraft engine family, but maintenance must follow both the airframe and engine documentation. A mechanic experienced with Rotax installations and a knowledgeable Savannah or ICP owners’ network are worth more than an optimistic advert.

Exterior and cabin

Exterior

• High, straight-tapered wing supported by single lift struts and smaller jury struts.
• Metal fuselage with a deep, squared cabin section and a rounded engine cowling ahead of the windscreen.
• Fixed tricycle undercarriage in the standard S arrangement, with an aluminium leaf-spring main gear and steerable nosewheel.
• Two-blade or three-blade tractor propeller ahead of the nose-mounted engine; wheel fairings may be fitted on some examples.
• Conventional tailplane with a single vertical fin and rudder; later Savannah variants differ in fuselage and tail detailing.

Cabin and cockpit

• Two side-by-side seats beneath a broad, glazed high-wing cabin.
• Large separate side doors with extensive Lexan glazing and lower door windows on some variants.
• Wide forward windscreen, overhead transparency and high wing placement provide an open visual field.
• Instrument panel ahead of both occupants, with room for basic analogue instruments or later glass-panel installations.
• Small baggage area behind the seats; published Savannah S baggage capacity is 20 kg.

Who is the ICP Savannah for?

• The pilot whose home strip is short, grass, rough or simply more interesting than a large paved airport.
• The sport aviator who values slow-flight manners, visibility and useful access over maximum cruise speed.
• The owner who wants a two-seat ultralight with conventional all-metal construction and a familiar Rotax powerplant option.
• The practical touring pilot prepared to accept fixed-gear drag in return for low-speed capability.

The ICP Savannah makes sense because it is honest about its mission. It turns useful lift, fixed gear and a straightforward metal structure into an aircraft that can make modest airfields feel accessible rather than restrictive. Choose the exact variant carefully, inspect the build and systems with discipline, and the Savannah remains one of the more characterful ways to combine low-speed utility with two-seat recreational flying.