Built in 2000 and thoroughly reworked in 2023, this Ikarus Comco C42 is less a well-worn ultralight and more a proven airframe brought back to near-new condition. Almost everything on it is new — engine, propeller, covering, glazing, and avionics — while the original fuselage tube, fuselage shell, and fuel tank remain from the aircraft's first build.

The Ikarus Comco C42 is one of Europe's most widely flown high-wing ultralight and microlight aircraft, built around a steel-tube fuselage with a GRP nose fairing and fabric-covered flying surfaces. It's a side-by-side two-seat design that's long been a staple of European flight schools and touring pilots alike — and this particular example has been uprated well beyond its original specification.

Quick Facts: This Ikarus Comco C42

What was upgraded on this Ikarus Comco C42 during its 2023 rebuild?

Nearly everything except the core structure. The seller describes the rebuild as touching the engine, propeller, landing gear, wing and tail covering, canopy glazing, and instrumentation — while explicitly confirming that the fuselage tube, fuselage shell, and fuel tank remain original from the year-2000 build. It's an honest, specific breakdown of exactly what's new and what isn't, which is exactly the kind of transparency serious buyers look for.

For pilots and buyers researching a general aviation ultralight with genuine long-range touring capability, this Ikarus Comco C42 stands out for its 540 kg uprated MTOW and 100-liter long-range fuel tank — figures that go well beyond what most ultralights in this class offer.

Powerplant, Systems & Technical Highlights

The technical story on this Ikarus Comco C42 is a genuinely extensive rebuild, not a light refresh.

• Engine: New 100 hp Rotax, TBO 2,000 hours — with approx. 280 hours flown, leaving 1,720 hours remaining to overhaul

• Propeller: New Helix 3-blade propeller

• Landing gear & brakes: Behringer gear and brakes fitted

• Covering: Fully re-covered in Oratex 6000, a modern, durable fabric-covering system

• Wing structure: Rebuilt to a fixed-panel-with-ribs design, covered under an Oratex specification rated up to 600 kg — well above this aircraft's uprated 540 kg MTOW

• Tail surfaces: Profiled/aerodynamically shaped empennage surfaces

• Fuel system: 100-liter long-range tank, original to the aircraft

• Wings: CS-type wings fitted

• Flaps: Electric flaps

• Instrumentation: New turn coordinator, variometer, and airspeed indicator

• Avionics: New radio and transponder

• Traffic awareness: Garrecht TRX 2000 anti-collision/traffic system

• Rescue system: Ballistic rescue system, approximately 2 years old

How does this rebuilt C42 compare to its original specification?

Honest ownership note: With the engine and propeller effectively new since 2023 and the airframe's wing structure rebuilt to a covering specification rated well above this aircraft's current MTOW, this Ikarus Comco C42 presents a genuinely low-risk technical profile for a used ultralight. As always, a pre-purchase inspection confirming the 540 kg weight increase's documentation and the retained original components is a sensible step before any sale.

Exterior & Cockpit

This Ikarus Comco C42 wears its 2023 rebuild clearly, with a fresh covering and canopy that bring a 2000-model airframe firmly up to date.

Exterior highlights:

• Fully re-covered in Oratex 6000, a modern tube-and-fabric-style covering known for its durability

• Profiled, aerodynamically shaped tail surfaces

• Behringer landing gear and brakes

• Original fuselage tube and GRP fuselage shell retained from the year-2000 build

Cockpit highlights:

• New canopy glazing — scratch-resistant and brown-tinted

• Side-by-side two-seat cabin layout

• Electric flaps for easier approach and landing configuration

• New instrumentation: turn coordinator, variometer, and airspeed indicator

• New radio and transponder for current communication and traffic-awareness needs

• Lockable cabin — a practical security feature for aircraft kept away from a home hangar

Between the new tinted canopy, fresh Oratex covering, and modernized instrument panel, this Ikarus Comco C42 looks and feels considerably newer than its year-2000 build date suggests.

The Perfect Airplane For

Who is this Ikarus Comco C42 best suited for?

This Ikarus Comco C42 suits a buyer who wants a thoroughly modernized, higher-capability ultralight rather than a bare-bones example needing further work.

• Ultralight and microlight pilots wanting a proven, widely supported European airframe with near-new major components

• Touring pilots who want genuine long-range capability from the 100-liter fuel tank

• Buyers seeking useful-load flexibility, thanks to the uprated 540 kg MTOW

• Owners who value documented, transparent rebuild history, including clear disclosure of which components are original

• Budget-conscious buyers who want new-engine reliability without paying for a brand-new airframe

For a buyer who wants genuine touring range and modern systems in a well-proven general aviation ultralight, this Ikarus Comco C42 offers a compelling combination: a 2023-fresh powertrain and covering, paired with the long-range fuel capacity to actually put it to use.