The Berkut is an absolute delight to aerobat; the roll rate in particular is excellent, somewhere around 180 degrees per second. So for the next few minutes of the flight I indulged myself. After a steady succession of loops, rolls and steep turns, it suddenly occurred to me how natural the sidestick felt. This was my first flight in an aircraft so equipped, but I had adjusted to using it so readily that I hadn't even noticed. One thing I had noticed was how good the HOTAS concept was, enabling you to keep your head up and your eyes outside the cockpit—no bad thing when you're flying around the crowded skies of the LA Basin.

"Indeed, of all the aeroplanes I've flown, the one that compares best with the Berkut is, believe it or not, the multimillion pound British Aerospace Hawk."

After a few more rolls, I commented to Dave how impressed I was at being able to roll so quickly from cruise flight. "Oh ho" he replied "watch this!" He pitched up and initiated a climb and then began a series of rolls. I was very impressed. Some slow flight came next with the canard configuration displaying the safe, predictable handling for which it has become famous. In a phrase... stall proof.

Right • The rear-hinged dual canopies certainly enhance its jet-fighter looks. (Glenn Waters)

Because the canard is fixed at a greater angle of incidence than the mainplane, it always stalls first, the nose pitches down and the mainplane doesn't stall. Brilliantly simple, although I would have welcomed the opportunity to fly the aircraft in rain, as some laminar flow aircraft I've flown behave markedly different with wet wings. Dave then took control and did something that I found very impressive indeed. With his hand off the sidestick he pulled the power to idle, shoved the throttle open to full before snatching it back to idle, and there was absolutely no change in pitch! A remarkable demonstration.

After a quick stop at Santa Paula for coffee, we zoomed over to Camarillo's 10,000 ft runway to give me the opportunity to fly a few circuits. The airframe is incredibly slippery, although dropping the gear adds a substantial amount of drag and is a great help in slowing down, as is the big bellymounted airbrake. Speeds in the circuit were around 85 kts, slowing to 75 on finals, with touchdown at just over 60. The trick to the whole thing is to fly more by angle-of attack than airspeed. Because of the airframe's slipperiness it is important to keep the nose pitched up or the Berkut will still accelerate, even with everything dangling. However I soon got the hang of it and by my third attempt was making quite respectable landings. Berkut Engineering recommends a 2,000 ft runway.

Above • The Berkut is a very slippery aircraft. Berkut Engineering claims the best gluide ratio of 18:1 and a Vne of 304 kts. (Al Staats)

We then rocketed back to Santa Monica in fine style, the ride being so smooth and stable, even in turbulence, that we could have been on rails. As we rolled back to Berkut Engineering's hangar we passed several 'classic' GA designs, and I couldn't resist pointing out to Dave how ancient they were, both in looks and performance. He laughed in agreement but then he would, because he owns a Berkut.