On June 27, 2006 I picked up my Zenith Zodiac 601XL plans from the factory in Mexico, MO and have been happily working toward completion of that aircraft since then. At AirVenture 2008 in Oshkosh this year, Zenith unveiled the new Zodiac series model — the 650.
Reading posts on the internet, I quickly learned I was not the only 601XL builder concerned with having an uncompleted aircraft that was already yesterday’s news. Great relief came as subsequent statements confirmed that Zenith had made every single innovation on the 650 retrofittable to the 601XL. For completed airplanes, the expense might outweigh the rewards. For someone like me, the only cost will be some new plan pages and upgraded materials, where that applies. Count me in.
The 601XL has been built by several manufacturers around the world, to somewhat different standards based upon special regulations, particularly in Europe. There has also been nearly unanimous disdain for the 601XL canopy design. The folks at Zenith took this opportunity to pull together the best of all the existing 601XL design mods, in addition to a new canopy system with roll-over protection, to create an internationally certifiable model called the 650. Good thinking, and I know it has to make life simpler for them.
The biggest single change is the canopy system, which is now split with the back portion fixed to the roll-over protection structure. This gives a better hand hold for cockpit entry, a lighter portion to lift when entering, and less surface to be caught by wind on the ground. The latching mechanism is also dramatically improved, with a single shoulder-height lever between pilot and passenger. The updated canopy system is even roomier, which means I should really have no issues with fitting now, even at 6′6″.
Additionally they changed the rudder to be less upright and more swept and streamlined. For the non-aeronautical types among us, the rudder is the “thingy” at the back of the plane that sticks up and helps turn the plane. Some minor bracing was added to the rear of the fuselage to comply with European standards, and the trailing edge of the wing was lowered slightly to increase over-the-nose visibility.
It is good to work with a company (centered around the designer, Chris Heintz, and his four sons) that continues to value their existing customers by providing them with new innovations and a clear path to incorporating them. I invite you to visit their website to see all of their airplanes, as well as more detail on the 601XL/650 I am building. You can visit http://mykitlog.com/lwinger to follow my progress as I make my Zodiac 1251 (601+650) or Zodiac 649 (not quite a 650).
I am at a crossroads. I learned today that waiting for plans for the new Zenith Zodiac 650 could delay me until late September or early October. 
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