Shark Aero Shark (S450)
ICAO S450 Light Piston

Shark Aero Shark

Single Piston

The Shark Aero Shark is a sleek, composite two-seat light sport aircraft designed and manufactured by Shark Aero in Slovakia, first introduced in the early 2010s. Built primarily from carbon fiber, the Shark stands out in the LSA category for its streamlined fuselage and retractable landing gear — features more commonly associated with higher-performance touring aircraft than budget ultralights. Powered by a Rotax 912 ULS engine producing 100 horsepower, it achieves cruise speeds around 135 knots while maintaining excellent fuel efficiency, making it a popular choice among European sport pilots seeking cross-country capability without the operating costs of certified aircraft. The type's low stall speed of 43 knots in landing configuration and docile handling characteristics make it accessible to relatively low-time pilots, while its 162-knot never-exceed speed and aerobatic capability (some variants are stressed for +6/-3g) appeal to more experienced aviators. The Shark's empty weight of just 290 kilograms allows it to carry two adults and baggage while remaining within the 650-kilogram maximum takeoff weight limit for European ultralight and light sport aircraft categories. Its efficient wing design delivers a glide ratio exceeding 14:1, providing an added safety margin for off-field landings. The German D-M registration prefix seen on observed airframes indicates these are operating under Germany's ultralight regulations, where the Shark has found a strong following among private owners and flying clubs. The type competes directly with the Czech-made Evektor SportStar and Italian Tecnam P2008, but distinguishes itself through superior cruise performance and modern composite construction. SkyMeter has tracked 3 flights across 1 airframes and 1 operators, with activity spanning routes.

ACTIVE AIRFRAMES
1
last 7 days
🏢
OPERATORS
1
unique airlines
📊
FLIGHTS
3
tracked
AVG DURATION
40m
per flight
INCIDENT RATE
0.0%
0 flagged

Safety in context

The incident rate counts flights with ANY safety event detected by SkyMeter — go-arounds (a routine response, not a failure), unstable-approach gate flags (advisory thresholds), rejected takeoffs (the system working as designed), and runway events. It is NOT an accident rate or fatality rate. For accident statistics, refer to the NTSB Aviation Accident Database (USA) or the Aviation Safety Network. See methodology for what each event type measures.

Performance

Speed envelope & approach

Vref
54 kt
Vref range
Vmo
Mmo
Vne
162 kt
Vno
135 kt
Vs0 (landing)
43 kt
Vfe
81 kt
Approach category

Dimensions

Airframe geometry

Wingspan
Length
Tail height
Wheelbase
Gear width
Wake category
L

Weight & identification

Operating limits

MTOW
1,433 lb
MALW
Manufacturer model
Shark
FAA designator
Registered

Top operators

By fleet size · last 7 days

0

No operator data available.

Safety profile

Flagged flights · last 7 days

Family

Related variants

0

No related variants.

Recent incidents

Flagged flights of S450

20
06/26/2026
46m
△ Unstable approach
06/18/2026
1h 24m
△ Unstable approach
06/13/2026
31m
△ Unstable approach
04/30/2026
30m
△ Unstable approach
04/08/2026
36m
△ Unstable approach
03/04/2026
56m
△ Unstable approach
02/20/2026
32m
△ Unstable approach
01/16/2026
24m
△ Unstable approach
12/18/2025
34m
△ Unstable approach
11/28/2025
1h 33m
△ Unstable approach

Recent flights

Real flights of S450 · airborne ≥ 20 min

30
07/03/2026
34m
No alerts
07/03/2026
40m
No alerts
07/03/2026
45m
No alerts
06/27/2026
46m
No alerts
06/27/2026
1h 19m
No alerts
06/26/2026
30m
No alerts
06/26/2026
46m
△ Unstable approach
06/26/2026
53m
No alerts
06/25/2026
29m
No alerts
06/25/2026
46m
No alerts
06/25/2026
19m
No alerts
06/25/2026
1h 4m
No alerts
06/25/2026
1h 0m
No alerts
06/25/2026
23m
No alerts
06/25/2026
1h 21m
No alerts
06/25/2026
20m
No alerts
06/24/2026
1h 30m
No alerts
06/19/2026
1h 11m
No alerts
06/19/2026
52m
No alerts
06/19/2026
28m
No alerts
06/19/2026
1h 3m
No alerts
06/19/2026
1h 19m
No alerts
06/19/2026
28m
No alerts
06/18/2026
26m
No alerts
06/18/2026
1h 24m
△ Unstable approach
06/18/2026
37m
No alerts
06/18/2026
1h 41m
No alerts
06/18/2026
40m
No alerts
06/13/2026
31m
△ Unstable approach
06/12/2026
28m
No alerts
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© SkyMeter · All flight data subject to ODbL attribution · Tracking window: 7 days (free tier)