First flown in 1962, nearly 100 have been built and others remain under construction.

The Menestrel (en: Minstral), a single-engine low-wing cantilever monoplane, was designed for homebuilders. Three variants have appeared over the course of about 27 years: the original single seat HN 433 Menestrel flew in 1962, the more powerful HN 434 Super Menestrel in 1985 and the larger two-seat HN 700/1 Menestrel II in 1989.

All Menestrel variants are wooden framed and fabric covered. The wing is built around a single spar and has constant chord to mid span, with semi-elliptical outer panels. There are no flaps fitted on the single seat variants, though they are an option on the Menestrel II. The fin and rudder are curved, the rudder having a horn balance. The tailplane is mounted on the top of the fuselage.

The fuselage is structurally of simple square section, with a curved decking aft of the cockpit. The latter was originally open but the prototype later flew with a smooth plexiglass canopy that merged into the decking.[3] The Menestrel II has side by side seating. Most Menestrels have a tailskid or, later, tailwheel undercarriage[2] with cantilever main legs bearing Vespa scooter wheels. Many Menestrels have faired legs and spatted wheels. At least one Menestrel II, with the type number HN 701TM, uses a tricycle undercarriage.

For more details, including the five variants, click here.

The Norman Aviation Nordic VI is a Canadian fixed wing ultralight aircraft designed by Jacques Norman.

The Nordic VI is a high-wing braced cabin monoplane with side-by-side seating. It has a steel tube fuselage with fabric-covered wooden structure wings and a fixed tail wheel landing gear. The main landing gear legs are titanium.

Variants
Nordic VI-912
Rotax 912 powered. 253 had been completed and flown by 2011.
Nordic VI-914
Rotax 914-powered. Three had been completed and flown by 2011.

The Normand Dube Aerocruiser is a Canadian single-engined, two-seat bushplane designed by Normand Dube and supplied as a kit for homebuilding by Aviation Normand Dube of Sainte-Anne-des-Plaines, Quebec.

The Aerocruiser 912 is a high-wing braced monoplane with a fixed tailwheel landing gear, the wheels can be quickly changed to skis if required. It has a welded steel tube fuselage and metal aluminium riveted wings and can take a variety of mainly Rotax piston engines. The aircraft has a gross weight of 1,232 lb (559 kg) and is powered by a 100 hp (75 kW) Rotax 912ULS engine, for the Canadian advanced ultralight category.

The design has been developed into Aerocruiser Plus, a four-seat version with a gross weight of 2,200 lb (998 kg) powered by a 180 hp (134 kW) Lycoming O-360 engine and the Aerocruiser 450 Turbo, a six-seat version with a gross weight of 4,650 lb (2,109 kg) powered by a 450 hp (336 kW) Lycoming TIGO-541 engine.

By March 2017, 56 examples had been registered with Transport Canada and one in the United States with the Federal Aviation Administration.

Following in the footsteps of the Skyranger in it's various forms; an aircraft which has won more design and performance awards than just about anything flying, the NYNJA was an obvious development.

The NYNJA shares the same straight aluminium tube construction as the Skyranger. Proven over 17 years and many thousands of hours in flying schools. The NYNJA uses demountable fibre glass panels on the fuselsge enabling significant improvements in performance.

The use of aluminium tubes and composite non structural panels provides the advantages of both materials whilst retaining the ease of construction, ease of maintenance, and ease of repair by almost anyone anywhere.

The Best Off Nynja (English: Ninja) is a French ultralight aircraft, designed by Best Off in conjunction with their British importer, Flylight, and produced by Best Off in France. The aircraft is supplied as a kit for amateur construction.

MTOW is 540 kg and in UK owners have just done the wing load tests for 600kg upgrade to meet European market requirements so that will be good for the kits in Australia to have 600 kg.

The Oldfield Baby Great Lakes is a homebuilt sport biplane. The aircraft has many known names, including the Baby Lakes, Oldfield Baby Lakes, Baby Great Lakes, Super Baby Lakes, Super Baby Great Lakes, and Buddy Baby Lakes.

The Baby Great Lakes was designed by Barney Oldfield, and originally built by Richard Lane, to be a scaled-down homebuilt derivative of the Great Lakes Sport Trainer.

The Baby Great Lakes is built using 136 ft (41.5 m) of steel tubing for the fuselage with aircraft fabric covering. The wings use spruce spars. The aircraft can accommodate engines ranging from the Continental A-65 to the Volkswagen air-cooled engine.

The prototype was not intended to be produced in quantity, but enough plans were requested that the aircraft was marketed as a homebuilt design. The rights to the Baby Great Lakes were acquired by Aircraft Spruce & Specialty Co in May 1996.

Variants

Super Baby Lakes
Accommodates engines over 100 hp (75 kW)
Buddy Baby Lakes
Two-place variant

The OMA SUD Redbird is an Italian two-seat, composite light-sport aircraft (LSA) from composite maker OMA Sud. Introduced at the AERO Friedrichshafen show in 2012, the aircraft is supplied complete and ready-to-fly.

The Redbird is a carbon fiber, low-wing aircraft with side-by-side configuration seating and fixed tricycle landing gear powered by a 100 hp (75 kW) Rotax 912ULS or Rotax 912iS aircraft engine or a Fiat automotive diesel engine. The cockpit width is 135 cm (53 in).[2][3] The airframe was designed to accommodate retractable gear and the intention is that the European version will offer fixed or retractable gear, while the US LSA version will have fixed landing gear.

The aircraft first flew in early 2012, but by 2015 manufacturing arrangements had not been finalized and production not commenced.

Reviewer Marino Boric described the design in a 2015 review as, "elegant and usually roomy" and added that it "belongs to the high end UL/LSA segment".

The aircraft is supplied as a complete ready-to-fly aircraft.

The P1 was designed to comply with the US light-sport aircraft rules and was accepted as a factory-built special light-sport aircraft in 2009. It features a strut-braced high wing, a two-seats-in-side-by-side configuration enclosed cockpit, fixed tricycle landing gear and a single engine in tractor configuration.

The aircraft is made from welded steel tubing covered in aluminum sheet. Its 9.0 m (29.5 ft) span wing has an area of 12.6 m2 (136 sq ft) and flaps. The standard engine is the 100 hp (75 kW) Rotax 912ULS four-stroke powerplant. The cockpit is 110 cm (43.3 in) wide.

Originally a production line was set up in the United States, in Sebring, Florida, but this was later closed and in 2015 the company was noted as having no US presence or representation, although production continued in Brazil.

In 2008 the design was accepted as a Federal Aviation Administration approved special light-sport aircraft.

Examples registered under RAA regulations include 24-7338 (c/n 113), 24-7378 (c/n 82), 24-7383 (c/n 114), 24-7470 (c/n 115) and 24-8124 (c/n 110).

The behind the seat baggage space (largest of its category), with 75 lbs of load capacity and over 18 cubic ft of available space can carry a lot of luggage, including 2 golf bags plus a cooler or perhaps your fishing and camping gear. No hotel, remove the seat, place a sleeping bag for a 6 ft + person to sleep in comfort.

Read a pilot report on the aircraft pictured above at the Brisbane Valley Sport Aviation Club on page 8 here.

The Parker Teenie Two is a single-seat, single-engine sport aircraft first built in the United States in 1969 and marketed for homebuilding. It is a low-wing, cantilever monoplane of conventional configuration and fixed tricycle undercarriage. The cockpit was designed to be left open, but plans for a canopy to enclose it were made available, the use of which would increase the top speed of the aircraft. The Teenie Two was specifically designed to use a converted Volkswagen automobile engine for power. The outer wing panels can be detached for transport or storage.

It was featured on the cover of a Popular Mechanics magazine issue in May, 1971. The caption on the cover read, "Build a VW-Powered Plane for $750."

The Teenie Two may be certified in the Experimental category in the US. A pilot certificate is required to fly it, as it is not considered an ultralight aircraft in the United States. The airplane does however meet the Light Sport Aircraft requirements as defined by the FAA.

Teenie Two was conceived as an airplane that could be built using only hand tools, things that would be possessed by the average person in the early 1970s. The philosophy was Keep It Simple. It was intended to be within reach of someone with no previous experience in building an airplane, or in metal work. To this end, the parts are laid out in such a way that they do not require complex jigs or frames of any kind. The materials were also selected because they could be obtained at a typical hardware store of the day.

Power is derived from the ubiquitous air-cooled Volkswagen automobile engine with modifications laid out by the designer in the plans.

The fuselage is a monocoque design. The empennage consists of a single vertical tail with a hinged rudder. The horizontal stabilizer is fixed, an improvement over Parker's earlier design, the Jeanie's Teenie. A hinged elevator is attached to the horizontal tail.

The wings are a fully cantilevered design. The outer wing panels, 6 feet in length each, are detachable to facilitate ground transportation. To simplify construction, each wing rib is a single piece and slides onto the main spar, a technique that helps in rib alignment. The main spar utilizes a special channel that allows the outer wings to flex and minimizes the amount of material required for bracing. The Teenie Two is not equipped with flaps.

The landing gear is tubular steel, with automotive valve springs and rubber hose inside, for shock absorption.

The landing gear is a fixed tricycle configuration with nose wheel steering through rudder bar deflection. The main gear is designed to fail in the event of excessive stress, thus preventing damage to the wing structure. The wing center section design, makes up part of the main landing gear attachment. The tricycle configuration also eases ground handling.

For more details on development design and variants, click here.

When designer Ladislao Pazmany was encouraged to come up with an easy-to-build, simple, safe, inexpensive, metal plane that could carry a Volkswagen 1600-cc or Continental A-65 engine in the early l970's, he came up with the PL-4A. The fuselage is made up from formed sheet metal channels and standard extruded aluminium angles for the longerons with sheet metal skins. The wing consists of a centre section and two outer panels which can be folded back along the fuselage. Each panel incorporates a metal spar, a Zed section rear spar, pressed metal ribs and metal skins. Pop rivets are used extensively. Plain ailerons, but no flaps or trim tabs are fitted to the wing. The empennage is of “T” tail configuration with an all moving tailplane at the top of the fin with a large anti-servo tab. The tailwheel undercarriage consists of spring steel main legs with 3.50 x 6” tyres and brakes and a steerable tailwheel. A 9.5 Imperial gallon moulded fibreglass fuel tank is fitted behind the firewall. Engines from 50 to 75 hp may be installed.

The PL-4A won the "Outstanding New Design" and "Outstanding Contribution to Low-Cost Flying" awards at the 1972 EAA Fly-In. By 2000 more than 50 had been built and flown.

The Tarragon is a Latvian ultralight aircraft that is produced by Pelegrin LTD since 2012. Tarragon aircraft is tailor-made to each customer, is supplied complete and ready-to-fly.

Named for the herb, the Tarragon was developed from the Millennium Master after the manufacturer of that design went bankrupt. The Tarragon ULM sports aircraft has been developed by Pelegrin LTD in conjunction with CFM Air.

The Tarragon was designed to comply with the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale microlight rules. It features a cantilever low-wing, an enclosed cockpit with two-seats-in-tandem under a bubble canopy, retractable tricycle landing gear and a single engine in tractor configuration.

The Tarragon's airframe is fully made from pre-preg carbon fibre composites. Its 7.94 m (26.0 ft) span wing mounts flaps. Standard engines available are the 100 hp (75 kW) EPA Power SA-R917TNi ULM, the 100 hp (75 kW) Rotax 912ULS and Rotax 912iS, the turbocharged 115 hp (86 kW) Rotax 914, the 135 hp (101 kW) Rotax 915 iS and the 130 hp (97 kW) EPA Power SA917Ti Turbo Injection four-stroke powerplants.

In mid-2014 the Latvian ultralight certification was pending.

In 2020 it set an unofficial world speed record for ultralight airplanes at 402 km/h (217 kn; 250 mph).

The Phantom X1 is a single-engined, tractor configuration, single seat, cable-braced high wing tricycle gear-equipped ultralight aircraft that is produced by Phantom Aeronautics of Three Rivers, Michigan and available in kit form.

The X1 design was intended to have an empty weight under 254 lb (115 kg) to fit into the FAR Part 103 ultralight category. There is also an X2 two seater which was designed as an ultralight trainer. Modernized models of the single and two-seaters use struts in place of the original cable-bracing.

The Phantom X1 is constructed from bolted-together aluminum tubing. The wings and tail surfaces are covered in Dacron sailcloth in the form of pre-sewn envelopes. The wings are wire-braced from an inverted "V" shaped kingpost and feature full-span ailerons. There was also a factory option offered to allow the wings to fold for transport and storage. The engine is mounted on the front of the main tube, the tail being mounted on the far end of the same tube. The cockpit pod is made from fiberglass. The landing gear includes a steerable nosewheel.

The X1 was originally designed as an aerobatic aircraft and was tested to +9/-6.6 g before failure and carries operational limits of +6.6/-4.4 g. The full-span ailerons also give the X1 a fast roll-rate. For liability reasons the X1 was never marketed as an aerobatic design.

Factory options included brakes and a complete airframe parachute along with a variety of Rotax engines from 40 to 64 hp (30 to 48 kW). Original assembly time was rated by the manufacturer as 40 hours.

The Piel CP-30 Emeraude (French: émeraude = "emerald") is an aircraft designed in France in the mid-1950s and widely built both by factories and homebuilders.

The Emeraude is a low-wing cantilever monoplane with fixed tailwheel undercarriage and side-by-side seating for two. The aircraft uses wood construction with a laminated box spar with an elliptical trailing edge. The prototype was designed and built by Claude Piel, who then licensed manufacture of the aircraft to a number of firms, most significantly Coopavia. These early production machines were similar to the prototype, but were fitted with more powerful engines.

The first major revision of the design was the Super Emeraude, designed by Piel while working at Scintex in the early 1960s. It featured a strengthened airframe and cleaned-up aerodynamics, allowing it to be certified for aerobatics. Much of Scintex's Super Emeraude production was contracted out to CAARP, where the design eventually served as the basis for the CAP-10.

Emeraudes were also produced in the United Kingdom (by Fairtravel as the Linnet) and in South Africa by General Aircraft ("Genair") of Virginia Airport as the Aeriel 2 with imported engines, the first aircraft to be manufactured entirely in that country. The Linnet was modified by the Garland Aircraft Company, formed by P.A.T Garland and D.E. Bianchi, to meet British airworthiness requirements. The first aircraft (G-APNS) was built at White Waltham and first flown on 1 September 1958 by Squadron Leader Neville Duke. Two more aircraft were planned but only one more was built by Garland-Bianchi in 1962. Between 1963 and 1965 three more aircraft were built with 100-hp Rolls Royce Continental O-200-A engines. The last two aircraft had one-piece sliding cockpit canopies.

Reviewers Roy Beisswenger and Marino Boric described the design in a 2015 review as "It is not quick to build, as the timber construction is rather complicated because of the complex forms, but in aesthetic terms it is undoubtedly a success."

For a summary of the 24 variants, including British production, click here.

The Alpha was announced at the end of 2011 and production started in 2012.

The aircraft was designed to comply with the US light-sport aircraft rules. It features a cantilever high-wing, a two-seats in side-by-side configuration, tricycle landing gear and a single 80 hp (60 kW) Rotax 912UL engine in tractor configuration.

The aircraft is made from composites and features landing gear especially designed for training use. A ballistic parachute is standard equipment along with traditional and cheaper round-dial style flight instruments, rather than a glass cockpit.

Variant.

Alpha Electro. Pipistrel introduced an electric version called the Alpha Electro in 2015 at a price of 69,000 euros, with technology from the Pipistrel WATTsUP proof of concept design, for short training. It has energy for one flight hour plus reserves, and can recharge in 45 minutes or have its batteries replaced in 5 minutes. Instead of 78 lb (35.5 kg) of fuel, it has 277 pounds (126 kg) of LiPo cells, however the water cooled electric motor weighs 11 kg; much less than the gasoline engine. It has a useful load of 380 lb, whereas a Cessna 152 has between 350–480 lb useful load.

Specifications for the gasoline model.

The Platzer Kiebitz (English: Lapwing) is a German amateur-built aircraft designed by Michael Platzer and made available in the form of plans for amateur construction.

The Kiebitz features a strut-braced biplane configuration, a two-seats-in-tandem open cockpit with a small windshield, fixed conventional landing gear and a single engine in tractor configuration.

The aircraft fuselage is made from welded steel tubing, with its flying surfaces covered in doped aircraft fabric. Its 7.6 m (24.9 ft) span wing has an area of 18.3 m2 (197 sq ft) and uses interplane cable bracing. Engines from 50 to 100 hp (37 to 75 kW) can be used. The prototype used a 50 hp (37 kW) Nissan 12P automotive engine from a Nissan Micra, but Rotax, Volkswagen air-cooled engines and Sauer powerplants have also been employed.

Even though the aircraft can only be constructed from plans, the Kiebitz has proven popular with builders for the European Fédération Aéronautique Internationale microlight class.

The Pober Pixie is a single-seat light aircraft that was designed in the United States in 1974 and marketed as plans for homebuilding.

It is a conventional parasol-wing monoplane with fixed tailwheel undercarriage and a single open cockpit. The design was inspired by the Heath Parasol.

The Pixie fuselage is fabicated from welded 4130 steel tube, while the wings are made from Sitka spruce covered with Stits Poly-fiber fabric. Recommended engines include Volkswagen or the Continental A65.

The design includes full-span ailerons that give it a high roll rate with minimal adverse yaw.

Aircraft Spruce and Specialty says of the design:

Similar in many respects to the Heath Parasol, the Pixie is a modernization of the helmet-and-goggle days of the 1930s. The large wing and full-span ailerons make for easy flying. With minimal taildragger experience, the Pixie is a breeze to handle on the ground. Landings are gentle affairs, visibility in cruise is outstanding and using it with skis adds another dimension of fun.

The Pottier P.80 is a single-seat, single-engine sport aircraft developed in France in the late 1970s and marketed for homebuilding. Ultimately based on the P.70 design, it features a redesigned wing and cockpit canopy. The P.80 is a low-wing cantilever monoplane of conventional design with an enclosed cockpit. Construction throughout is of metal. The prototype was constructed and unveiled at the 1977 Paris Air Show.

Just as the P.70 had led to the two-seat P.170, Pottier also created a two-seat version of the P.80, but with its seats side-by-side instead of in tandem as those of the P.170 had been. This was designated the P.180, and by 1987, at least 13 examples had flown.

Variants

• P.80 - single-seat version
• P.180 - two-seat version

P.80

P.180

The Preceptor N3 Pup is a family of ultralight, tube-and-fabric, high-wing, homebuilt aircraft. Kits were produced and marketed by Preceptor Aircraft, of Rutherfordton, North Carolina. The company was operating on a limited basis, actively selling plans online, but seems to have gone out of business in 2016.

Designed to meet FAR 103 Ultralight Vehicles standards, the N3 Pup can accept various lightweight four stroke engines of between 37 and 60 hp (28 and 45 kW). If built to specifications with minimal additions, it can meet the requirements for a FAR 103 ultralight aircraft, with an empty weight of 254 lb (115 kg). It may also be built as an amateur-built aircraft or US light-sport aircraft at higher weights.

The Pup is designed to be flown cross-country and also can be mounted with floats and skis.

The N3 Pup uses tube-and-fabric construction and a conventional 4-cycle engine. The fuselage and tail are welded from 4130 steel tube. There are two main wing configurations that can be built. An aluminum wing spar with hinges allows the wings to be folded for trailering or storage. A wooden wing spar configuration gives the plane a lighter weight, but leaves the wings fixed. The engine cowling is made from fiberglass.

The aircraft has had many engine choices available, but was marketed to use the Half VW engine first developed by Global engines, later bought by Mosler engines and finally marketed by TEC engines. The Total Engine Concepts MM CB-40 was the last purpose-built engine marketed for the Pup. The aircraft was sold as a partially prefabricated kit or can be built scratchbuilt from plans.

The design was also adapted as an autogyro, the Little Wing Roto-Pup.

Variants

N3 Pup
Single seat variant designed to resemble a 3/4 scale Piper J-3 Cub. Originally named the Nostalgair N-3 Pup. Engine is a TEC Half VW of 40 hp (30 kW). Meets FAR 103 requirements with an empty weight of 254 lb (115 kg) and gross weight of 535 lb (243 kg). 830 had been completed by December 2011.
Stinger
Single seat variant with a parasol wing in place of the enclosed cabin, longer nose and larger engine. First flown in 1995. Engine is a Volkswagen air-cooled engine of 50 hp (37 kW). Gross weight of 550 lb (249 kg). Two had been completed by December 2011.
Super Pup
Single seat variant with larger engine and higher empty weight, first flown in 1995. Engine is a Volkswagen air-cooled engine of 50 hp (37 kW). Empty weight of 330 lb (150 kg) and gross weight of 630 lb (286 kg). 55 had been completed and flown by December 2011.
Ultra Pup (N3-2)
Two seat 3/4 scale Piper J-3 Cub, first flown in 1988 with a 35 hp (26 kW) MM-CB engine. Production engine is a Volkswagen air-cooled engine of 60 hp (45 kW). Empty weight of 450 lb (204 kg) and gross weight of 1,100 lb (499 kg). Folding wings for storage or ground transport. 200 had been completed and flown by December 2011.

The Preceptor STOL King is an American STOL amateur-built aircraft that was designed and produced by Preceptor Aircraft, of Rutherfordton, North Carolina. When it was available the aircraft was supplied as plans or as a kit for amateur construction.

The STOL King features a strut-braced high-wing, a two-seats-in-tandem enclosed cockpit that is 32.5 in (83 cm) wide, fixed conventional landing gear and a single engine in tractor configuration.

The aircraft fuselage is made from welded steel tubing, with the wings of aluminum structure, with its flying surfaces covered in doped aircraft fabric. Its 31.5 ft (9.6 m) span wing has an area of 158.2 sq ft (14.70 m2) and is fitted with flaps and leading edge slots. The wing is supported by "V"-struts and jury struts and can be folded for ground transportation or storage. Acceptable installed power is 75 to 150 hp (56 to 112 kW). Engines used include the 75 hp (56 kW) Volkswagen air-cooled engine, the 108 to 116 hp (81 to 87 kW) Lycoming O-235 and the 150 hp (112 kW) Lycoming O-320 four-stroke powerplants.

The aircraft has a stall speed of 15 mph (24 km/h).

Six examples had been completed and flown by December 2011.

The Promecc Freccia Anemo (English: Fast Arrow) is an Italian ultralight aircraft, designed and produced by Promecc Aerospace of Corigliano d'Otranto. The aircraft was introduced at the AERO Friedrichshafen show in 2011. The Freccia is supplied as a complete ready-to-fly-aircraft.

The Freccia was derived from the earlier Pro.Mecc Sparviero, with additional streamlining and a new elliptical wing planform. It was designed to conform to the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale microlight rules. It features a cantilever low-wing, a two-seats-in-side-by-side configuration enclosed cockpit under a bubble canopy, fixed or, optionally, retractable tricycle landing gear and a single engine in tractor configuration.

The aircraft is made from carbon fibre. Its 8.78 m (28.8 ft) span wing has an area of 10.18 m² (109.6 sq ft) and double slotted flaps to allow a low stall speed. Engines available are the 100 hp (75 kW) Rotax 912ULS, the turbocharged 115 hp (86 kW) Rotax 914, the turbocharged 141 hp (105 kW) Rotax 915 powerplant.

Variants

Freccia   (Specificaeions below)
Fixed landing gear model, introduced in 2011 
Freccia-RG
Retractable landing gear model, introduced in 2012

The RG Variant

The Pro.Mecc Sparviero (English: Sparrowhawk) is an Italian ultralight aircraft, designed and produced by Pro.Mecc of Corigliano d'Otranto. The Sparviero is supplied as a kit for amateur construction or a complete ready-to-fly-aircraft.

The Sparviero was designed to conform to the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale microlight rules. It features a cantilever low-wing, a two-seats-in-side-by-side configuration enclosed cockpit under a bubble canopy, fixed tricycle landing gear and a single engine in tractor configuration.

The Sparviero is made predominantly from carbon fibre, with the wing skins fabricated from fibreglass. Its 9.23 m (30.3 ft) span wing has an area of 12 m2 (130 sq ft) and flaps. The standard engine fitted is the 100 hp (75 kW) Rotax 912ULS four-stroke powerplant, with the 80 hp (60 kW) Rotax 912UL optional. In 2011 a fast-build kit was introduced that provides a completed and painted fuselage and wings, requiring the builder only to carry out the engine and electrical installations.

The Sparviero was later developed into the Pro.Mecc Freccia Anemo, with additional streamlining and a new elliptical planform wing.

The first of the type seen in this region was imported in early 2011 and was shown at the Recreational Aircraft fly-in at Temora at Easter 2011.  The type has been imported and marketed by Outback Aircraft of Brisbane, QLD, the first example becoming 24-7801.

Variants

Sparviero
Initial model
Sparviero 100
Improved model introduced in December 2009 with a lighter empty weight, higher cruise speed, lower-mounted seats and lower canopy.

The Sassy is marketed by Protech Aircraft Inc in Houston, Texas, and is a simple-to-build two-seat side-by-side amateur built aircraft with STOL performance. The wings have pre-formed aluminium alloy ribs, spars and skins; the wingtips are fibreglass, as are the wing fillets, rear cabin fairing, and engine cowling. The flaperons are steel tube with aluminium covering. The fuselage is welded steel tube, as are the tail surfaces, covered in Ceconite. A non-retractable tailwheel landing gear is fitted, and G limits are +6/-4. Fuel capacity is 53 litres (11.65 Imp gals), and the type is available in kit form. The wings can be folded for ease of storage.

The type can be completed as an ultra-light, or homebuilt, and at one stage was to be produced, along with the Carlson Sparrow, at a facility at Rutherford, NSW by Lake Macquarie Aviation. First of the type in this region was ZK-PTS (c/n AACA/1089), first registered in Hastings, NZ in August 1990. It was followed by ZK-PTT (c/n AACA/433), -PTU (c/n AACA/431), VH-LMZ (c/n N-165), -OSP (c/n N-159), and –PTF (c/n initially V124, later 1152). Examples registered under RAA regulations have included 28-0492 (c/n V129), 19-3067, 19-3418 and 19-3145 which is registered as a Lake Macquarie Aviation PT-2.

The Challenger was first introduced in 1983.

The Challenger ultralight is a high wing, tricycle gear kit aircraft with a frame structure built from 6061-T6 aluminum alloy tubing fastened with aircraft grade AN bolts and rivets and covered with either presewn Dacron envelopes or standard aircraft fabric. The engine is mounted in pusher configuration and turns the propeller through a reduction drive that uses a cogged tooth rubber belt.

The kit can be purchased in 4 major sub-kits: the Tail Assembly, Fuselage, Wings, and Engine. The factory kit is supplied with the most difficult mechanical work already completed. This includes the primary fuselage framework along with the controls and the basic wing structures assembled at the factory. The kit builder is required to finish the smaller structural components, cover the aluminum frames with fabric, seal and paint the fabric and do the final assembly.

The aircraft has the ability to soar with its motor switched off.

The Challenger design has been criticized by reviewers for its landing gear, which is a rigid cable-braced type and is subject to being bent during hard landings. A number of after-market suppliers have designed steel gear legs as replacements for the stock landing gear in an attempt to rectify this problem. The improved factory-designed Light Sport Special (LSS) model incorporates revised landing gear to address this deficiency.

For details of the six variants, click here.

Specifications below are for the Challenger II variant.

The CQR-1 two-seat homebuilt aircraft was more or less a scaled-up development of the Roussoulières Occitan and was a design of Louis Cariou, former RSA President.

The prototype CQR-1 was constructed by the RSA at Centre Régional de Construction Aéronautique Amateur Quercy-Rouergue (CQR) under the leadership of Charles Roussoulières and it flew for the first time on March 2, 1997. This aircraft was powered by a 90 hp Limbach L2400EO3 engine.

A second very similar aircraft was also completed in France in 1998 or 1999 and by late 2010 at least 6 were constructed.

The Quicksilver GT500 is a family of American strut-braced, high-wing, pusher configuration, tricycle gear aircraft built by Quicksilver Aeronautics of Temecula, California. The aircraft is available as a kit for amateur construction or as a completed ready-to-fly aircraft.

The GT500 was developed specifically for the Sportplane class of the primary aircraft category (Part 21.24 of the Federal Aviation Regulations) and, on 26 July 1994, became the first aircraft certified in that category. Reviewer Noel Bertrand wrote, "[It] may sound like a very dry achievement, but actually speaks volumes for its design integrity. Not surprisingly its flight behaviour is excellent."

The aircraft's nomenclature is unclear as the manufacturer refers to it variously as the GT500, GT 500 and the GT-500. The FAA certification officially calls it the GT500.

The GT500 is constructed from aluminium tubing, which is bolted together. The aircraft is covered in pre-sewn Dacron envelopes, with the forward fuselage made from fiberglass. The wing features half-span ailerons and half-span flaps. The GT500 has two seats in tandem, with dual controls featuring control columns with yokes.[3][8][1] A 1991 upgrade included optional doors that are zippered into place adding 10 kn (19 km/h) of cruise speed, steel landing gear legs with dual brakes and an electric starter.

Variants

GT400
Single-seat version equipped with a 40 horsepower (30 kW) Rotax 447 two-stroke or 50 hp (37 kW) Rotax 503 two-stroke engine. Standard empty weight is 276 pounds (125 kg) and gross weight is 570 pounds (259 kg). Originally marketed as the GT. Estimated construction time from the kit is 70 hours and 530 had been completed and flown by 2011.

GT500

Two-seats-in-tandem version powered by a 64 hp (48 kW) Rotax 582 two-stroke or a 80 hp (60 kW) Rotax 912UL four-stroke. The now out-of-production 74 hp (55 kW) Rotax 618 two-stroke was a previously available option. Other options include floats, a ballistic parachute system and crop dusting system. Estimated construction time from the kit is 185 hours and 450 had been completed and flown by 2011. The GT500 is certified in the US primary aircraft category, but only when equipped with the Rotax 582 powerplant.