The Sport 2S development program began with the goal of producing the best side-by-side trainer ever. Featuring strutted wings, wider cockpit, rugged aluminum steerable nosewheel, and larger wheels, the Sport 2S combines the many suggestions and comments of ultralight enthusiasts and professionals with Quicksilver’s extensive designing, engineering, and R & D testing to fullfill that goal. Pilots used to the docile and predictable flying qualities of the Quicksilver MX line of ultralight planes will be pleased with the Sport 2S. It provides the solid feel of a strut braced plane with the desirable flying characteristics that have made Quicksilvers so popular.

The Sport 2S’ thoroughly engineered design and complete factory and dealer support help to make your flying as enjoyable as possible. Quicksilvers are the easiest kits on the market to assemble. An improved wing cover design makes the Sport 2S even faster to build. You are ready to fly with only a few weekends and some basic tools. Aircraft grade hardware and custom fittings allow for exceptional ease of assembly, maintenance, and breakdown for storage. In about thirty minutes you can go from trailer to flight. The Sport 2S boasts a wealth of new features.

The RagWing RW2 Special I is a family of biplane, single engine homebuilt aircraft designed by Roger Mann and sold as plans by RagWing Aircraft Designs for amateur construction.

The RW2 was designed as a single seat lightweight Pitts Special S-1 replica for the US experimental homebuilt aircraft category. The RW26 was added later and is a replica of the Pitts S-2 two-seater.

As with many RagWing designs the RW2 and 26 feature airframes constructed entirely from wood and covered with aircraft fabric. The airframe uses a Pratt truss. The RW2 has an optional 4130 steel tube fuselage. The landing gear is of conventional configuration with bungee suspension. The wings are detachable for storage or ground transport.

The RW2's installed power range is 35 to 65 hp (26 to 48 kW) and the standard engines are the 38 hp (28 kW) Kawasaki 440A and the 45 hp (34 kW) 2si 460, although the 40 hp (30 kW) Rotax 447 has also been used. The RW26's installed power range is 52 to 100 hp (39 to 75 kW) and the standard engines are the 52 hp (39 kW) Rotax 503 and the 100 hp (75 kW) Rotax 912S. 

In the early 2000s kits were available for construction, but today the aircraft are available only as plans. The designer estimates it will take 400 hours to complete either aircraft and claims that the RW2 can be built for US$5000, including a new engine.

Variants
RW2 Special     (Specifications below)
Single seat biplane
RW26 Special II
Two seats in tandem biplane

The aircraft is supplied as a kit for amateur construction or as a complete ready-to-fly-aircraft.

The aircraft was derived from the Best Off Skyranger and designed to comply with Canadian Advanced Ultralight criteria and the US light-sport aircraft rules. It features a strut-braced high-wing, a two-seats-in-side-by-side configuration enclosed cockpit with optional doors for access, fixed tricycle landing gear or optionally conventional landing gear and a single engine in tractor configuration.

The aircraft is made from bolted-together aluminum tubing, with its flying surfaces covered in Dacron sailcloth. Its 9.6 m (31.5 ft) span wing has an area of 13.25 m2 (142.6 sq ft) and mounts flaps. Standard engines available are the 64 hp (48 kW) Rotax 582 two-stroke, the 80 hp (60 kW) Rotax 912UL and the 100 hp (75 kW) Rotax 912ULS four-stroke powerplants.

The Cheetah XLS has been accepted by Transport Canada as an Advanced Ultralight as both a land plane and seaplane, powered by the Rotax 582 two-stroke, the Rotax 912UL, the Rotax 912ULS, the Verner VM133 and the 85 hp (63 kW) Jabiru 2200A engines.

There are two models, one with tricycle landing gear, the other with conventional landing gear.

It is used primarily for flight training, touring, and personal flying. The aircraft is known in North America as the X-Air "H".

The X-Air Hanuman is a single-engined high-wing monoplane with side-by-side seats for the pilot and a passenger. The aircraft is manufactured with an 85 hp (63 kW) four-cylinder four-stroke 2.2 litre Jabiru 2200 engine, which can be run on automotive fuel. The 64 hp (48 kW) Rotax 582 two-stroke, the 80 hp (60 kW) Rotax 912UL are also options.

The airframe is assembled from aluminum tubing, with steel reinforcement and is covered in Dacron sailcloth. More recent models feature composite winglets and doors.

The Hanuman offers full dual controls, with the exception of the main pilot seat having brakes and flap controls. Instrumentation consists of a tachometer, airspeed indicator, altimeter, slip indicator, battery charge indicator & coolant temperature or CHT, GPS etc.

The design is a Federal Aviation Administration approved special light-sport aircraft under the designation X-Air XA85.

Variants

X-AIR "H" Hanuman Base model

X-Air LS XA-85 Version for the US Light-sport aircraft market with an empty weight of 660 lb (299 kg) and a gross weight of 1,234 lb (560 kg)

X-AIR Hawk Version for the United Kingdom, certified as a microlight under Civil Aviation Authority BCAR Section S and provided in kit form.

Specifications below are for the base model.

The Raj Hamsa X-Air is an Indian, two-seat, high-wing, tricycle gear, tractor configuration, ultralight aircraft produced by Raj Hamsa Ultralights of Bangalore, Karnataka in kit form, for amateur construction.

The X-Air started as a development of the Chotia Weedhopper redesigned to incorporate ailerons and an enclosed cabin. After initial production in Europe manufacturing was shifted to Raj Hamsa in India. In many countries the aircraft is known as the Rand Kar X-Air. In the USA it is sometimes referred to as the Light Wing X-Air. The aircraft was later developed into the more conventional X-Air Hanuman, which relocated the engine from the upper keel tube to the nose.

The X-Air is built from bolted aluminium tubing, mated to a central welded steel cockpit cage. The wings and tail surfaces are covered in pre-sewn Dacron sailcloth envelopes. The aircraft is built around its keel, a large tube that runs from the high-mounted engine in the front to the tail in the back. The wings are supported by V-struts with jury struts. The landing gear incorporates oleo shock absorbers on all three wheels. The nosewheel is steerable and mainwheel brakes are standard. Dual controls are standard, but cockpit doors are optional. The cockpit has been criticized by reviewer Andre Cliche as "a bit difficult to access".

The X-Air can be fitted with either floats or skis. Engines from 50 to 75 hp (37 to 56 kW) can be fitted, provided they weigh under 120 lb (54 kg). The construction time is estimated at 40 hours.

Due to its low price and BCAR Section "S" certification the X-Air has proven popular in the United Kingdom. 

An X-Air has been used as a testbed for the prototype D-Motor LF26 flathead engine.

Variants

X-Air "S" (Standard) Specifications below.
Initial version, certified under UK BCAR Section "S" as a microlight. Standard engine is the 64 hp (48 kW) Rotax 582 and the 80 hp (60 kW) Rotax 912UL, 85 hp (63 kW) Jabiru 2200 and the 60 hp (45 kW) HKS 700E four-stroke powerplants are also used. The design is popular in the UK, especially with the Jabiru engine.
X-Air "F" Gumnam
Improved version, aerodynamically cleaned up, extended fuselage with baggage compartment, Lexan doors and wheel pants are standard. The wing is 1 m (39 in) shorter, with a higher aspect ratio, 100% double surface, flaps and a NACA 4412 airfoil. Certified under UK BCAR Section "S" as a microlight and marketed in the UK as the X-Air Falcon. Standard engine is the 64 hp (48 kW) Rotax 582, although the 50 hp (37 kW) Rotax 503 or 85 hp (63 kW) Jabiru 2200 four-stroke engine can be used.
X-Air "H" Hanuman See separate profile
Development version, with nose-mounted 85 hp (63 kW) Jabiru 2200 four-stroke engine.

The Rand Robinson KR-1 is a single-seat, single-engine sport aircraft designed in the United States in the early 1970s and marketed for homebuilding. A two-seat version is marketed as the KR-2. It is a low-wing cantilever monoplane of conventional design with an enclosed cockpit and tailwheel undercarriage. As originally designed, the main undercarriage units of the KR-1 and basic KR-2 were manually retractable, folding backwards into the wings, while the KR-2T tandem-seat version had fixed tricycle undercarriage. However, some builders choose fixed tailwheel or even fixed tricycle undercarriage for KR-1s and KR-2s.

Kits for the KR-1, KR-2 and KR-2S were at one time supplied by nVAero of Mission Viejo, California/Corona, California, United States.

The KR-1's wings have a two-spar construction; the front spar of spruce, and the rear spar from spruce and plywood. The wing ribs are formed from polyurethane foam, and the space around them filled with the same material before the entire wing structure is covered with fabric impregnated with epoxy resin. Similar construction is used in the KR-2, with an RAF 48 airfoil cross-section (some later models have adapted the AS 5046 airfoil, for increased speed at the expense of poorer low-speed handling), and the wings are removable outboard the landing gear. Similar construction is used in the empennage and control surfaces.

The fuselage is built around a wooden framework, the lower part skinned in plywood and the upper part built up of polystyrene foam covered in epoxy-coated fabric. KR-1 builders have the choice of three different upper fuselage configurations: the "fastback" with a turtledeck behind the cockpit, the "pursuit" with a fighter-style bubble canopy, and the "sportsman" with an open cockpit and a small fairing behind it for rollover protection.

The design has proved popular, with over 10,000 sets of plans sold, including 6,000 sets of KR-1 plans and 4,500 sets of KR-2 plans sold by 1979. From these, over 200 KR-1s and 350 KR-2s were flying by 1987. nVAero's founder Steve Glover reported in 2010 that over 2,000 KRs were flying, worldwide. Plans and kits were still available in 2011.

Variants

KR-1 - original, single-seat version
KR-2 - two-seat, side-by-side version, 1900 completed by 2011.
KR-2S - 16-inch-stretched-fuselage version of the KR-2, with 2.5 feet greater wingspan, made with composite sandwich construction, using the supercritical AS5045 airfoil. Standard engines include the 85 hp (63 kW) Jabiru 2200, 120 hp (89 kW) Jabiru 3300 and the 76 to 100 hp (57 to 75 kW) Volkswagen air-cooled engine. The model includes a 3-inch higher canopy. 100 completed and flown by 2011.
KR-2T - tandem-seat version of the KR-2.

Specifications below are for a typical KR-2.

The Rans S-10 Sakota is an American single-engined, tractor configuration, two-seats in side-by-side configuration, mid-wing monoplane designed by Randy Schlitter for aerobatics and manufactured by Rans Inc. The Sakota is available in kit form for amateur construction.

Production of the S-10 was ended as part of Rans' extensive reorganization of its product line on 1 June 2006, after having been available for 18 years, but the S-10 was reintroduced in about 2009 and is again available.

The S-9 Chaos was designed by Randy Schlitter in 1986 as an inexpensive single-seat aerobatic aircraft for sportsman competition aerobatics and advanced aerobatics if inverted fuel and oil systems are installed. The S-10 Sakota was designed two years later, in 1988, as a two-seat version of the S-9 that can conduct aerobatics when flown solo or fly cross country with two occupants.

Like many Rans models, the S-10 features a welded 4130 steel tube cockpit, with a bolted aluminum tube rear fuselage. All fuselage, wing and tail surfaces are covered in dope and fabric. The reported construction time is 600 man-hours.

The Sakota has conventional landing gear. The basic engine is the Rotax 582 of 64 hp (48 kW) and the Rotax 912UL of 80 hp (60 kW) and the Rotax 912ULS of 100 hp (75 kW) available as options.

There were 215 S-10s built and flown by December 2011.

In November 2010 there were 42 S-10s registered in the United States, along with six registered in Canada and 12 in the UK. Another 58 were on the registers of European countries west of Russia.

The aircraft are available in kit form for amateur construction.

Production of the S-12S Airaile, S-14 Airaile, S-17 Stinger and S-18 Stinger II was ended as part of Rans' extensive reorganization of its product line on 1 June 2006. The S-12XL Airaile was originally intended to be cut from the line at the same time, but customer demand convinced the company to retain the model and it is still available in 2015 as a special order

The S-12 Airaile was designed by Randy Schlitter and introduced in March 1990 as a two-seat side-by-side, tricycle gear ultralight aircraft for recreational and flight training use. The single-seat version of the S-12, the S-14 Airaile, was designed one year later and entered production in 1991. The S-17 Stinger retains the wings, tail, boom tube of the S-14, mated to new forward 4130 steel tube cockpit and equipped with conventional landing gear to create an open-cockpit ultralight that complies with the US FAR 103 Ultralight Vehicles regulations. The S-18 Stinger II uses the S-12's wings, tail and boom tube, again with a new forward steel tube fuselage to create a tandem seat, conventional landing gear, open cockpit ultralight trainer.

For more details of the design and variants, click here.

Specifications below are for the last manufactured model, the S-12XL.

The Rans S-19 Venterra (English: wind over the earth) is an American single-engined, tractor configuration, two-seats in side-by-side configuration, low-wing monoplane designed by Randy Schlitter as a light-sport aircraft and manufactured by Rans Inc. The Venterra is available as a complete factory-built aircraft and in kit form for amateur construction.

The S-19 was designed by Randy Schlitter in 2007 as a purpose-designed aircraft to take advantage of the new US LSA category, with the intention of offering the aircraft as a factory-complete Special LSA and as a kit-built Experimental LSA or amateur-built.

Unlike most other Rans models, which feature a welded 4130 steel tube cockpit with a bolted aluminum tube rear fuselage, the S-19 is an aluminum semi-monocoque design, with stressed skin construction supported with bulkheads, formers and stringers. The fuselage, wing and tail surfaces are covered in sheet aluminum. The wings are equipped with flaps.

The S-19 has tricycle landing gear with a fully castering nosewheel and steering via differential main wheel braking. The standard engine is the Rotax 912ULS of 100 hp (75 kW).

The designer originally intended to break with the company tradition of providing a name for the aircraft and just designate the aircraft as "S-19". Early aviation media reports referred to it as the "S-19 Sport Plane". But after confusion and inquiries by air traffic control during early flights, Schlitter decided a name was needed, saying, "It is a bit of poetic license, but with 19 designs it has become a challenge to create names that are original, we like the sound of Venterra over the radio, it is easy to say, and should satisfy ATC."

Variants

S-19
Initial version, kit-built aircraft for the US ELSA or experimental amateur-built categories, powered by a 100 hp (75 kW) Rotax 912ULS
S-19LS
Factory-built version, for the US SLSA category, powered by a 100 hp (75 kW) Rotax 912ULS

introduced at AirVenture in August 2013. The aircraft is supplied as a kit for amateur construction and it is anticipated that it will later be offered as a complete ready-to-fly-aircraft in the light-sport aircraft category.

The S-20 combines features from the Rans S-6 Coyote II and Rans S-7 Courier models. It differs from the S-6 in having the whole fuselage made from welded 4130 steel tubing and not just the cockpit cage and it uses the S-7's wings.

The aircraft features a strut-braced high-wing, a two-seats-in-side-by-side configuration enclosed cockpit accessed via bowed-out top-hinged doors to give increased shoulder room, fixed conventional landing gear or optionally tricycle landing gear made from 7075 aluminum with wheel pants and a single engine in tractor configuration.

For more details, click here.

Specifications below are for the taildragger model.

Designed by Randy Schlitter and manufactured by Aero-Max and later by Rans Inc., the Coyote was available in kit form for amateur construction as an ultralight aircraft or amateur-built aircraft.

Production of both designs was completed on 1 June 2006 after having been available for 23 years.

Both models of the family feature a welded 4130 steel tube cockpit, with a bolted aluminum tube rear fuselage, wing and tail surfaces all covered in pre-sewn Dacron envelopes, which shorten construction time. The reported construction time is 211 man-hours.

The Coyote S-4 has conventional landing gear, while the S-5 has tricycle gear. Both can be equipped with floats and skis. The original basic engine was the Rotax 277 of 28 hp (21 kW), with the Rotax 447 of 40 hp (30 kW) and the Rotax 503 of 50 hp (37 kW) available later as options.

The S-6 Coyote II two-seater was later developed from the S-5.

Variants.

S-2
     Prototype first flown in March 1983
S-3
     Improved prototype flown in September 1983, entered production as the S-4
S-4
     Conventional landing gear version intended as a FAR 103 Ultralight Vehicles compliant design when equipped with the       standard 28 hp (21 kW) Rotax 277 engine. No longer in production.
S-5
     Tricycle landing gear version for the US Experimental amateur-built category with options such as brakes. Engines

     include Rotax 447 of 40 hp (30 kW) and the Rotax 503 of 50 hp (37 kW). No longer in production.

The specifications below are for thr S-5 model.

Rans S-4

Rans S-5

Rans S-6

The Coyote is available in kit form for amateur construction or as a completed light-sport aircraft.

All models of the S-6 feature a welded 4130 steel tube cockpit, with a bolted aluminum tube rear fuselage, wing and tail surfaces all covered in fabric. In the initial S-6 and S-6ES, the fabric consists of pre-sewn Dacron envelopes, which shorten construction time. The S-6S, however, uses the more traditional dope and fabric. The reported construction times for the ES are 250 man-hours versus 500 for the Super.

The Coyote II kit can be ordered with tricycle or conventional landing gear, and can also be equipped with floats and skis. The original basic engine was the Rotax 503 of 50 hp (37 kW), with the Rotax 582 of 64 hp (48 kW) being available as an option. Today, the standard engine is the 80 hp (60 kW) Rotax 912UL, with the 100 hp (75 kW) Rotax 912ULS being optional. The aircraft can also be fitted with the Sauer S 2200 UL.

The Coyote has proven to be popular with customers, with over 1800 examples of the type having flown as of January 2008. In November 2010 615 were on the registers of European countries west of Russia, excluding Ireland.

One example of the S-6ES was flown across the Atlantic Ocean twice.

For details of the variants, click here.

Specifications below are for the S-6ES variant.

The Rans S-7 Courier is an American single-engined, tractor configuration, two-seats in tandem, high-wing monoplane designed by Randy Schlitter and manufactured by Rans Inc. The Courier is available in kit form for amateur construction or as a completed light-sport aircraft.

The S-7 was originally conceived of as a trainer for the single seat S-4 Coyote. First flown in November 1985 the Courier was named for an aircraft that Schlitter admired, the Helio Courier.

The S-7 features a welded 4130 steel tube cockpit, with a bolted aluminum tube rear fuselage, wing and tail surfaces all covered in dope and fabric. The reported construction times for the Courier are 500-700 man-hours.

The Courier is available only with conventional landing gear but can be equipped with floats and skis. The original basic engine was the Rotax 503 of 50 hp (37 kW), with the Rotax 582 of 64 hp (48 kW) being available as an option. Today the standard engine is the 100 hp (75 kW) Rotax 912ULS. At least one S7 has been fitted with a Jabiru 2200 flat-four, four-stroke direct-drive engine.

325 examples of the Courier had been completed by December 2007. In November 2010 74 were on the registers of European countries west of Russia.

Reviewer Marino Boric said in a 2015 review, that, "this refined little fun flyer...continues to prove itself deservedly popular."

In a extensive review in December 2020, AVweb writer Dave Prizio praised the design's ergonomics and economics, "a nice feature of the S-7 is its ample 30-inch-wide cabin. Even for large people, there is no need to squeeze into an S-7 the way you might into a Cub. It will pretty much do the same thing as a Super Cub at a lower operating cost."

Variants

S-7
Initial version, standard engine 50 hp (37 kW) Rotax 503, 64 hp (48 kW) Rotax 582 engine optional.
S-7C
Refined version introduced in 2001, certified under the US primary category. Certification in the category took seven years of effort by the manufacturer and was not a commercial success as the primary aircraft category was not widely adopted.
S-7S    (Specs below)
Kit version of the S-7C, introduced in 2003. Qualifies as a US Experimental light-sport aircraft (ELSA). Standard engine is the 100 hp (75 kW) Rotax 912ULS.
S-7LS
Sold as a factory-assembled ready-to-fly US Special light-sport aircraft, the S-7LS is a factory-assembled version of the S-7S. Standard engine is the 100 hp (75 kW) Rotax 912ULS.

The aircraft is supplied as a kit for amateur construction or complete and ready-to-fly.

It was developed from the similar Remos Gemini Ultra. The Mirage has the same layout, landing gear and structure but has a span reduced by 1.00 m (3 ft 3 in), is 170 mm ( 6.7 in) longer and is 34 kg (75 lb) heavier. The Mirage also adds an elevator trim tab and electrical flap operation. The Gemini's standard two-stroke 48 kW (64 hp) Rotax 582 engine was replaced in the Mirage by a 60 kW (80 hp) four-stroke Rotax 912UL.

The G3 Mirage first flew on 20 September 1997 with the lower powered Rotax. The first production aircraft also used this engine but had some small horizontal control surface modifications plus the addition of a horn balance to the rudder.

The GX has been the current production model since 2006 and features folding wings and monocoque carbon fiber construction. Its wing has a different airfoil than the G3, improving roll rate and giving better penetration of turbulence. The GX is fitted with either a Junkers or BRS ballistic parachute recovery system.

For more details of these and other variants, click here. Specifications for Remos GX.

The RMT Bateleur (named for the bird species) is a German ultralight and light-sport aircraft, designed by Andre von Schoenebeck and produced by RMT Aviation of Bad Bocklet. The aircraft is supplied as a kit for amateur construction or as a complete ready-to-fly-aircraft.

The aircraft was designed by von Schoenebeck as his first full-sized aircraft after a career of designing competition model gliders. The Bateleur was intended to comply with the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale microlight rules and US light-sport aircraft rules. The company also plans to type certify it to FAR 23 standards.

The Bateleur features a delta wing layout with a canard. The wing is a cantilever low-wing design. The aircraft also features two-seats-in-tandem under separate bubble canopies, fixed or optionally retractable tricycle landing gear and a single engine in pusher configuration. The light-sport version will have fixed landing gear as that category's rules require and a gross weight of 600 kg (1,323 lb).

The aircraft is made from composites. Its 6.25 m (20.5 ft) span wing has an area of 14 m2 (150 sq ft) and flaps mounted on the main and canard wings. Standard engines available are the 100 hp (75 kW) Rotax 912ULS and the turbocharged, 115 hp (86 kW) Rotax 914 four-stroke powerplants. Landing gear is fixed for the US light-sport aircraft market or retractable for the homebuilt version.

Production was initially established in South Africa, moved to Germany, and finally to the United States in 2012.

As of March 2017, the design does not appear on the Federal Aviation Administration's list of approved special light-sport aircraft.

The Rokospol Via is a Czech ultralight and light-sport aircraft (LSA), designed and produced by Rokospol Aviation of Prague, introduced at the Prague airshow in 2008. The aircraft is supplied complete and ready-to-fly.

The Via was designed to comply with the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale microlight rules and US light-sport aircraft rules. It features a cantilever low-wing, an enclosed cockpit with two-seats-in-side-by-side configuration under a bubble canopy, fixed tricycle landing gear and a single engine in tractor configuration.

The aircraft is made from sheet aluminum. Its 8.13 m (26.7 ft) span wing employs a MS 316 airfoil at the wing root, transitioning to an MS 313 at the wing tip. The wing has an area of 10.5 m2 (113 sq ft) and mounts flaps. The cockpit is 130 cm (51 in) in width. Standard engines available are the 80 hp (60 kW) Rotax 912UL, the 100 hp (75 kW) Rotax 912ULS, the turbocharged 115 hp (86 kW) Rotax 914, 100 hp (75 kW) Continental O-200 and the 130 hp (97 kW) ULPower UL350i four-stroke powerplants.

As of March 2017, the design does not appear on the Federal Aviation Administration's list of approved special light-sport aircraft.

Variants

Via UL
Model for the European microlight category with smaller wings and a gross weight of 472.5 kg (1,042 lb)
Via LSA
Model for the LSA category with larger wings and a gross weight of 600 kg (1,323 lb)

The aircraft is supplied as a kit for amateur construction or as a complete ready-to-fly-aircraft.

The aircraft was designed to comply with the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale microlight rules and US light-sport aircraft 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 or conventional landing gear and a single engine in tractor configuration.

The Z-602 is offered with three landing gear configurations: fixed tricycle, conventional and retractable as the RG model. It is sold with two different levels of options, the Economy and the Exclusiv. The fixed gear model can be derigged and transported by trailer in 20 minutes.

The Druine D.60 Condor is a light aircraft designed by Roger Druine in France in the 1950s. Druine’s primary aim was to design a trainer aircraft for amateur construction. The Condor was subsequently made in quantity in the UK by Rollason Aircraft & Engines.

The first Condor F-WBIX first flew in 1956. The Condor was an evolution of the Druine Turbi, but featured an extensively revised fuselage allowing the pilot and instructor to sit side by side under a full canopy.

Norman Jones, the founder of the Tiger Club and owner of Rollason Aircraft & Engines, had already had a number of Druine Turbulents built by his company and hit upon the idea of developing the Condor for the demands of club flying. With a number of refinements to the design, Rollason Aircraft and Engines undertook series production at Croydon Airport from 1961 as the Rollason Condor. As Croydon had closed for flying in 1959, all aircraft were transported to Redhill, where they were reassembled and test flown.

Norman Jones was keenly interested in the development of Flying Clubs and so made Condors available on favourable loan terms. To emphasise the fact that his company was entirely independent and un-subsidised, Norman Jones had painted on the rudder of one aircraft the legend "British Made - Private Enterprise and No Taxpayers Money".

In 1973, Rollasons ceased all aircraft work at Croydon and moved to Shoreham where a single Condor was completed. A number of unfinished fuselages were sold off for possible completion as amateur-built aircraft; one of these was G-BADM, registered to Rollasons in 1972 and subsequently completed in 1994 by an amateur.

Borea in France also produced the D.61 Condor.

Variants

D.60
Druine's prototype with 65 hp CNA D.4
D.61
Druine production variant with 65 hp Continental A65
D.62
Druine or Rollason variant with 75 hp Continental A75 - 1 built by Rollason,[2] later upgraded to 90 hp Continental C90
D.62A
Rollason variant with 100 hp Continental O-200-A - 2 built
D.62B
Rollason variant from 1964 with 4" shorter fuselage and flaps - 41 completed; some subsequently converted to D.62C standard
D.62C
Rollason variant with 130 hp Continental O-240-A for glider towing - 4 built.

The Rose Parrakeet was a single-seat sporting biplane produced in small numbers in the United States during the 1930s. It was a conventional design with staggered single-bay wings of equal span braced by N-struts. The cockpit was open, and the fixed tailskid undercarriage had divided main units. An unusual feature was the use of a single strut in place of the usual flying wires.

Only eight Parrakeets were built by Rose, but the design proved a popular one with homebuilders in the 1950s. Rights to produce kits of the Parrakeet were purchased by Hannaford Aircraft in 1948, and the design was marketed as the Hannaford Bee with structural modifications to strengthen weak points. Kits were marketed right up to the point of Hannaford founder Foster Hannaford's death in 1971, and plans continued to be sold into the 1980s. In 1968, Doug Rhinehart obtained a licence from Jack Rose to produce five all-new Parrakeets.

Variants

Rose A-1 Parrakeet
various engines fitted to the prototype, including a 40hp Continental A-40, a Henderson, and a 50hp Menasco. Eight built of -1,-2 and -3 versions
Rose A-2F Parrakeet
50hp Franklin.
Rose A-2P Parrakeet
50hp Poyer.
Rose A-3F Parrakeet
60hp Franklin.
Rose A-4 Parrakeet
Four built with Continental A-65 or Continental C-85 engines.
Rhinehart-Rose A-4C Parrakeet
Revived in the 1970s'fitted with a Continental O-200, five built.

The SAB C-100 Vulcan (or C 100) is an Italian ultralight and light-sport aircraft produced by SAB Aviation of Benevento. The aircraft is supplied as a kit for amateur construction or as a complete ready-to-fly-aircraft.

SAB Aviation purchased Corivi Aviation and their design, the Corivi Pegaso, and the Pegaso was further refined into the C-100 Vulcan.

The Vulcan was designed to comply with the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale microlight rules and US light-sport aircraft 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 sheet aluminum. Its 8.0 m (26.2 ft) span wing has an area of 10.61 m2 (114.2 sq ft) and mounts flaps. The standard engine available is the 100 hp (75 kW) Rotax 912ULS four-stroke powerplant.

The retractable gear version, with its pneumatic retraction mechanism, is intended for the European microlight market, whereas the fixed gear model is sold in the United States in the LSA category. The LSA version was first shown at Sun 'n Fun in 2010.

The design has been accepted by the Federal Aviation Administration as a special light-sport aircraft.

The Vampire is a mid-wing cantilever monoplane of pod-and-boom configuration and twin booms joined by a common horizontal stabilizer. The wings fold for storage and transport, and the undercarriage is of fixed tricycle type. The single engine and pusher propeller are mounted at the rear of the pod that also includes the open cockpit. Construction throughout is of metal.

Rights to this sport version were sold to Aero.V Australia based at Illawarra Regional Airport in Albion Park Rail, New South Wales

For more details of this aircraft and its variants, click here.

Edit: The Vampire is now built and available at Wedgetail Aircraft Pty Ltd., Camden Airport NSW. Website.

The Sapphire Aircraft Australia Sapphire LSA is an Australian ultralight aircraft that was designed and produced by Sapphire Aircraft Australia. It was introduced in the late 1980s and still in production as recently as 2010, but now out of production. The Sapphire was supplied as complete ready-to-fly-aircraft.

The Sapphire complies with the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale microlight rules. It features a strut-braced high-wing, a single-seat enclosed cockpit with a bubble canopy or, optionally, an open cockpit with a windshield, fixed conventional landing gear and a single engine in pusher configuration.

The aircraft is made from fibreglass, epoxy resin and extruded foam. Its 8.84 m (29.0 ft) span wing has an area of 9.132 m2 (98.30 sq ft). The standard engine fitted is the 50 hp (37 kW) Rotax 503 two-stroke powerplant.

In the early 2010s period a two-seat version and a motorglider variant were being developed.

The Shark.Aero Shark is a conventionally laid out, single engine, low wing light aircraft which seats two in tandem.

It was first flown on 19 August 2009 and is built in Slovakia by Shark.Aero s.r.o.. It has optionally fixed or retractable landing gear.

The Shark, which was formally announced at AERO Friedrichshafen in April 2007, was designed to fit into both European UL and US LSA categories. Structurally it is a mixture of glass- and carbon-fibre composites (whilst fibreglass is utilised to a very limited extent), with PVC foam filled aramid honeycomb structures sandwiched between panels. The wing main spar is a dismountable two piece carbon fibre beam which joins under the front seat; an auxiliary spar carries the aileron and flap mountings. In plan the leading edge is elliptical and there is slight taper on the outer trailing edge where the ailerons are mounted. Single slotted, electrically operated flaps occupy the rest of the trailing edge. Like the wings, the slightly swept tailplanes are easily detached for storage of transport. There is an electrically operated trim tab in the elevator.

The fuselage of the Shark is formed with integral fin, seat backs, floors and instrument panel. The fin, set forward so the rudder trailing edge is above the elevator hinge line, is shaped like a shark's back fin, strongly swept and with a curved leading edge. There is also a small ventral fin. From the fin forward the upper fuselage line rises rapidly to merge into that of the side hinged, single piece canopy. There is a big baggage space behind the cockpit. Both of the adjustable tandem seats have flight controls; the Shark is flown by a sidestick. It is powered by a 100 hp (75 kW) Rotax 912ULS or 115 hp (86 kW) Rotax 914 turbocharged powerplant, driving a three-blade or a two-blade propeller. The Shark UL has retractable gear and a variable-pitch propeller.

The design entered production in mid-2011.

In 2015 the design, equipped with a modified engine and a special DUC propeller, set a world record for class RAL2T (Microlights: Movable Aerodynamic Controls/Landplane/Flown with two persons/Thermal Engine) for speed over a straight course at 303.00 km/h.

Variants

Shark LS
European UL, fixed undercarriage, fixed-pitch propeller.
Shark UL
European UL, retractable undercarriage, variable-pitch propeller.
SportShark
Planned US light-sport aircraft (LSA), longer span and heavier, with fixed undercarriage.

The Silence Twister is a German ultralight designed by Silence Aircraft for amateur construction, either from plans or kits. The prototype first flew on 30 September 2000.

The Twister is a single-seat low-wing monoplane with elliptical wings and tailplane. It has a retractable conventional landing gear with a fixed tailwheel. The design drew inspiration from the Supermarine Spitfire, and the shapes of the Twister's wings, fin and tailplane all recall the famous World War II fighter. Designed to take engines up to 94 hp (70 kW), the prototype was fitted with a 53.6 hp (40 kW) single-rotor MidWest Wankel engine. This compact rotary motor allowed a sleek engine cowling, but the engine was rejected and production aircraft use 85 hp (63 kW) Jabiru 2200 or 95 hp (71 kW) ULPower UL260i engines.

An electric aircraft version was under development in 2010.

The Twister prototype was fitted with Silence Aircraft's own automatic variable-pitch propeller called the "VProp". The LAA have yet to allow the VProp to be fitted on UK aircraft, so UK Twisters have fixed-blade propellers instead.

Twenty-one examples had been completed and flown by December 2011.

Variants

SA155
Initial prototype powered by a 34 kW (45 hp) MidWest AE50 Wankel rotary engine. The second prototype was powered by a 34 kW (45 hp) Diamond AE50 engine.[2]
SA180
powered by a 60 kW (80 hp) Jabiru 2200 engine.[2]
Akron
A version developed for the US market under Experimental aircraft certification rules.