Trixy Trixformer
| Trixformer | |
|---|---|
| Role | Autogyro |
| National origin | Austria |
| Manufacturer | Trixy Aviation Products |
| First flight | March 2014 |
| Status | In production (2017) |
The Trixy Trixformer is an Austrian roadable aircraft autogyro/electric motorcycle designed and produced by Trixy Aviation Products of Dornbirn, introduced in 2014. The vehicle is supplied complete and ready-to-fly.[1]
Design and development
The Trixformer is based upon a two-wheeled electric motorcycle chassis as a land vehicle and is designed to add modular flying components. It can be equipped and flown as an autogyro, with the plug-in gyro module. Helicopter or fixed wing aircraft modules were under development in 2015.[1]
As an autogyro, the Trixformer features a single main rotor, a two-seats-in tandem open cockpit with a windshield, tricycle landing gear, plus a tail caster and a four-cylinder, liquid and air-cooled, four stroke 130 hp (97 kW) Trixy 912 Ti engine in pusher configuration.[1]
The aircraft fuselage is made from metal tubing and composites. Its two-bladed rotor has a diameter of 8.6 m (28.2 ft). The aircraft has a typical empty weight of 350 kg (772 lb) and a gross weight of 560 kg (1,235 lb), giving a useful load of 210 kg (463 lb). With full fuel of 80 litres (18 imp gal; 21 US gal) the payload for the pilot, passenger and baggage is 153 kg (337 lb).[1]
Unlike many other autogyro builders Trixy Aviation uses a swash plate in its rotor head designs, rather than a tilt head. This makes the design more sensitive to fly and requires special type training.[1]
Specifications (Trixformer)
Data from Tacke[1]
General characteristics
- Crew: one
- Capacity: one passenger
- Empty weight: 350 kg (772 lb)
- Gross weight: 560 kg (1,235 lb)
- Fuel capacity: 80 litres (18 imp gal; 21 US gal)
- Powerplant: 1 × Trixy 912 Ti four cylinder, liquid and air-cooled, four stroke aircraft engine, 97 kW (130 hp)
- Main rotor diameter: 8.6 m (28 ft 3 in)
- Main rotor area: 58 m2 (620 sq ft)
- Propellers: 3-bladed composite
Performance
- Maximum speed: 180 km/h (110 mph, 97 kn)
- Rate of climb: 5.6 m/s (1,100 ft/min)
- Disk loading: 9.7 kg/m2 (2.0 lb/sq ft)