Air Creation Skypper
| Skypper | |
|---|---|
| Role | Ultralight trike |
| National origin | France |
| Manufacturer | Air Creation |
| Introduction | 2011 |
| Status | In production (2013) |
The Air Creation Skypper is a French ultralight trike, designed and produced by Air Creation of Aubenas. The aircraft was introduced in 2011 and is supplied complete and ready-to-fly.[1]
Design and development
The Skypper was designed as a simpler, lighter and less expensive carriage than the top-of-the line Air Creation Tanarg, to replace the Air Creation GT series in production. It was intended to comply with the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale microlight category. It features a cable-braced hang glider-style high-wing, weight-shift controls, a two-seats-in-tandem, open cockpit, tricycle landing gear with wheel pants and a single engine in pusher configuration.[1]
The aircraft is made from bolted-together aluminum tubing, with its double surface wing covered in Dacron sailcloth. The wing is supported by a single tube-type kingpost and uses an "A" frame weight-shift control bar. Available powerplants include the a twin cylinder, liquid-cooled, two-stroke, dual-ignition 64 hp (48 kW) Rotax 582 engine, the four cylinder, air and liquid-cooled, four-stroke, dual-ignition 80 hp (60 kW) Rotax 912UL or 100 hp (75 kW) Rotax 912ULS engine and the twin cylinder, air-cooled, four-stroke, dual-ignition 60 hp (45 kW) HKS 700E.[1]
With the Rotax 582 the aircraft has an empty weight of 201 kg (443 lb) and a gross weight of 462 kg (1,019 lb), giving a useful load of 261 kg (575 lb). With full fuel of 55 litres (12 imp gal; 15 US gal) the payload is 221 kg (487 lb).[1]
A number of different wings can be fitted to the basic carriage, including the Air Creation NuviX, Fun 450, iXess 13 and the BioniX.[1][2]
When equipped with the Bionix wing and Rotax 912 engine the Skypper was €6,300 cheaper than the more sophisticated Air Creation Tanarg with the same engine and wing, in 2011.[1]
Specifications (Skypper 582 NuviX)
Data from Bayerl and Air Creation[1][2]
General characteristics
- Crew: one
- Capacity: one passenger
- Wingspan: 9.55 m (31 ft 4 in)
- Height: 3.45 m (11 ft 4 in)
- Wing area: 15.2 m2 (164 sq ft) with Air Creation NuviX wing
- Aspect ratio: 6.00:1
- Empty weight: 201 kg (443 lb)
- Gross weight: 462 kg (1,019 lb)
- Fuel capacity: 55 litres (12 imp gal; 15 US gal)
- Powerplant: 1 × Rotax 582 twin cylinder, liquid-cooled, two stroke aircraft engine, 48 kW (64 hp)
- Propellers: 3-bladed composite Ecoprop, 1.72 m (5 ft 8 in) diameter
Performance
- Maximum speed: 125 km/h (78 mph, 67 kn)
- Stall speed: 53 km/h (33 mph, 29 kn)
- Rate of climb: 3.5 m/s (690 ft/min)
- Wing loading: 30.4 kg/m2 (6.2 lb/sq ft)
References
External links
