TYPE: Side-by-side lightplane/kitbuilt.

PROGRAMME: Four years in design; public debut (VH-BBR, then unflown) at Avalon Air Show, March 1995; first flight July 1995; some 120 hours of flight testing completed by November 1998; second aircraft (preproduction) displayed without markings at Aviex 2000 at Sydney/Bankstown and subsequently registered (VH-AYS) on 22 January 2001; had flown 30 hours by late 2001; certification to JAR-VLA was expected in late 2001 but had slipped; will also be marketed as a kitbuilt.

CUSTOMERS: Five aircraft built or under construction by early 2003, of which two had flown.

COSTS: Estimated US$75,000 for certified aircraft (2003).

DESIGN FEATURES: Conventional low-wing, fixed landing gear monoplane; design goals strength, simplicity, low costs, docile stall characteristics and ease of maintenance. Production aircraft differs from prototype in having a forward-sliding canopy; cabin 7.6 cm (3 in) wider; larger ailerons and slotted flaps; and leaf spring main landing gear legs.

FLYING CONTROLS: Conventional and manual; elevators and ailerons are pushrod operated, rudder is cable operated. Flaps range 0-40°.

STRUCTURE: All metal.

LANDING GEAR: Non-retractable tricycle type with spring steel main legs and rubber-in-compression nose leg. Wheel size (all) 5.00x5. Hydraulic toe brakes standard.

POWER PLANT: One 88 kW (118 hp) Textron Lycoming O-235-C2A (in first prototype) or -C1 (in preproduction aircraft) flat-four engine, driving a Sensenich two-blade metal propeller. Fuel contained in two integral tanks in leading-edges of wings, combined capacity 130 litres (34.3 US gallons; 28.6 Imp gallons).

ACCOMMODATION: Two persons, side by side under forward-sliding bubble canopy; dual controls (sticks) standard, control wheels optional; seats adjust fore and aft; four-point harnesses standard. Baggage compartment behind seats.

DIMENSIONS, EXTERNAL:

• Wing span: 8.76 m (28 ft 9 in)
• Wing chord at root: 1.52 m (5 ft 0 in)
• Wing aspect ratio: prototype: 6.9
• production: 7.3
• Length overall: prototype: 6.25 m (20 ft 6 in)
• production: 7.16 m (23 ft 6 in)
• Height overall: prototype: 2.03 m (6 ft 8 in)
• production: 2.29 m (7 ft 6 in)

DIMENSIONS, INTERNAL:

• Cabin max width: 1.14 m (3 ft 9 in)
• Baggage compartment volume: 0.17 m³ (6.0 cu ft)

AREAS:

• Wings, gross: 10.50 m² (113.0 sq ft)

WEIGHTS AND LOADINGS:

• Weight empty: 470 kg (1,036 lb)
• Max T-O weight: 748 kg (1,650 lb)
• Max wing loading: 71.3 kg/m² (14.60 lb/sq ft)
• Max power loading: 8.51 kg/kW (13.98 lb/hp)

PERFORMANCE:

• Max level speed: 115 kt (213 km/h; 132 mph)
• Cruising speed: 100 kt (185 km/h; 115 mph)
• Stalling speed: flaps up: 50 kt (93 km/h; 58 mph)
• flaps down: 42 kt (78 km/h; 49 mph)
• Max rate of climb at S/L: 229 m (750 ft)/min
• T-O run: 366 m (1,200 ft)
• Landing run: 198 m (650 ft)
• Endurance: 5h

The article appears in the following publication:
Jane's All the World's Aircraft 2004-2005. Jane's Information Group Ltd. 2004. ISBN: 0-7106-2614-2