Wings of Freedom Flitplane
| Flitplane | |
|---|---|
| Role | Ultralight aircraft |
| National origin | United States |
| Manufacturer | Wings of Freedom |
| Designer | Ed Fisher |
| First flight | 1995 |
| Introduction | 1995 |
| Status | Production ended (2019) |
| Number built | 50 (Dec 2011)[1] |
The Wings of Freedom Flitplane is an American single-seat, high-wing, single-engine ultralight aircraft that is available as a kit aircraft or as plans for amateur construction from Wings of Freedom of Hubbard, Ohio.[1][2][3][4]
The Flitplane was designed as a low-cost aircraft with the look of an antique aircraft design for the US FAR 103 Ultralight Vehicles category with its maximum 254 lb (115 kg) empty weight requirement.[3][5]
In late 2019 the company website had been taken down and it is likely that production had ended.[6]
Development
[edit]The Flitplane was designed in 1995 by Ed Fisher who also designed the Skylite ultralight and the Micro-Mong home-built aircraft. The design was acquired by Joe Naylor and Mark W. Klotz who formed Wings of Freedom Aviation Inc. in 1996 to develop the design and market it.[7]
Naylor and Klotz made many changes to the design but retained the antique look of the aircraft and its distinctive large triangular windshield.[2]
The Flitplane's fuselage is fabricated from a welded truss of 4130 steel tubing. The 27 ft (8.2 m) wings are of aluminum "ladder-type" construction, are strut-braced and utilize jury struts. The fuel tank is integrated into the wing centre-section. The wings and tail are covered in doped aircraft fabric. The engine is mounted in front of the high wing, above the cockpit. The original powerplant was a 35 hp (26 kW) Cuyuna 460 engine, with a 40 hp (30 kW) Rotax 447 optional. Later engine options added included the 28 hp (21 kW) Hirth F-33, the 45 hp (34 kW) Zanzottera MZ 201 and the Kawasaki 440 40 hp (30 kW) engine.[2][4]
The conventional landing gear is suspended using fibreglass axles. The tailwheel is steerable. The controls are conventional three-axis and include full-span ailerons. The large, flat-plate triangular windshield protects the pilot from the propeller blast and has distinctive cut-outs for the rudder pedals.[2][4]
The Flitplane is available as plans, a complete kit, partial kits or as a finished and ready-to-fly aircraft. The company claims that the aircraft can be built from the kit in 100 hours or 500 hours from plans.[2][5]
Specifications (Flitplane)
[edit]Data from Company website[4]
General characteristics
- Crew: one
- Capacity: 360 lbs (163 kg) useful load, no passengers
- Length: 15 ft 9 in (4.80 m)
- Wingspan: 27 ft 0 in (8.24 m)
- Wing area: 145 sq ft (13.49 m2)
- Empty weight: 240 lb (109 kg)
- Max takeoff weight: 600 lb (272 kg)
- Powerplant: 1 × Hirth F-33 two-stroke, dual capacitor discharge ignition single-cylinder engine with 2.5:1 reduction belt drive, 28 hp (21 kW)
- Propellers: 5 ft 4 in (1.62 m) diameter
Performance
- Cruise speed: 63 mph (102 km/h, 55 kn)
- Stall speed: 34 mph (55 km/h, 30 kn)
- Never exceed speed: 70 mph (113 km/h, 61 kn)
- Rate of climb: 600 ft/min (3.05 m/s)
- Wing loading: 3.4 lb/sq ft (20.16 kg/m2)
- Power/mass: 14.3 lb/hp (0.077 kW/kg)
See also
[edit]Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era
- Aero-Works Aerolite 103
- Ameri-Cana Eureka
- Avid Champion
- Beaujon Mach .07
- Beaujon Enduro
- Birdman WT-11 Chinook
- Chotia Gypsy
- Fisher Avenger
- Flightstar
- Hummel Bird
- ISON Airbike
- Skystar Kitfox Lite
- Spectrum RX-28 Beaver
References
[edit]- ^ a b Vandermeullen, Richard: 2012 Kit Aircraft Buyer's Guide, Kitplanes, Volume 28, Number 12, December 2011, page 76. Belvoir Publications. ISSN 0891-1851
- ^ a b c d e Cliche, Andre: Ultralight Aircraft Shopper's Guide 8th Edition, page B-19. Cybair Limited Publishing, 2001. ISBN 0-9680628-1-4
- ^ a b Purdy, Don: AeroCrafter - Homebuilt Aircraft Sourcebook, page 295. BAI Communications. ISBN 0-9636409-4-1
- ^ a b c d Wings of Freedom Aviation Inc (2008). "Flitplane". Retrieved October 14, 2009.
- ^ a b Wings of Freedom Aviation Inc (n.d.). "Flitplane - Homebuilding available". Archived from the original on June 17, 2009. Retrieved October 14, 2009.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: year (link) - ^ Wings of Freedom. "Wings of Freedom". www.wingsoffreedomaviation.com. Retrieved March 6, 2020.
- ^ Wings of Freedom Aviation Inc (n.d.). "About us". Retrieved October 14, 2009.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: year (link) [dead link]
