Ultraflight – News

In essence the revised ANO opens up a whole new world of ultralight aviation for those who don’t consider 95. 1O allows them the aircraft type they require. Primary gain in the new proposal, which has naturally been endorsed with great enthusiasm by the AUF, is a maximum takeoff weight not exceeding 450 kg – nearly a thousand pounds or hail a ton! This applies to both single and two-place trainers and will allow designers more scope in building stronger airframes without having to worry about constantly exceeding the old 150 kg dry weight restriction. Other requirements are that the aircraft must stall below 40 kts and not be able to exceed 100 kts in level flight at maximum power. You will be able to legally fly to 5000 ft AGL outside controlled airspace but you still cannot overfly populous areas or operate into controlled airspace or licensed aerodromes. This latter point may change in time though, as ultralight aircraft receive some form of registration.

Airworthiness standards are those of the British Civil Aircraft Registration section 5 requirement for microlights while maintenance standards are being devised that will take into account that the bulk of maintenance will be done by the owner at home.

When will it all happen?

The Department tells us around next Easter. They also tell us that most of the groundwork has already been done, the ARPs have been mulled over by those concerned and the AUF is now fully up to speed as a working Federation so the element of delay should be minimal. As the DofA representative for all Sport Aviation matters, Trevor Burns, recently stated, ‘We are as keen to get 95. 55 through as much as anyone; a year from now I know for sure that I am going to have one of these in my garage. ‘ The Department is also dedicating three additional people to looking after the paperwork involved with the introduction of the new ANO in an effort to speed up procedures.

In the meantime, the Department is issuing a dispensation for all those aircraft considered marginal under existing 95. 1O regulations. Operators simply contact the AUF, lodge the relevant data with the. AUF which is then forwarded on to the DofA for registration. When the 95. 55 is finally ratified then all these aircraft will be entered as such.

ULTRALIGHT AGENCIES STILL AVAILABLE

If you are well and truly into aviation, have a few spare dollars and are a budding entrepreneur at heart, then it might interest you to know that quite a few ultralight manufacturers (and distributors) we speak with are still looking for dealers and agents throughout Australia.

The way in which the ultralight marketing scene has evolved in the past three years, and in particular the last twelve months, is for a manufacturer to supply to a central distributor who then supplies a number of agents, or dealers in selected and agreed regional areas. Often a locally built product will see the manufacturer also performing the function of distributor, which makes sense considering that it is not an imported product.

Typically an agent, or dealer, will be required to purchase an initial aircraft with an agreement to purchase several more through the course of a designated period, usually ayear. This agreement varies but from what we hear it generally requires at least two to four purchases in a year. The agent will then naturally purchase, usually at cost price, a range of brochures, literature and perhaps audio-visual aids from the manufacturer via the distributor. These are necessary selling aids and must not be skimped on, as is advertising his presence in the marketplace. A dealer will never sell anything if it is treated as the best kept secret this side of the equator!

Finally, an agent must satisfy the distributor that he is a reliable, businesslike person able to meet fully his obligation of carrying spares, providing flight training and after sales support in addition to helping improve the name and image of the product. The return to the agent is usually not enough to buy a Rolls, but it certainly will give him, or her, a great sense of personal achievement, provide the opportunity to do a lot of flying (and do you put a price on that?) and also, if properly run, will give you a tidy second income.

Suggest that if you are interested in becoming an agent then contact the distributor of the ultralight that most takes your fancy. The rest is up to you.

VALE, GORDON BEDSON

All concerned in aviation were stunned by the death of Gordon Bedson on May 13th. Gordon was test flying the new two-place Magra training ultralight when the central wooden cross member supporting the wing struts gave way, resulting in the collapse of one wing. Gordon was one of the founders of ultralight aviation in Australia and was known and respected both here and abroad. His ultralights had achieved international acclaim just as they deserved to do, while a series of new projects ensured that the original Resurgams were just the beginning of a long line of successful ultralights. I think that Gordon’s feeling for the industry is best summed up by his own words in a recent letter to us, ‘My whole life is now dedicated to promoting Australian ultralight aviation, and with your help, and similar help from others, there is no doubt that Australia should not lead the world in this burgeoning form of aviation.

THREE-AXIS KASPERWING NOW AVAILABLE

Cascade Ultralights of Seattle have recently delivered their first batch of new three-axis Kasperwing ultralights to local agent, Mobius Holdings of Canberra. The Kasperwing, which is virtually stall-proof, was formerly only available as a weight-shift version. The new aircraft, which retails at under $10,000, is powered by a 48 hp Rotax driving a three-bladed propeller. Claimed maximum speed is 70 kts for a cruise of around 55 kts and a 1500 fpm climb rate. A tandem two-seat trainer will be available by December and we plan to bring you a complete Airtest of the new three-axis Kasperwing in our next issue.

Also available from Mobius are two types of parachute recovery systems. One, by GQ Security Parachutes, is a rocket system that can deploy in less than a second which means deployment as low as 200 ft is possible. The other system is the well known BRS unit and comes in a variety of versions to suit individual aircraft. The BRS is either available in ‘softpak’ style or fired ballistically from a tube. The important point to remember with these life-saving recovery systems is that you only get what you pay for, and while the normal self-deployed chute system may cost half of a rocket or ballistic unit, you will need at least an additional 200/300 feet of altitude to safely deploy the non-assisted chute.

NEW QUEENSLAND AIRCRAFT OF INTEREST

Aero-Tec of Toowoomba, Queensland have unveiled their mock-up of the Taipan 95. 55 aircraft. The prototype Taipan is undergoing stage one of its flight development programme as we go to press and should be ready for full-scale production by year end. As the photo illustrates, the Taipan is not your average ‘string and wire’ ultralight and if the production aircraft go as well as the mock-up looks then they certainly will be in demand.

Power is supplied by a 50 hp Robin driving through a 2:3. 1 reduction drive. The Robin features an electric start and drives a mahogany 60 inch propeller. Standard instrumentation includes an ASI, altimeter, tacho, cylinder head temperature, fuel and an amp meter. The cockpit is fully enclosed and presently uses a standard C152-style wheel in place of the more common joystick. The tricycle gear has main wheel brakes and a steerable nose wheel while AUW sees it well within 95. 55 requirements. Though not yet confirmed, Aero-Tee are hoping for a maximum speed in the region of 80 kts for a cruise of around 65 kts, a 30 litre fuel capacity and a cruising range of as much as 450 km.

NEW ULTRALIGHT AIR PARK PROPOSED

Light Aero Aviation, a newly formed ultralight company, advise that its public flight park at Raymond Terrace, Newcastle, is now in its final stages of approval after 12 months negotiations with various authorities, and should be operating by Christmas 1984.

The park’s facilities will be open to clubs, dealers and individuals on a commercial basis. Facilities will include grass runway, hangar and tie-down rental, prescribed training area, ground and flight training, aircraft rental, pilot’s lounge, classroom, toilets and showers, barbecue and camping area. If you are interested in securing use of any of the above, you can contact Light Aero by writing to PO Box 1022. East Nowra. NSW 2541.

FALCON THE LATEST IN A NEW GENERATION OF ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY ULTRALIGHTS

Australian distributors for the American Aerolights’ Falcon ultralight. Austflight of Ballina. NSW. are looking forward to getting enough aircraft to satisfy demand. Austflight received their initial Falcon in July and were due for their first bulk shipment as we went to press.

The Falcon is a truly remarkable ultralight. According to American Aerolights, some 200 flying hours over two years involving nine test aircraft went into refining the production Falcon design. The exhaustive development programme has paid dividends in that the Falcon is virtually unmatched by any ultralight in terms of engineering standards, performance and the high level of equipment fit. For instance, a ballistic parachute recovery system is standard, as is comprehensive instrumentation, a removable weatherproof Lexan canopy, nosewheel steering, cockpit heating, in-flight engine starting, cockpit choke and a full harness.

Construction is of laminated kevlar which is exceptionally strong in addition to being light and resistant to damage. The strut-braced laminar wings follow standard aircraft construction but are covered with ‘Tedlar’, a space-age alloy of Teflon and mylar. Tedlar is nearly impervious to the elements, enhances the appearance of the Falcon and being transparent allows pilot visibility through his main plane. The combination of such aerodynamic efficiency and relatively low structure weight allow the Falcon, with a mere 26 hp, to cruise at up to 55 kts for a fuel burn of less than 2 gph! In fact, economy cruise at 4500 rpm consumes barely 1 gallon an hour which combined with Falcon’s 15/1 glide ratio presents an ultralight with a true soaring capability.

Another interesting point is that the Falcon is delivered ready to fly. As it is built more like a traditional composite aircraft rather than a regular kit type ultralight there is no need for time-consuming assembly. Furthermore, this allows easier field assembly from trailer to preflight, the factory typically quotes around ten minutes but either way it is a fairly easy task for two people.

The Falcon is not cheap at $12,900 but on the other hand it offers true light aircraft performance is an airframe that does not require time-consuming assembly and comes equipped with a wide range of standard fittings generally termed as options on competing makes. We also give the manufacturer ten out of ten for having the foresight to include a ballistic parachute recovery system as a standard fitting.

WORLD WAR I ULTRALIGHT REPLICAS BECOMING BIG BUSINESS

If you are after something distinctively different from the average ultralight, then Squadron Aviation of the USA might have just what you are after. Squadron have recently released a range of three ultralights based on famous WWI fighter aircraft. You can have a Spad XIII, an SE-SA or a Fokker D VII. All three share a common primary fuselage and wing structure in addition to a common 35 hp Cuyuna powerplant which reduces production costs and results in the only variables being tailplane and engine cowling design. The three aircraft come painted faithfully to original specifications, the Fokker being Ernst Udet’s, the Spad being that used by Rickenbacker and the SE-SA belonging to Bishop. Cost of the aircraft in kit form, for which 160 hours are quoted as being required for assembly, is around $9000 while a fully assembled unit would cost nearly $12,000 – probably more than the original cost! Local agents are Light Aero Aviation, PO Box 1022, East Nowra, 2541.

BRIEFS

Pat Trevascus has been appointed Secretary of the AUF, so if you require any further information on the AUF or ultralights in general, then contact Pat at PO Box 181, Abbotsford 3067. Jack de Lissa of Basic Flying Machines has been appointed international sales distributor (other than North America) for Birdman Enterprises, manufacturers of the CGS Hawk. Realising that not every potential ultralight flyer has sufficient space or time in which to assemble his own ultralight, CGS with the Hawk and Maxair with the Drifter DR277 are now offering kits that are more than 90% complete and only require an average weekend’s work before preflight