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 aluminium 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, iFun 16, iXess 13 and the BioniX. ^{[1] [2] [3]}

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

1. Bayerl, Robby; Martin Berkemeier; et al: World Directory of Leisure Aviation 2011-12, page 200. WDLA UK, Lancaster UK, 2011. ISSN 1368-485X
2. Air Creation (2012). "Skypper Technical Characteristics & Performance" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 28 February 2013. Retrieved 12 March 2013.
3. Tacke, Willi; Marino Boric; et al: World Directory of Light Aviation 2015-16, page 218. Flying Pages Europe SARL, 2015. ISSN   1368-485X

External links

• Official Skypper 912 website Archived 2 March 2013 at the Wayback Machine
• Official Skypper 582 website Archived 24 August 2012 at the Wayback Machine