| Alpi Pioneer 400 | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Role | Fixed wing single engine |
| National origin | Italy |
| Manufacturer | Alpi Aviation |
| First flight | Early 2013 |
| Status | In production |
| Number built | 54 by October 2024 |
| Developed from | Alpi Pioneer 200, Alpi Pioneer 300 |
The Alpi Pioneer 400 is an Italian four-seat light aircraft, designed produced by Alpi Aviation, of Pordenone. The aircraft is supplied as a kit for amateur construction or as a complete ready-to-fly-aircraft.
The Alpi Pioneer series of light aircraft, 200, 300 and 400 are developments of the Vidor Champion V or Asso V, designed by Giuseppe Vidor and renamed Pioneer, of which, the Pioneer 400 is the largest seating four. Quattrocento (four hundred) is often included in the name. [1]
The Pioneer 400 is a low wing monoplane, with a trapezoidal plan wing that has sweep only on the trailing edge and winglets at its tips. The wing structure is wooden with a single box-spar and is covered with pre-preg carbon fibre. Ailerons occupy about half the span; inboard, slotted flaps fill the rest. Both ailerons and flaps are fabric covered. [1]
The fuselage and empennage have a wooden structure and carbon fibre skin. The engine used is the 73.5 kW (98.6 hp) Rotax 912S flat-four, driving a variable pitch propeller. The cabin is over the wings, with two pairs of side-by-side seats. Entry is by two upward-opening doors and there is a baggage space behind the rear seats. At the rear the vertical surfaces are straight-edged and swept, with a long dorsal strake. The horizontal surfaces are approximately trapezoidal in plan, with an unswept leading edge. Both the rudder and elevators are fabric covered. The rudder is balanced and both it and the port elevator carry trim tabs. [1]
The Pioneer has retractable tricycle landing gear though the nose-wheel remains partially exposed when retracted. An emergency ballistic parachute is an option. [1]
The date of the first flight of the Pioneer 400 is March 27th, 2009, and it first appeared in public at the 2009 Friedrichshafen airshow held 2–5 April. [1] Though briefly registered in Italy, by 11 June 2009 the first prototype had been re-registered in the UK as G-CGAJ. [2] It received type approval in late 2010 and full approval in August 2012. [1]
Although some examples were made in the ultralight category (MTOW 600 Kg), the Pioneer 400 was created to be a 4-seater, designated Experimental has an MTOW of 850 kg (1,870 lb).
54 Pioneer 400s had been built by October 2024. [1]
Data from Jane's All the World's Aircraft 2016/17 [1] And Company website
General characteristics
Performance
Avionics
GARMIN G3X DYNON HDX
The ISON Airbike and Tandem Airbike are a family of American high-wing, tractor configuration ultralight aircraft, that were available in kit form. The single-seat Airbike was introduced in 1994 and the two-seat Tandem Airbike was unveiled in 1996.
The Avid Champion is an American single-seat, high-wing ultralight aircraft that was produced starting in 1998 as a kit by Avid Aircraft of Caldwell, Idaho, later Ennis, Montana.
The Fisher Classic is a Canadian two-seat, conventional landing gear, single-engined, biplane kit aircraft designed for construction by amateur builders. The aircraft is a two-seat derivation of the Fisher FP-404. Fisher Flying Products was originally based in Edgeley, North Dakota, USA but the company is now located in Woodbridge, Ontario, Canada.
The Fisher Youngster is a Canadian single-seat, conventional landing gear, single-engined, biplane kit aircraft designed for construction by amateur builders. The aircraft was inspired by the German Bücker Bü 133 Jungmeister aerobatic aircraft of the 1930s.
The CFM Shadow is a British Microlight or Group A aircraft designed in the 1980s by David Cook who went on to run ‘Cook Flying Machines’ - where the aircraft was manufactured as a choice of a BMAA fully built machine or an LAA home build kit. It is of high wing, pusher, pod and boom layout and seats two. Around 400 have been built.
The Coavio DF 2000 is a single-engine, high-wing all-metal ultralight aircraft with side-by-side seating for two. Built in Italy, production began in 2004.
The Roko Aero NG4 is a single-engined sport aircraft, available in both light-sport aircraft and ultralight models, which seats two side by side. It is in production in the Czech Republic.
The Kieger AK3 is conventionally laid out single engine, tractor configuration, low wing two seat light aircraft built in France from 2006. At least two have flown.
The UL-Jih Evolution is a conventionally laid out, two-seat, high-wing, single-engine ultralight, designed and built in the Czech Republic. Two variants were available in 2010.
The TL Ultralight TL-32 Typhoon is a wing and boom, high wing ultralight with its engine mounted above and ahead of the wing, seating two in side-by-side configuration. It was designed and built in the Czech Republic in the 1990s.
The Chaika L-4 is a twin engine amphibious aircraft, designed and built in Russia in the 2000s. It has sold in small numbers and remains in production.
The IAE VUT Marabou was built as a piloted test vehicle to develop autonomous control of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) flying in civil airspace. Czech-designed and constructed, it first flew in April 2010.
The Lambert Mission 106 is a conventionally laid out, high-wing ultralight, seating two side-by-side. Designed in Belgium, there are ULM and LSA versions.
The Aviatika-MAI-890 is a pod-and-boom, pusher configuration biplane ultralight designed and built by the Moscow Aviation Institute (MAI) in Russia in the 1980s. As well as being a sport and training aircraft, significant numbers have been used for agricultural spraying. It remained in production in 2015.
The Gardan GY-120 was a single engine, parasol wing ultralight seating two in tandem, designed and built in France in the 1980s. It did not go into production.
The Tiger Cub Developments (TCD) Sherwood Ranger is a single engine, tandem two seat biplane microlight designed and built in the United Kingdom in the early 1990s. Kits were originally produced by TCD; later, design rights were acquired by The Light Aircraft Company Ltd (TLAC) who resumed kit production in 2009.
The Alpi Pioneer 300 is an Italian ultralight and light-sport aircraft, designed and produced by Alpi Aviation, of Pordenone. The aircraft is supplied as a kit for amateur construction or as a complete ready-to-fly-aircraft.
The Gidrosamlet Che-24, 26 and 29 are closely related light flying boats designed and built in Russia from 2010.
The Softeks V-24 Lastivka is a four-seat, twin pusher engined utility aircraft, designed and built in Ukraine in the 2010s for survey and transport work. The first prototype flew late in 2012.
The Alpi Pioneer 300 Kite is an Italian light-sport aircraft designed and produced by Alpi Aviation of Pordenone. The aircraft is supplied as a kit for amateur construction or complete and ready-to-fly.
