CEI Free Spirit Mk II

Last updated
Free Spirit Mk II
Role Homebuilt aircraft
National origin United States
Manufacturer CEI
Designer Richard Cabrinha
Introduction 1995
Status Prototypes only completed
Number built Two
Unit cost
US$24,950 (kit, 1998)

The CEI Free Spirit Mk II, also called the Cabrinha Free Spirit Mark II and the Cabrinha Model 423, is a three-seat American homebuilt aircraft that was designed by Richard Cabrinha and produced by CEI of Auburn, California, introduced at AirVenture in 1995. The aircraft was intended to be supplied as a kit for amateur construction, but only prototypes seem to have been completed. [1] [2]

United States federal republic in North America

The United States of America (USA), commonly known as the United States or America, is a country composed of 50 states, a federal district, five major self-governing territories, and various possessions. At 3.8 million square miles, the United States is the world's third or fourth largest country by total area and is slightly smaller than the entire continent of Europe's 3.9 million square miles. With a population of over 327 million people, the U.S. is the third most populous country. The capital is Washington, D.C., and the largest city by population is New York City. Forty-eight states and the capital's federal district are contiguous in North America between Canada and Mexico. The State of Alaska is in the northwest corner of North America, bordered by Canada to the east and across the Bering Strait from Russia to the west. The State of Hawaii is an archipelago in the mid-Pacific Ocean. The U.S. territories are scattered about the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea, stretching across nine official time zones. The extremely diverse geography, climate, and wildlife of the United States make it one of the world's 17 megadiverse countries.

Homebuilt aircraft planes constructed by persons for whom this is not a professional activity

Homebuilt aircraft, also known as amateur-built aircraft or kit planes, are constructed by persons for whom this is not a professional activity. These aircraft may be constructed from "scratch," from plans, or from assembly kits.

Auburn, California City in California, United States

Auburn is a city in and the county seat of Placer County, California. Its population was 13,330 during the 2010 census. Auburn is known for its California Gold Rush history, and is registered as a California Historical Landmark.

Contents

Design and development

The design goals of the Free Spirit Mk II included long range, high speed and a high rate of climb. The aircraft features a cantilever low-wing, a two-seats-in-side-by-side configuration, plus a jump seat in an enclosed cockpit, retractable tricycle landing gear and a single engine in tractor configuration. [1]

In aviation, a jump seat or jumpseat is an auxiliary seat for individuals—other than normal passengers—who are not operating the aircraft. In general, the term 'jump seat' can also refer to a seat in any type of vehicle which can fold up out of the way; vehicles include carriages, automobiles, vans, buses, fire tenders, and taxicabs. The term originated in the United States c. 1860 for a movable carriage seat.

Tricycle landing gear aircraft undercarriage arranged with main gear under the wing or fuselage and a third set under the nose

Tricycle gear is a type of aircraft undercarriage, or landing gear, arranged in a tricycle fashion. The tricycle arrangement has a single nose wheel in the front, and two or more main wheels slightly aft of the center of gravity. Tricycle gear aircraft are the easiest to take-off, land and taxi, and consequently the configuration is the most widely used on aircraft.

Tractor configuration arrangement of propellers on an aircraft to face forward

An aircraft constructed with a tractor configuration has the engine mounted with the airscrew in front of it so that the aircraft is "pulled" through the air, as opposed to the pusher configuration, in which the airscrew is behind and propels the aircraft forward. Through common usage, the word "propeller" has come to mean any airscrew, whether it actually propels or pulls the plane.

The aircraft is made from lightweight pre-molded composites. Its 30.30 ft (9.2 m) span wing employs a NASA NLF(1)-0215F natural laminar flow airfoil, mounts flaps and has a very small wing area of 86.00 sq ft (7.990 m2), giving a high wing loading of 25.0 lb/sq ft (122 kg/m2). The cabin width is 44.5 in (113 cm). The acceptable power range is 150 to 220 hp (112 to 164 kW) and the standard engine used is the 210 hp (157 kW) Lycoming IO-360 powerplant. [1] [3]

Airfoil

An airfoil or aerofoil is the cross-sectional shape of a wing, blade, or sail.

The Free Spirit Mk II has a typical empty weight of 1,250 lb (570 kg) and a gross weight of 2,150 lb (980 kg), giving a useful load of 900 lb (410 kg). With full fuel of 52 U.S. gallons (200 L; 43 imp gal) the payload for crew, passengers and baggage is 588 lb (267 kg). [1]

Operational history

In 1998 the company reported that two aircraft were flying, but by December 2013 only one example remained registered in the United States with the Federal Aviation Administration. [1] [2]

Aircraft registration registration and identification assigned to an individual aircraft by national aviation authorities

An aircraft registration is a code unique to a single aircraft, required by international convention to be marked on the exterior of every civil aircraft. The registration indicates the aircraft's country of registration, and functions much like an automobile license plate. This code must also appear in its Certificate of Registration, issued by the relevant National Aviation Authority (NAA). An aircraft can only have one registration, in one jurisdiction, though it is changeable over the life of the aircraft.

Federal Aviation Administration United States Government agency dedicated to civil aviation matters

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is a governmental body of the United States with powers to regulate all aspects of civil aviation in that nation as well as over its surrounding international waters. Its powers include the construction and operation of airports, air traffic management, the certification of personnel and aircraft, and the protection of U.S. assets during the launch or re-entry of commercial space vehicles. Powers over neighboring international waters were delegated to the FAA by authority of the International Civil Aviation Organization.

Specifications (Free Spirit Mk II)

Data from AeroCrafter and The Incomplete Guide to Airfoil Usage [1] [3]

General characteristics

Performance

  • Maximum speed: 300 mph (483 km/h; 261 kn)
  • Cruise speed: 240 mph (386 km/h; 209 kn)
  • Stall speed: 52 mph (84 km/h; 45 kn) flaps and landing gear down
  • Range: 1,200 mi (1,043 nmi; 1,931 km)
  • Service ceiling: 24,000 ft (7,300 m)
  • Rate of climb: 1,600 ft/min (8.1 m/s)
  • Wing loading: 25.0 lb/sq ft (122 kg/m2)

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References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Purdy, Don: AeroCrafter - Homebuilt Aircraft Sourcebook, Fifth Edition, page 131. BAI Communications, 15 July 1998. ISBN   0-9636409-4-1
  2. 1 2 Federal Aviation Administration (21 December 2013). "Make / Model Inquiry Results" . Retrieved 21 December 2013.
  3. 1 2 Lednicer, David (2010). "The Incomplete Guide to Airfoil Usage" . Retrieved 21 December 2013.
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