Colomban MC-30 Luciole

Last updated

MC-30 Luciole
Colomban MC-30 Luciole G-LUCL SYW 01.09.12R edited-3.jpg
MC-30 Luciole amateur built in England in 2012
RoleHomebuilt recreational aircraft
Designer Michel Colomban
First flight9 March 2007 [1]
StatusPlans available (2015)

The Colomban MC-30 Luciole (English: Firefly ) is an ultra-lightweight plans-built single-seat low-wing tail-dragger monoplane, designed by the French aeronautical engineer Michel Colomban, creator of the tiny single-seat Colomban Cri-cri twin-engined aircraft and the MC-100 Ban-Bi two-seat aircraft. [2] [3] [4]

Contents

The aircraft is supplied as plans for amateur construction. [5]

Design and development

The Luciole is extremely light, weighing 97 kg (214 lb) empty. It has mixed construction of wood, plywood, metal, foam and glass reinforced plastic. The cantilever wings have foam ribs with a 1 mm plywood skin, sheathed in a thin layer of resin-bonded glass tissue. The Luciole is fitted with a V-Twin Briggs & Stratton four-stroke petrol engine directly driving a 2-bladed Arplast EcoProp 1.16 m (3.8 ft) diameter ground-adjustable propeller. [6] The aircraft is very economical, consuming only 4.5 litres/hour at 150 km/h (93 mph). [3] [4]

Operational history

Although about seven Lucioles have been built in France, only one [7] has been completed in the UK (and half a dozen are under construction [3] ), at least one is flying in Germany. [8] The UK aircraft was built under the auspices of the LAA, and to date has logged some 100 hours, flying under a test permit. The Luciole is awaiting full approval from the LAA.

LAA approval was required as the Luciole's wing loading of 43.5 kg/m2 was too high to benefit from original UK SSDR microlight sub-category. SSDRs (Single Seat De-Regulated) aircraft had to weigh less than 115 kg (254 lb) without fuel and pilot, and the wing loading could not be more than 10 kg/m2 [9]

However, the UK CAA changed the rules in May 2014, and the new SSDR rules state that the aircraft must be single seat, and must have an MTOW of 300 kg, i.e. it must weigh no more than 300 kg at takeoff, including pilot and fuel. Also, the stall speed must be 35 knots or less. There are no other design restrictions.

In a flight test report, Francis Donaldson, the LAA's Chief Engineer, declared that although some design compromises were "clearly not ideal", overall he felt "very impressed with Michel Colomban's new creation", saying the aircraft "performed as claimed, was practical and fun". Donaldson's major criticism was that the elevator's GRP spring (to provide self-centering and to impart "feel") was in the cockpit and not in the tail, so that if the elevator control linkage failed, the aircraft could suffer catastrophic lack of pitch-control as "the Luciole would most likely be totally unflyable". However, Colomban has disclosed plans to "modify the system to relocate the tailplane's self-centering trim spring in the rear fuselage, attaching directly to the tailplane .... so a failure of the (linkage) would no longer be disastrous". [3]

Variants

Colomban MC-30 Luciole
Standard model powered by a Briggs & Stratton four-stroke engine. [4]
Luxembourg Special Aerotechnics MC30E Firefly
Electric aircraft development of the basic design, first flown on 1 August 2011. Powered by 26 hp (19 kW) electric motor running from a 4.7-kWh Kokam battery. The aircraft weighs 113 kg (249 lb) empty and has a 55 minute endurance on a charge. The aircraft has achieved a top speed of 220 km/h (137 mph). [10]

Specifications (MC-30)

Data from Light Aviation [3]

General characteristics

Performance

Related Research Articles

Colomban Cri-cri French twin-engined ultra-light aircraft

The Colomban Cri-Cri, also spelled Cricri, is the smallest twin-engined manned aircraft in the world, designed in the early 1970s by French aeronautical engineer Michel Colomban.

Aerosport Rail

The Aerosport Rail is an American minimalist ultralight aircraft, designed by Harris Woods and built by Aerosport Inc. The aircraft was first flown on 14 November 1970.

DynAéro MCR01

The Dyn'Aéro MCR01 is a two-seat, low-wing, all-composite carbon fibre light aircraft that was originally manufactured by Dyn'Aéro and is now available in kit form and ready-to-fly through SE Aviation.

The Alpaero Exel is a French single seat, single engine pusher pod-and-boom kit-built ultralight motor glider. About 10 had been produced by 2005.

DynAéro MCR4S

The Dyn'Aéro MCR4S is a four-seat development of the French two seat, single engine Dyn'Aéro MCR01. It first flew in early 2000 and is sold as a kit for homebuilding in several versions by SE Aviation of Pontarlier.

Aviasud Sirocco

The Aviasud Sirocco is a single-seat ultralight available in kit or fully assembled form and originally produced by Aviasud Engineering in 1983. It is of pod-and-boom design with tricycle undercarriage and pusher configuration. The fuselage is of composite construction. In 1984, one was flown by Patrice Franceschi in a circumnavigation of the earth.

Murphy Elite Canadian homebuilt light aircraft

The Murphy Elite is a Canadian light aircraft that was designed and is produced by Murphy Aircraft of Chilliwack, British Columbia. The aircraft is supplied as a kit for amateur construction.

Silence Twister

The Silence Twister is a German ultralight designed by Silence Aircraft for amateur construction, either from plans or kits. The prototype first flew on 30 September 2000.

The Staib LB-4 a.k.a. Staib Airyplane is a homebuilt aircraft design of Wilbur Staib.

Tiger Cub Developments Sherwood Ranger

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 Arplast Micro'B is a French ultralight aircraft that was designed and produced by propeller manufacturer Arplast Helice. It was supplied as a kit for amateur construction or as a complete ready-to-fly-aircraft.

The Australian Lightwing SP-2000 Speed is an Australian light-sport aircraft, designed and produced by Australian Lightwing of Ballina, New South Wales. The aircraft is supplied as a kit for amateur construction or as a complete ready-to-fly-aircraft.

The Guerpont Autoplum is a French ultralight aircraft that was designed by Maurice Guerpont. Plans are supplied by one of the first builders of the type, Roland Mangeard of Pulnoy. The aircraft is supplied as plans only for amateur construction.

Weller ULI NG

The Weller ULI NG, sometimes called the Weller Uli NG, is a German ultralight aircraft, designed and produced by Weller Flugzeugbau of Bibersfeld. It was introduced at the Aero show held in Friedrichshafen in 2010. The aircraft is supplied as a complete ready-to-fly-aircraft.

The APEV Pouchel Light is a French amateur-built aircraft, designed by Daniel Dalby and produced by APEV of Peynier. The aircraft is supplied as plans or as a kit for amateur construction.

Jodel DR1050 Excellence

The Jodel DR1050 Excellence and Ambassadeur are part of a family of French built aircraft, designed by Jean Délémontez in collaboration with Pierre Robin, as a development of the Jodel D.10 project. The aircraft was built from 1958 to 1967 both by Centre-Est Aeronautique (CEA) and by Société Aéronautique Normande (SAN) but since the demise of the latter in 1968 has only been supplied as plans.

The Colomban MC-100 Ban-Bi is a French amateur-built aircraft that was designed by Michel Colomban. The aircraft is supplied as plans for amateur construction with some parts and sub assemblies available.

The Apollo Delta Jet is a Hungarian ultralight trike, designed and produced by Apollo Ultralight Aircraft of Eger. The aircraft is supplied as a kit for amateur construction or as a complete ready-to-fly-aircraft.

The Bautek Skycruiser is a German ultralight trike, designed and produced by Bautek of Kenn, Germany. The aircraft is supplied as a complete ready-to-fly-aircraft.

The PowerTrike Light is a German ultralight trike and powered parachute, designed and produced by PowerTrike of Mackenbach. The aircraft is supplied as a complete ready-to-fly-aircraft.

References

  1. ↑ Afflard, Jean-Claude (2007). "Du Cri-Cri à la Luciole". Les Cahiers du RSA (in French) (257): 46–47. Retrieved 23 July 2016.
  2. ↑ Experimental Aircraft Association (2011). "Cri Cri". Archived from the original on 7 November 2011. Retrieved 7 September 2011.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 LAA "Light Aviation" magazine May 2011
  4. 1 2 3 Bayerl, Robby; Martin Berkemeier; et al: World Directory of Leisure Aviation 2011-12, page 110. WDLA UK, Lancaster UK, 2011. ISSN 1368-485X
  5. ↑ Tacke, Willi; Marino Boric; et al: World Directory of Light Aviation 2015-16, page 116. Flying Pages Europe SARL, 2015. ISSN   1368-485X
  6. ↑ Arplace Helice closed in 2015
  7. ↑ GINFO Search Results
  8. ↑ Flugzeug MC-30 Luciole, Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, retrieved 2016-08-07
  9. ↑ Light Aircraft Association Technical Leaflets Sep 2010
  10. ↑ Reynolds, Ric (August 2011). "Electric MC30E Firefly Flies With New Motor". Experimental Aircraft Association . Archived from the original on 17 December 2011. Retrieved 6 September 2011.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.