Fly Air Swallow

Last updated
Swallow
Role Ultralight trike
National origin Bulgaria
Manufacturer Fly Air Limited
Introduction 2007
Status Production completed
Unit cost
€6,840 (excluding wing, 2011)

The Fly Air Swallow is a Bulgarian ultralight trike, designed and produced by Fly Air Limited of Pravets. When it was available the aircraft was supplied as a complete ready-to-fly-aircraft. [1]

Bulgaria country in Southeast Europe

Bulgaria, officially the Republic of Bulgaria, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is bordered by Romania to the north, Serbia and North Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, and the Black Sea to the east. The capital and largest city is Sofia; other major cities are Plovdiv, Varna and Burgas. With a territory of 110,994 square kilometres (42,855 sq mi), Bulgaria is Europe's 16th-largest country.

Ultralight trike powered hang glider with a Rogallo wing and a three-wheeled undercarriage

An ultralight trike is a type of powered hang glider where flight control is by weight-shift. These aircraft have a fabric flex-wing from which is suspended a tricycle fuselage pod driven by a pusher propeller. The pod accommodates either a solo pilot, or a pilot and a single passenger. Trikes grant affordable, accessible and exciting flying, and have been popular since the 1980s.

Fly Air Limited is a Bulgarian aircraft manufacturer based in Trudovec, headed by Simeon Simeonov. The company specializes in the design and manufacture of ultralight aircraft, including ultralight trikes, powered parachutes and powered paragliders. The company was originally located in Pravets.

Contents

Design and development

The Swallow was designed to comply with the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale microlight category, including the category's maximum gross weight of 450 kg (992 lb). The aircraft is a "cozy" two seater, with the occupants both sitting very close together. [1]

<i>Fédération Aéronautique Internationale</i> voluntary association

The Fédération aéronautique internationale, is the world governing body for air sports, and also stewards definitions regarding human spaceflight. It was founded on 14 October 1905, and is headquartered in Lausanne, Switzerland. It maintains world records for aeronautical activities including ballooning, aeromodeling, unmanned aerial vehicles (drones), as well as flights into space.

The Swallow features a cable-braced hang glider-style high-wing, weight-shift controls, a two-seats-in-tandem open cockpit with a cockpit fairing, tricycle landing gear and a single engine in pusher configuration. [1]

Tandem arrangement in which people, machines, or animals are in line behind one another facing forward

Tandem, or in tandem, is an arrangement in which a team of machines, animals or people are lined up one behind another, all facing in the same direction.

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.

Pusher configuration arrangement of propellers on an aircraft to face rearward

In a vehicle with a pusher configuration, the propeller(s) are mounted behind their respective engine(s). According to British aviation author Bill Gunston, a "pusher propeller" is one mounted behind the engine, so that the drive shaft is in compression.

The aircraft carriage structure is made from welded stainless steel tubing, with its single surface wing covered in Dacron sailcloth. Its 10.4 m (34.1 ft) span wing is supported by a single tube-type kingpost and uses an "A" frame weight-shift control bar. The powerplant is a twin cylinder, air-cooled, two-stroke, dual-ignition 50 hp (37 kW) Rotax 503, with the liquid-cooled 64 hp (48 kW) Rotax 582 engine optional. Main landing gear suspension is provided. The aircraft has an empty weight of 131 kg (289 lb) and full fuel capacity of 25 litres (5.5 imp gal; 6.6 US gal). [1]

Stainless steel steel alloy resistant to corrosion

In metallurgy, stainless steel, also known as inox steel or inox from French inoxydable (inoxidizable), is a steel alloy, with highest percentage contents of iron, chromium, and nickel, with a minimum of 10.5% chromium content by mass and a maximum of 1.2% carbon by mass.

Rotax 503 two-stroke engine

The Rotax 503 is a 37 kW (50 hp), inline 2-cylinder, two-stroke aircraft engine, built by BRP-Rotax GmbH & Co. KG of Austria for use in ultralight aircraft.

Rotax 582 two-stroke piston aircraft engine

The Rotax 582 is a 48 kW (64 hp) two-stroke, two-cylinder, rotary intake valve, oil-in-fuel or oil injection pump, liquid-cooled, gear reduction-drive aircraft engine manufactured by BRP-Rotax GmbH & Co. KG. It is for use in non-certified aircraft operating in day visual flight rules.

The standard wings offered with the basic carriage were the La Mouette Ipsos series, in wing areas of 12, 14, 16 and 16.9 square metres. [1]

Specifications (Swallow with La Mouette Ipsos 16 wing)

Data from Bayerl [1]

General characteristics

Aircraft engine Engine designed for use in powered aircraft

An aircraft engine is a component of the propulsion system for an aircraft that generates mechanical power. Aircraft engines are almost always either lightweight piston engines or gas turbines, except for small multicopter UAVs which are almost always electric aircraft.

Performance

  • Maximum speed: 110 km/h (68 mph; 59 kn)
  • Stall speed: 48 km/h (30 mph; 26 kn)

See also

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References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Bayerl, Robby; Martin Berkemeier; et al: World Directory of Leisure Aviation 2011-12, page 212. WDLA UK, Lancaster UK, 2011. ISSN 1368-485X
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