P&M Explorer

Last updated

Explorer
Role Ultralight trike
National origin United Kingdom
Manufacturer P&M Aviation
Status Production completed

The P&M Explorer is a British ultralight trike that was designed and produced by P&M Aviation of Rochdale, Lancashire. Now out of production, when it was available it was supplied complete and ready-to-fly. [1]

United Kingdom Country in Europe

The United Kingdom (UK), officially the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, and sometimes referred to as Britain, is a sovereign country located off the north-western coast of the European mainland. The United Kingdom includes the island of Great Britain, the north-eastern part of the island of Ireland, and many smaller islands. Northern Ireland is the only part of the United Kingdom that shares a land border with another sovereign state, the Republic of Ireland. Apart from this land border, the United Kingdom is surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean, with the North Sea to the east, the English Channel to the south and the Celtic Sea to the south-west, giving it the 12th-longest coastline in the world. The Irish Sea lies between Great Britain and Ireland. With an area of 242,500 square kilometres (93,600 sq mi), the United Kingdom is the 78th-largest sovereign state in the world. It is also the 22nd-most populous country, with an estimated 66.0 million inhabitants in 2017.

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.

P&M Aviation is a British aircraft manufacturer, specializing in ultralight trikes. The company was formed in 2003 by Keith Duckworth's purchase of two rival British trike manufacturers, Pegasus Aviation and Mainair Sports, hence the name of the new company.

Contents

Design and development

The Explorer 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 has a maximum gross weight of 450 kg (992 lb). [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 aircraft design features a strut-braced topless hang glider-style high-wing, weight-shift controls, a two-seats-in-tandem open cockpit with a cockpit fairing, tricycle landing gear with main gear wheel pants 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 is made from bolted-together aluminum tubing, with its double surface wing covered in Dacron sailcloth. Its 13 m (42.7 ft) span wing is supported by struts and lacks a kingpost. It uses an "A" frame weight-shift control bar. The powerplant is a four cylinder, air and liquid-cooled, four-stroke, dual-ignition 100 hp (75 kW) Rotax 912ULS engine. Landing gear options include 15 cm (6 in) wheels with 15X6 tyres, for operations on unimproved surfaces. [1]

The aircraft has an empty weight of 235 kg (518 lb) and a gross weight of 450 kg (992 lb), giving a useful load of 215 kg (474 lb). With full fuel of 65 litres (14 imp gal; 17 US gal) the payload is 168 kg (370 lb). [1]

A number of different wings can be fitted to the basic carriage, including the range of Quik wings. [1]

Specifications (Explorer)

Data from Tacke [1]

General characteristics

Performance

  • Maximum speed: 165 km/h (103 mph; 89 kn)
  • Cruise speed: 140 km/h (87 mph; 76 kn)
  • Stall speed: 60 km/h (37 mph; 32 kn)
  • Rate of climb: 5 m/s (980 ft/min)
  • Wing loading: 48.6 kg/m2 (10.0 lb/sq ft)

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References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Tacke, Willi; Marino Boric; et al: World Directory of Light Aviation 2015-16, page 236. Flying Pages Europe SARL, 2015. ISSN   1368-485X
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