Practavia Sprite

Last updated

Sprite
Practavia Sprite Series 2 AN0294289.jpg
RoleHomebuilt trainer/tourer monoplane
National originUnited Kingdom
Manufacturer Practavia
First flight1971
Number built8

The Practavia Sprite is a British two-seat homebuilt training or touring monoplane designed for amateur construction. It was the winning entry in a competition sponsored by Pilot magazine in 1968. The design had been begun as a magazine-sponsored project by Peter Garrison, who worked for Pilot at the time; when the project did not move forward rapidly enough to suit him, he returned to the United States, where he modified his design into what would become his first Melmoth.

Contents

Development

The prototype Sprite, named the Pilot Sprite, was designed by a team at Loughborough University and had little in common with Garrison's design, though both were all-metal side-by-side low-wing cantilever monoplanes with tricycle landing gear. The Sprite was powered by a Rolls-Royce Continental O-240-A piston engine. Plans for amateur building were marketed by Practavia Ltd as the Practavia Sprite.

Specifications

Data from Jane's All the World's Aircraft 1980–81 [1]

General characteristics

Performance

Related Research Articles

Taylor Titch

The Taylor Titch is a British fixed-wing homebuilt aircraft, developed in the 1960s by J.F. Taylor. As of 2015, examples are still being built and flown.

Rollason Beta

The Rollason Beta was a British midget racing monoplane developed from a competition to build a Formula One air racer in the 1960s in England. The Beta was first flown on 21 April 1967. The aircraft were successful air-racers in England during the late 1960s and early 1970s.

Andreasson BA-4B

The Andreasson BA-4B is a single-seat aerobatic biplane which was marketed for homebuilding and also produced complete.

Avro Athena

The Avro 701 Athena is a British advanced trainer aircraft built by Avro in the late 1940s. It was designed to replace the North American Harvard in the Royal Air Force, but was bought only in small numbers, the competing Boulton Paul Balliol being preferred.

Coates Swalesong

The Coates Swalesong is a 1970s British two-seat homebuilt monoplane.

The Cook JC-1 Challenger was a 1960s American cabin monoplane built by the Cook Aircraft Corporation.

The Civil Aviation Department Revathi was a light utility aircraft designed in India principally for use by that country's flying clubs.

The Funk F-23 was an agricultural aircraft produced in the United States during the 1960s. It was designed by Donald Funk using the fuselage frame of military surplus Fairchild PT-19 trainers as a starting point. The resulting aircraft was a low-wing cantilever monoplane with fixed, tailwheel undercarriage and all-metal construction. The main structural changes were in the wing, which had all-new outer panels. The space occupied by the forward cockpit of the PT-19 was used to accommodate a 200 U.S. gallon hopper for chemicals. Production continued until 1970, when manufacturing rights to the design were purchased by Cosmic Aircraft. The new owner, however, produced no further examples of the type.

The Fletcher FL-23 was an American two-seat liaison or observation aircraft designed and built by the California-based Fletcher Aviation Corporation. It was entered into a competition and lost against the Cessna 305A as a liaison or observation aircraft for the United States Army.

The Davis DA-5, a.k.a. DA-5A, is a single-seat sport aircraft designed in the United States in the 1970s and marketed for homebuilding. Like designer Leeon D. Davis's successful DA-2, it is a low-wing monoplane with fixed tricycle undercarriage and a V-tail, but with a much narrower fuselage accommodating only the pilot, and a lengthened nose. Design work was carried out in 1972, but the prototype was not built until 1974, when it was completed in only 67 days.

Druine Condor Light aircraft developed in France

The Druine D.60 Condor is a light aircraft designed by Roger Druine in France in the 1950s. Druine’s primary aim was to design a trainer aircraft for amateur construction. The Condor was subsequently made in quantity in the UK by Rollason Aircraft & Engines.

The Fike Model D was a light aircraft built in the United States in the early 1950s. Designed by airline pilot William Fike, it was a conventional high-wing strut-braced monoplane with tailskid undercarriage and seating for one or two people in an enclosed cabin. In appearance, the aircraft strongly resembled a Piper Cub, with only the tail surfaces sourced from one. An unusual feature was that the flight controls were mounted to the ceiling of the cabin, rather than the floor. This facilitated the folding or removal of the seat or seats to enable the aircraft's use as a sleeping space when camping with it. Plans were marketed for homebuilding.

The Partenavia P.59 Jolly was an Italian two-seat training monoplane designed by Partenavia to meet a requirement for the Aero Club d'Italia.

Wassmer WA-80

The Wassmer WA-80 Piranha is a French two-seat low-wing cabin monoplane trainer designed and built by Société Wassmer. Based on the same construction as the company's WA-50 four-seater, the WA-80 was a scaled down version. The prototype, registered F-WVKR, first flew in November 1975 powered by a 100 hp Rolls-Royce Continental O-200 engine. Wassmer appointed a receiver and suspended production in 1977 after 25 had been built.

Nash Petrel

The Nash Petrel also known as the Procter Petrel is a two-seat aerobatic or glider tug aircraft. It was designed for amateur production by Procter Aircraft Associates of Camberley, Surrey, England. By the time the aircraft first flew, Procter had changed ownership and had been renamed Nash Aircraft Ltd.

Piel Zephir 1970s French light aircraft

The Piel CP.80 Zephir , Piel CP.801 and Piel CP.802 are racing aircraft developed in France in the 1970s and marketed for homebuilding. They are compact, single-seat, single-engine monoplanes with low, cantilever wings.

The Victa Aircruiser was a 1960s Australian four-seat touring monoplane designed by Henry Millicer and built by Victa.

The Partenavia P.70 Alpha was a 1970s Italian two-seat light aerobatic trainer designed by Luigi Pascale and built by Partenavia.

The Civil Aviation Department MG-1 was a one-off Indian motor glider, seating two side by side and first flown in 1983.

The Nicollier HN 500 Bengali is a single engine French light aircraft built in France in the 1980s. It seats two in side-by-side configuration. Only one was built, flying for the first time in 1988; it remains active with a French preservation group.

References

  1. Taylor 1980, p. 498