Quad City Challenger

Last updated

Quad City Challenger
QuadCityChallengerIIC-IBUY08.jpg
Challenger II
General information
Type Ultralight aircraft
Manufacturer Quad City Aircraft Corporation
StatusIn production (2018)
Number built3571 (2011) [1]
History
Manufactured1983-present
First flight1983
Variants Excalibur Aircraft Excalibur
Challenger II on amphibious floats QuadCityChallengerIIC-IGUG01.JPG
Challenger II on amphibious floats
A 1994 model Challenger with the earlier frame style nose. Most newer Challengers have a fibreglass conical nosecone instead. ChallengerIIC-IWYN.JPG
A 1994 model Challenger with the earlier frame style nose. Most newer Challengers have a fibreglass conical nosecone instead.
Challenger II on skis QuadCityChallengerIIC-FSJD05.jpg
Challenger II on skis
Challenger II landing on skis QuadCityChallengerIIC-IGOK02.JPG
Challenger II landing on skis
Challenger I single seat ultralight QuadCityChallengerI.JPG
Challenger I single seat ultralight

The Quad City Challenger is a family of one and two seats-in-tandem, pusher configuration, tricycle landing gear ultralight aircraft that is designed and produced by Quad City Aircraft Corporation of Moline, Illinois. The Challenger was first introduced in 1983. [1] [2] [3]

Contents

Design and development

The Challenger ultralight is a high wing, tricycle gear kit aircraft with a frame structure built from 6061-T6 aluminum alloy tubing fastened with aircraft grade AN bolts and rivets and covered with either presewn Dacron envelopes or standard aircraft fabric. The engine is mounted in pusher configuration and turns the propeller through a reduction drive that uses a cogged tooth rubber belt. [4]

The kit can be purchased in 4 major sub-kits: the Tail Assembly, Fuselage, Wings, and Engine. The factory kit is supplied with the most difficult mechanical work already completed. This includes the primary fuselage framework along with the controls and the basic wing structures assembled at the factory. The kit builder is required to finish the smaller structural components, cover the aluminum frames with fabric, seal and paint the fabric and do the final assembly. [4]

The aircraft has the ability to soar with its motor switched off. [5]

The Challenger design has been criticized by reviewers for its landing gear, which is a rigid cable-braced type and is subject to being bent during hard landings. A number of after-market suppliers have designed steel gear legs as replacements for the stock landing gear in an attempt to rectify this problem. The improved factory-designed Light Sport Special (LSS) model incorporates revised landing gear to address this deficiency. [6] [7] [8]

In November 2018, the design was subject to a Transportation Safety Board of Canada Aviation Safety Advisory due to an accident on 30 July 2018 where a Challenger crashed and the pilot was killed. The investigation determined that the right front lift strut lower bracket had failed due to fatigue after only 402.2 hours in service. The bracket has a 500 hour component life and is subject to 50 hour periodic inspections. Examination of 22 other Challengers found eight that also had cracked brackets. [9]

Variants

Challenger I (Challenger UL)
Single seat, 31.5 ft (9.6 m) wingspan gives lower stall speed. Can be fitted with a variety of engines. Qualifies as a US "Experimental - Amateur-Built", Light sport aircraft or with the 22 hp (16 kW) Hirth F-33 engine as a US FAR 103 Ultralight Vehicle, 800 reported completed and flown by the fall of 2011. [1] [3] [10]
Challenger I Special
Single seat, 26 ft (7.9 m) wingspan gives faster roll rate. Engines 40 hp (30 kW) Rotax 447, 50 hp (37 kW) Rotax 503, 64 hp (48 kW) 582 or 60 hp (45 kW) HKS 700E. Qualifies as a US Experimental - Amateur-Built or Light sport aircraft, 300 reported completed and flown by the fall of 2011. [1] [3] [10]
Challenger II
Two seats in tandem, 31.5 ft (9.6 m) wingspan provides more lift and lower stall speed. Can be equipped with floats. Engines 40 hp (30 kW) Rotax 447, 50 hp (37 kW) Rotax 503, 64 hp (48 kW) 582 or 60 hp (45 kW) HKS 700E. Qualifies as a US Experimental - Amateur-Built or Light sport aircraft, 2000 reported completed and flown by the fall of 2011. [1] [3] [10]
Challenger II Special
Two seats in tandem, 26 ft (7.9 m) wingspan gives faster roll rate. Engines 40 hp (30 kW) Rotax 447, 50 hp (37 kW) Rotax 503, 64 hp (48 kW) 582 or 60 hp (45 kW) HKS 700E. Qualifies as a US Experimental - Amateur-Built or Light sport aircraft, 350 reported completed and flown by the fall of 2011. [1] [3] [10]
Challenger II CW LSS
Two seats in tandem, 26 ft (7.9 m). Engine 50 hp (37 kW) Rotax 503, 64 hp (48 kW) 582 or 60 hp (45 kW) HKS 700E. This model incorporates many revisions to the basic Challenger design, including a larger and re-shaped vertical fin, fiberglass wing tips and redesigned landing gear. Qualifies as a US Light sport aircraft, 110 reported completed and flown by the fall of 2011. [1] [8] [11]
Challenger II LSS XL-65
Two seats in tandem, 29 ft (8.8 m). Engine 65 hp (48 kW) Rotax 582. Qualifies as a US Light sport aircraft, ten reported completed and flown by the fall of 2011. [1]

Specifications (Challenger II)

Data from Challenger.ca [12] [13]

General characteristics

Performance

See also

Related development

Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aero Adventure Aventura</span>

The Aero Adventure Aventura is a family of ultralight amphibians marketed as a kit aircraft by Aero Adventure of DeLand, Florida. The aircraft was designed by Bob Bailey in 1995.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Flightstar</span> Type of aircraft

The Flightstar is a large family of single and two-seat, high wing, single engined kit aircraft that was produced by Flightstar Sportplanes of South Woodstock, Connecticut. In 2009 the rights, tooling and parts inventory were sold to Yuneec International of China when Flightstar Sportplanes' business was wound up.

The Freebird II is a family of American side-by-side two-seat, high wing, tricycle gear, pusher configuration single engined kit aircraft originally designed for construction by amateur builders by the Freebird Airplane Company of Marshville, North Carolina, and later Pro Sport Aviation of Wingate, North Carolina.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">CGS Hawk</span> Type of aircraft

The CGS Hawk is a family of high wing, strut-braced, pusher configuration, single and two-seats-in-tandem ultralight aircraft, designed by Chuck Slusarczyk and manufactured by CGS Aviation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Excalibur Aircraft Excalibur</span> American ultralight airplane

The Excalibur is an American two seats-in-tandem, high wing, pusher configuration ultralight aircraft that is manufactured in kit form for amateur construction, by Excalibur Aircraft of Sebring, Florida. It was introduced in 1993.

The Hy-Tek Hurricane 103 is a family of single-engined, high wing tricycle gear-equipped aircraft that were available in kit form from Hy-Tek Hurricane of Aurora, Oregon.

The Capella Javelin is a family of American open cockpit, high wing, tractor configuration, conventional landing gear-equipped ultralight aircraft that were produced in kit form by Capella Aircraft of Austin, Texas and intended for amateur construction.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rans S-12 Airaile</span> Type of aircraft

The Rans S-12 Airaile is a family of related American single-engined, pusher configuration, high-wing monoplanes designed by Randy Schlitter and manufactured by Rans Inc. The aircraft are available in kit form for amateur construction.

The RagWing RW22 Tiger Moth is a two-seats-in-tandem, biplane, conventional landing gear, single engine homebuilt aircraft designed by Roger Mann and sold as plans by RagWing Aircraft Designs for amateur construction.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Flying K Sky Raider</span> Family of ultralight aircraft

The Flying K Sky Raider is a family of American, high wing, strut-braced, single engine, conventional landing gear ultralight aircraft that was designed by Ken Schrader and produced by Flying K Enterprises and later Sky Raider LLC of Caldwell, Idaho for amateur construction.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sport Flight Talon</span> Type of aircraft

The Sport Flight Talon is a high-wing, pusher configuration single-engine, conventional landing gear homebuilt aircraft or ultralight aircraft, that was produced by Sport Flight Aviation of Sandy, Oregon in kit form for amateur construction.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Golden Circle Air T-Bird</span> Type of aircraft

The Golden Circle Air T-Bird is a family of high-wing, strut-braced, pusher configuration ultralight aircraft that was produced by Teratorn Aircraft of Clear Lake, Iowa from 1983 to 1989 and then Golden Circle Air of De Soto, Iowa from 1989 until the mid-2000s. From 2011-2021 the aircraft were back in production by Indy Aircraft and from 2021 on by Tbird Aircraft. The aircraft is produced as a kit for amateur construction.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Earthstar Thunder Gull</span> Type of aircraft

The Earthstar Thunder Gull is a family of cantilever high-wing, tricycle gear ultralight aircraft, manufactured by Earthstar Aircraft of Santa Margarita, California as a kit for amateur construction or as a completed aircraft.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Titan Tornado</span> American kit aircraft

The Titan Tornado is large family of cantilever high-wing, pusher configuration, tricycle gear-equipped kit aircraft manufactured by Titan Aircraft of Austinburg, Ohio, for amateur construction.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">SlipStream Genesis</span> Type of aircraft

The SlipStream Genesis is a family of American, strut-braced, high wing, pusher configuration, tricycle gear aircraft, produced in kit form, for amateur construction. Designed by Chuck Hamilton, the series were originally produced by Innovation Engineering of Davenport, Iowa and more recently by SlipStream International of Wautoma, Wisconsin.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Raj Hamsa X-Air</span> Type of aircraft

The Raj Hamsa X-Air is an Indian, two-seat, high-wing, tricycle gear, tractor configuration, ultralight aircraft produced by Raj Hamsa Ultralights of Bangalore, Karnataka in kit form, for amateur construction.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Antares MA-32</span> Type of aircraft

The Antares MA-32 is the first model in a large family of Ukrainian ultralight trikes that is designed and produced by Antares Aircraft and at one time marketed by Leading Edge Air Foils as the LEAF Antares. The aircraft are supplied as kits for amateur construction.

The Fletcher Hercules is an American two-seat ultralight trike that was designed by AW Harrison and produced by Fletcher's Ultralights of Turlock, California, in the late 1990s and early 2000s. The aircraft was supplied as a kit for amateur construction and was also available as a completed aircraft.

The Solo Wings Aquilla is a South African ultralight trike designed and produced by Solo Wings of Gillitts, KwaZulu-Natal. The aircraft was also sold in the United States by Bateleur Sky Sports of Palm Coast, Florida in the early 2000s, under their own name.

The Harmening High Flyer is an American powered parachute that was designed and produced by Harmening's High Flyers of Genoa, Illinois.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Vandermeullen, Richard: 2011 Kit Aircraft Buyer's Guide, Kitplanes, Volume 28, Number 12, December 2011, page 66 Belvoir Publications. ISSN 0891-1851
  2. Challenger Advanced Ultralight & Light Sport Aircraft - National Ultralight Canada & Quad City U.S
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 Kitplanes Staff: 2008 Kit Aircraft Directory, page 67, Kitplanes Magazine December 2007 Volume 24, Number 12, Belvior Publications, Aviation Publishing Group LLC.
  4. 1 2 Cliche, Andre: Ultralight Aircraft Shopper's Guide 8th Edition, pages B-11 & B-71. Cybair Limited Publishing, 2001. ISBN   0-9680628-1-4
  5. National Ultralight (n.d.). "Ten Best Reasons" . Retrieved September 24, 2009.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: year (link)
  6. Cliche, Andre: Ultralight Aircraft Shopper's Guide 8th Edition, pages B-75. Cybair Limited Publishing, 2001. ISBN   0-9680628-1-4
  7. Freedom Flight (n.d.). "Back 40 Gear Leg - The Best Gear Available for your Challenger" . Retrieved October 4, 2009.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: year (link)
  8. 1 2 Bayerl, Robby; Martin Berkemeier; et al: World Directory of Leisure Aviation 2011-12, page 116. WDLA UK, Lancaster UK, 2011. ISSN 1368-485X
  9. Drinkwater, Steve (November 15, 2018). "Quad City Challenger Wing Separation". Canadian Owners and Pilots Association . Archived from the original on February 15, 2022. Retrieved November 17, 2018.
  10. 1 2 3 4 Quad City Aircraft Corporation (n.d.). "Basic Models" . Retrieved September 24, 2009.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: year (link)
  11. Tacke, Willi; Marino Boric; et al: World Directory of Light Aviation 2015-16, page 121. Flying Pages Europe SARL, 2015. ISSN   1368-485X
  12. National Ultralight (n.d.). "Challenger II Performance" . Retrieved September 24, 2009.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: year (link)
  13. National Ultralight (n.d.). "Challenger II Specifications" . Retrieved September 24, 2009.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: year (link)