Solid Air Diamant Twin

Last updated
Diamant Twin
Role Ultralight trike
National origin Germany
Manufacturer Solid Air UL-Bau Franz
Status In production (2013)
Unit cost
€22,390 (2011)

The Solid Air Diamant Twin (English: Diamond) is a German ultralight trike, designed and produced by Solid Air UL-Bau Franz of Hundheim, Rheinland-Pfalz. The aircraft is supplied as a complete ready-to-fly-aircraft. [1]

Germany Federal parliamentary republic in central-western Europe

Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central and Western Europe, lying between the Baltic and North Seas to the north, and the Alps to the south. It borders Denmark to the north, Poland and the Czech Republic to the east, Austria and Switzerland to the south, France to the southwest, and Luxembourg, Belgium and the Netherlands to the west.

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.

Solid Air UL-Bau Franz

Solid Air UL-Bau Franz is a German aircraft manufacturer based in Hundheim, Rheinland-Pfalz. The company specializes in the design and manufacture of ultralight trikes.

Contents

Design and development

The Diamant Twin was designed to comply with the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale microlight category, including the category's maximum gross weight of 450 kg (992 lb) and, in fact, the aircraft has a maximum gross weight of 450 kg (992 lb). It features a cable-braced hang glider-style high-wing, weight-shift controls, a two-seats-in-side-by-side configuration open cockpit with a cockpit fairing, tricycle landing gear with wheel pants and a single engine in pusher configuration. [1]

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

The Fédération aéronautique internationale, is the world governing body for air sports. 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) and also for human spaceflight.

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 fuselage is made from fibreglass, with its double surface aluminum-framed wing covered in Dacron sailcloth. Unusually the engine firewall is made from fibreglass-laminated plywood. Its 10.1 m (33.1 ft) span standard Bautek Pico wing is supported by a single tube-type kingpost and uses an "A" frame weight-shift control bar. The landing gear features fibreglass suspension. The powerplant is a horizontally opposed, four-cylinder, air-cooled, two-stroke, dual-ignition 83 hp (62 kW) Hirth F-30 engine or, optionally a BMW four stroke powerplant. [1]

Fuselage aircraft main body which is the primary carrier of crew, passengers, and payload

The fuselage is an aircraft's main body section. It holds crew, passengers, and cargo. In single-engine aircraft it will usually contain an engine, as well, although in some amphibious aircraft the single engine is mounted on a pylon attached to the fuselage, which in turn is used as a floating hull. The fuselage also serves to position control and stabilization surfaces in specific relationships to lifting surfaces, which is required for aircraft stability and maneuverability.

Plywood manufactured wood panel made from thin sheets of wood veneer

Plywood is a material manufactured from thin layers or "plies" of wood veneer that are glued together with adjacent layers having their wood grain rotated up to 90 degrees to one another. It is an engineered wood from the family of manufactured boards which includes medium-density fibreboard (MDF) and particle board (chipboard).

Landing gear aircraft part which supports the aircraft while not in the air

Landing gear is the undercarriage of an aircraft or spacecraft and may be used for either takeoff or landing. For aircraft it is generally both. It was also formerly called alighting gear by some manufacturers, such as the Glenn L. Martin Company.

The aircraft has an empty weight of 190 kg (419 lb) and a gross weight of 450 kg (992 lb), giving a useful load of 260 kg (573 lb). With full fuel of 40 litres (8.8 imp gal; 11 US gal) the payload is 231 kg (509 lb). [1]

A number of different wings can be fitted to the basic carriage, including the Bautek Pico and the La Mouette Ghost 12 and 14. [1]

Specifications (Diamant Twin with Bautek Pico wing)

Data from Bayerl [1]

General characteristics

The Hirth F-30 is a horizontally opposed four-cylinder, two-stroke, carburetted aircraft engine, with optional fuel injection, designed for use on ultralight aircraft and homebuilts.

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: 150 km/h (93 mph; 81 kn)
  • Cruise speed: 92 km/h (57 mph; 50 kn)
  • Stall speed: 60 km/h (37 mph; 32 kn)
  • Rate of climb: 4.5 m/s (890 ft/min)
  • Wing loading: 30.4 kg/m2 (6.2 lb/sq ft)

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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 222. WDLA UK, Lancaster UK, 2011. ISSN 1368-485X
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