Rotec Rally

Last updated
Rally
Role Ultralight aircraft
National origin United States
Manufacturer Rotec Engineering
DesignerBill Adaska
Introduction1977
StatusProduction completed
Number builtmore than 2000

The Rotec Rally is a family of American ultralight aircraft that was designed by Bill Adaska in 1977 and produced by Rotec Engineering of Duncanville, Texas. Adaska had been an aeronautical engineer at Bell Helicopter and the French helicopter manufacturer, Aerospatiale, prior to starting Rotec. The aircraft was supplied as a kit for amateur construction. [1] [2] [3]

United States Federal republic in North America

The United States of America (USA), commonly known as the United States or America, is a country comprising 50 states, a federal district, five major self-governing territories, and various possessions. At 3.8 million square miles, the United States is the world's third or fourth largest country by total area and is slightly smaller than the entire continent of Europe's 3.9 million square miles. With a population of more than 327 million people, the U.S. is the third most populous country. The capital is Washington, D.C., and the most populous city is New York City. Forty-eight states and the capital's federal district are contiguous in North America between Canada and Mexico. The State of Alaska is in the northwest corner of North America, bordered by Canada to the east and across the Bering Strait from Russia to the west. The State of Hawaii is an archipelago in the mid-Pacific Ocean. The U.S. territories are scattered about the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea, stretching across nine official time zones. The extremely diverse geography, climate, and wildlife of the United States make it one of the world's 17 megadiverse countries.

Rotec Engineering was an American aircraft manufacturer, founded in 1977 by William Adaska and located in Duncanville, Texas. Adaska had worked as an aeronautical engineer for Bell Helicopter and the French helicopter manufacturer, Aérospatiale prior to starting Rotec.

Duncanville, Texas City in Texas, United States

Duncanville is a city in southern Dallas County, Texas, in the United States. Duncanville's population was 38,524 at the 2010 census. The city is part of the Best Southwest area, which includes Duncanville, Cedar Hill, DeSoto, and Lancaster.

Contents

Design and development

The earliest Rallys were derived from hang gliders and comply with the US FAR 103 Ultralight Vehicles rules, including the category's maximum empty weight of 254 lb (115 kg). The Rally 2, for instance, has a standard empty weight of 145 lb (66 kg). The series all feature a cable-braced high-wing, a single-seat, open cockpit, conventional landing gear and a single engine in pusher configuration. The series was highly successful due to its low price and solid engineering. [1] [2]

Conventional landing gear aircraft undercarriage arrangement with main gear forward plus tail support

Conventional landing gear, or tailwheel-type landing gear, is an aircraft undercarriage consisting of two main wheels forward of the center of gravity and a small wheel or skid to support the tail. The term taildragger is also used, although some claim it should apply only to those aircraft with a tailskid rather than a wheel.

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 aluminum tubing, with the flying surfaces covered in Dacron sailcloth. The wing is cable braced from a single kingpost mounted on top of the wing. The tailwheel is sprung. [1] [2]

Sailcloth strong fabric of the type used to make ships sails

Sailcloth encompasses a wide variety of materials that span those from natural fibers, such as flax, hemp or cotton in various forms of sail canvas, to synthetic fibers, including nylon, polyester, aramids, and carbon fibers in a variety of woven, spun and molded textiles.

The first Rallys were simple powered hang gliders and grew in sophistication as the model numbers increased. More than 2000 Rallys were delivered. [1] [3]

Powered hang glider

A foot-launched powered hang glider (FLPHG), also called powered harness, nanolight, or hangmotor, is a powered hang glider harness with a motor and propeller in pusher configuration. An ordinary hang glider is used for its wing and control frame, and the pilot can foot-launch from a hill or from flat ground, needing a length of about a football field to get airborne, or much less if there is an oncoming breeze and no obstacles.

Operational history

In reviewing the Rally, All-Aero said:

The Rotec [Rally] was really just a cheap copy of the Quicksilver MX. For example the rudder, elevator, and spoileron cables were just rope. To attach these to the control systems Adaska used plastic hooks, and you literally tied a knot in the rope to attach the hook! Plastic fittings were used on the elevator, rudder, and spoilerons. These would crack and break when exposed to UV and cold. With all this said the craft did fly, was quite forgiving, and easy to repair, and with some changes is a safe, fun, affordable flying machine. [3]

Variants

Rally 1
Early powered hang glider model introduced in 1977. [1] [3]
Rally 2
Improved powered hang glider model with weight shift control for pitch and roll with a seat-cable controlled rudder introduced in 1979. Standard engine is the Solo 210 of 20 hp (15 kW). It has a 145 lb (66 kg) empty weight and a cruise speed of 23 mph (37 km/h). [1] [3]
Rally 2B
Development of the Rally 2, with a conventional three-axis control system, including wing-mounted ailerons. In production models after 1981 the ailerons were replaced with spoilers for roll control. The control stick on the Rally 2B is hinged from the top, which simplified control runs to the high wing. Standard engine supplied was the Cuyuna 430 two-stroke. [1]
Rally 3
Two seat version of the Rally 2B, introduced in 1981. [1] [3]
Rally Sport
Structurally strengthened version of the Rally 2B for aerobatics, with a 248 lb (112 kg) empty weight, 27 ft (8.2 m) wingspan and glide ratio of 8:1. Introduced in January 1983. [1] [2] [3]

Aircraft on display

Specifications (Rally 2B)

Data from Cliche [1]

General characteristics

The Cuyuna 430 and Cuyuna 340 are a family of two-stroke, twin-cylinder piston snowmobile engines that were redesigned to serve as ultralight aircraft powerplants.

Performance

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References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Cliche, Andre: Ultralight Aircraft Shopper's Guide 8th Edition, page E-30. Cybair Limited Publishing, 2001. ISBN   0-9680628-1-4
  2. 1 2 3 4 Virtual Ultralight Museum (n.d.). "Rally Sport" . Retrieved 8 December 2011.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Rotec Engineering". All Aero. 2015. Retrieved 22 February 2015.
  4. ↑ aviationmuseum.eu (n.d.). "Southern Museum of Flight" . Retrieved 8 December 2011.
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