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Acrolite - Сверхлегкий самолет (КАНАДА)

Acrolite 1A

The Original Acrolite Biplane

This is the original Acrolite biplane and a forerunner of the present Acrolite. This aircraft was designed in 1985 to take full advantage of the regulations governing ultralight aircraft in Canada at that time. Construction was started in January 1986 by Peter Eisenbach and Chris Weiher and the first flight was in October 1986. It was a 22 foot span biplane with a empty weight of 281 lbs. and powered by a Rotax 447 engine. It easily out performed all of the commercial ultralights that were available then and unlike most of them it was 100% legal for launch weight. It is an excellent flying machine that is still being flown today.

The 1A was first flown with the Kawasaki 440, after 50 hours it was replaced with a new 40 hp. Rotax 447 engine and B reduction drive. With a stall speed of 32 mph this is a very docile and easy to fly aircraft. The fuselage is constructed of welded 4130 chrome moly steel tube. The tail assembly is constructed of 6061 aluminum tube riveted together with 2024-T3 aluminum gusset plates. The wing is construction of 2024-T3 aluminum with a channel section main spar, a channel section rear spar, sheeted leading edge D cell and assembled with 1/8 inch diameter stainless steel blind rivets. The airfoil is a NACA4412 semi-symmetrical section. The ailerons are semi-full span aluminum tube, static balanced. The wing, fuselage, empennage and ailerons are fabric covered with 1.7 oz PolyFiber fabric. The landing gear is one piece spring aluminum clamped and bolted directly to the bottom of the fuselage with four bolts. The wheels and tires are 500 X 5 kart type with mechanical drum brakes.

This aircraft won the C.O.P.A. Good Show Award in 1998.

Plans for this aircraft are not presently available.

Acrolite 1B

General Description of the Acrolite 1B Light Aircraft

The Acrolite was designed as a good performing entry level aerobatic capable aircraft in a light, low cost package for those pilots that want a more exciting and challenging aircraft to fly than the more common type of light and ultralight aircraft.

Designed by Ron Wilson of Murillo Ontario, it was the winner of the 1995 Scratch Build Design Contest sponsored by Aircraft Spruce and Specialty Co. of Fullerton California and hosted by the Experimental Aircraft Association in Oshkosh Wisconsin. This design won out over 102 entries from all over the world. Aircraft Spruce sponsored the cost of building the airframe and the aircraft was built in one year by Peter Eisenbach of Thunder Bay and Vern Ennis and Harold Spithoff of Kakabeka Falls Ontario. It was designed with strength, ability to take abuse, ease of repair, good short field performance and stable flight characteristics as the most important features. The strut braced staggered wing biplane design affords good visibility and requires a pilot with only average flying ability but with some experience in high performance taildraggers. The design and basic construction is in accordance with standard aircraft practices and aircraft grade materials are used throughout. The aircraft is conservatively stressed for a limit load of 6 G positive and 4 G negative with a 1.5 safety factor at a gross weight of 750 lbs.

One of the nice things about small biplanes is that they can be built in a fairly small area. The largest piece is the fuselage which is approximately 12 feet long 2 feet wide and 4 feet high. Built on a 12' x 2' table with a minimum of 3 feet of walk around area it can be built in any 17 foot long room. A single car garage is more than adequate and the entire aircraft can be fully assembled in an average 2 car garage. The wing panels are built standing on edge in a 8 foot long jig.

For the best performance and reliability the preferred engine is the four cylinder Rotax 912. This is the engine used in the prototype. However the Rotax 582/618 twin cylinder two stroke with a "C" or "E" type gear reduction drive will give good aerobatic performance at a lower cost.

The fuselage is constructed of welded 4130 chrome moly steel tube. A welded steel fuselage is generally considered to be the most durable, is easy to repair and provides the best protection against impact damage. Control linkages to the ailerons and elevator are push-pull rods with bearings on each end. Rudder and steerable tailwheel control is via a common cable. The tail assembly is constructed of 6061 aluminum tube riveted together with 2024-T3 aluminum gusset plates.

The wing is of stressed skin wood construction with a built up box section main spar, built up ribs, plywood sheeting and fabric covered. The builder will also have the option of building the wing entirely of 2024-T3 aluminum with a box section main spar, a channel section rear spar, fully sheeted and flush riveted with 1/8 inch diameter stainless steel blind rivets. The airfoil is GA30-212 semi-symmetrical section designed by Harry Ribblett. This airfoil is noted for its low drag and excellent stall characteristics. The ailerons are semi-full span aluminum tube, static balanced. The fuselage, empennage and ailerons are fabric covered with 1.7 oz PolyFiber fabric.

The landing gear is one piece spring aluminum clamped and bolted directly to the bottom of the fuselage with four bolts. This type landing gear has low drag is easy to construct and handles hard landings and rough ground well. The wheels and tires are 500 X 5 aircraft type with cable operated drum brakes. Optionally hydraulic operated disk brakes can also be used. The tailwheel spring is formed from aluminum flat bar and the tailwheel swivel unit is welded from chrome moly sheet steel. The 5 inch diameter tail wheel is molded hi-impact plastic.

Flying the Acrolite 1B Aircraft

This airplane is a delight to fly. Despite the lower range of engine horsepower used, performance is impressive. The airplane has a three to one speed range (top speed is three times stall) which is exceptional for a small light airplane without flaps.

Unlike most small biplanes the Acrolite is a very easy airplane to fly. Ground handling is excellent and in the air it is very responsive yet stable. Control feel is light but firm enough that there is little tendency to over control the aircraft. Stall occurs at a little less than 45 mph (72.5 kph). straight ahead with just a little shudder to let you know what has happened. There is no tendency for it to fall off one wing and the ailerons work right up through the stall. An intentional spin is almost impossible. The Acrolite has to be forced into a spin. Recovery is immediate after releasing the controls. The Acrolite was designed for entry level or fun aerobatics. Loops, rolls, hammer head turns, Immelman turns and Cuban eights are no problem with a little practice. This is a very honest airplane with absolutely no vices in the air or on the ground. Flying the Acrolite is a real ball, when you move the controls you are rewarded with a smooth quick response and the airplane goes precisely where you want it to. It behaves a lot like a high performance sports car in the air.

While the Acrolite was not intended for cross country use it performs very well at it. It is rock solid and steady in cruise and flies straight and level with minimum control corrections. With the Rotax 912 engine, cruise speed at 5000 rpm is over 110 mph (177 kph). and the engine burns less than 4 U.S. gallons (15.4 liters) an hour. With the main tank, range is limited to about 200 miles(322 kilometers), plenty enough for short cross country use.

Having FUN, that's really what the Acrolite is all about.

The aircraft was flown to the EAA convention in Oshkosh WI in both 1996 and 1997 and was featured in an article in the February 1997 issue of Sport Aviation magazine. In June 1998 a second aircraft was completed and both aircraft were flown to the 1998 convention. Plans, Info packs and building materials packages are available from Aircraft Spruce in Corona California. Approximate cost to build the airframe is less than $8,000. U.S. See the ordering page for further information.

Acrolite 1C

General Description of the Acrolite Model 1C Biplane

The Acrolite 1C is a higher performance version of the Acrolite 1B. While the fuselage and general configuration is identical, the wing panels have been shortened to eight feet for an 18 foot wing span and a total of 120 sq. ft. of wing area. The horizontal tail volume has been decreased accordingly and the rudder area has been increased. The builder has the option of building the wings of wood or aluminum and of using a GA30U-212 semi-symmetrical section or a GA30U-012 fully symmetrical section for better aerobatic performance when using the higher horsepower engines.

For the best performance the recommended engines are the four cylinder Rotax 80 hp 912 to the 115 hp 914 or the 80 to 120 hp. Hirth F30. Other engines of similar power and installed weight can also be used. The converted Volkswagon engine or the small four cylinder Continental engines are not recommended as the extra weight would cause a weight and balance problem and the power to weight ratio would not be as good.

The aluminum wing is of stressed skin construction with a box section main spar, a channel section rear spar and strut braced. It is built entirely of 2024-T3 aluminum, fully sheeted and flush riveted with 1/8 inch diameter stainless steel blind rivets. The wood wing uses a built up main spar and ribs, is plywood sheeted and fabric covered. The ailerons are full span aluminum tube, static balanced.

The fuselage is constructed of welded 4130 chrome moly steel tube. Control linkages to the ailerons and elevator are push-pull rods with bearings on each end. Rudder and steerable tailwheel control is via a common cable. The tail assembly is constructed of 6061 aluminum tube riveted together with 2024-T3 aluminum gusset plates. The fuselage, empennage and ailerons are fabric covered with 1.7 oz Polyfiber fabric.

The landing gear is one piece spring aluminum clamped and bolted directly to the bottom of the fuselage with four bolts. The wheels and tires are 500 X 5 aircraft type. Due to the higher output engines hydraulic operated disk brakes are recommended.

The aircraft is conservatively stressed for a limit load of 6 G positive and 4 G negative with a 1.5 safety factor at a flying weight of 750 lbs.

Present Status

The Acrolite 1C we have presently under construction is an effort to explore the performance envelope a little further. We have installed a 150 hp snowmobile engine in it. This is a technically complicated process and not for the faint of heart. We do not recommend anyone do this unless they are prepared for a lot of development work. The engine is detuned to 120 hp and a new experimental reduction drive has been mated to it. The intent is to test the airframe performance with very high power to weight ratio (less than 6 lb per hp). The engine is installed in the airframe and we are now performing run up tests.

Acrolite 1M

General Description of the Acrolite 1M Light Aircraft

The Acrolite 1M was designed as a good performing entry level aircraft in a light, low cost package for those pilots that want a stable easy to fly, recreational light aircraft.

It is designed with strength, ability to take abuse, ease of repair, good short field performance and stable flight characteristics as the most important features. The high wing monoplane design affords good visibility and requires a pilot with only average flying ability but with some experience in taildraggers. The aircraft is stressed for the ultralight category at limit load of 4 G positive and 2 G negative with a 1.5 safety factor at a gross weight of 650 lbs.

The aircraft can use any of the popular ultralight engines from the Rotax 40 hp 440 to the 65 hp 582 or any engine of similar weight and power.

The fuselage is constructed of welded 4130 chrome moly steel tube. A welded steel fuselage is generally considered to be the most durable, is easy to repair and provides the best protection against impact damage. Control linkages to the ailerons and elevator are push-pull rods with bearings on each end. The tail assembly is constructed of 6061 aluminum tube riveted together with 2024-T3 aluminum gusset plates.

The wing is of 2024-T3 aluminum stressed skin construction with a box section main spar, a channel section rear spar, fully sheeted and flush riveted with 1/8 inch diameter stainless steel blind rivets. The airfoil is GA30-412 semi-symmetrical section designed by Harry Ribblett. This airfoil is noted for its high lift, low drag and excellent stall characteristics. The ailerons are semi-full span aluminum tube, static balanced. The fuselage, empennage and ailerons are fabric covered with 1.7 oz PolyFiber fabric.

Present Status

The plans for the prototype have been drawn and a computer projected performance and stress analysis has been completed. Construction was started on the prototype but has not been completed.

Acrolite 1T

General Description of the Acrolite 1T Light Aircraft

What, a triplane! Well why not? Nobody has designed a new triplane since the end of WW1 so why not a modern light plane version using the latest technology and engines from the ultralight industry. We are not talking a pseudo copy of an old WW1 plane but a new light sport triplane using as much modern technology and materials as is practical and cost effective.

What are the advantages and disadvantages of a triplane?

Disadvantages;

High drag from wing interference and lift loss from six wing tips.

The extra work required to build six wings.

Loss of visibility due to the location of the center and lower wings blocking the line of sight to the front and down.

Advantages;

The high aspect ratio of the wings allows an excellent rate of climb and a good glide ratio if the wing interference drag can be reduced.

High roll rate from the short span wings.

Good longitudinal stability due to the extra lift centers.

Unusual and eye catching aircraft that will attract attention no matter where it is flown.

How do we maximize the advantages and minimize the disadvantages?

By utilizing a modern airfoil, narrow wing chord, lots of wing stagger and properly shaped wingtips we can reduce the interference drag and the tip loss.

Create "quick build" wings using common wood working tools that most builders have on hand. The wings would be built much the same way as a model airplane.

By using a light 2 stroke engine the wings can be mounted further back than they would have to be for a conventional aircraft engine thereby keeping them out of the field of view, also the narrow chord wings do not block the vision the way the wide chord wings do in a biplane

Supply full size patterns for all the fittings, controls, ribs, panels and bulkheads to make layout work faster and easier for the builder.

Comments:

While it is always a good idea to minimize drag and maximize efficiency these factors are not as critical to an airplane that has a cruise and top speed of less than 100 mph. Maximum efficiency is not all that important to the recreational flyer that just fly's on a weekend for enjoyment and relaxation. The 2 stroke engine that is typically used in this type of aircraft is not known for its fuel efficiency, which is the primary reason for having low drag in an aircraft.

General:

The Triplane construction is identical to the 1B biplane except that on the prototype we used a fiberglas skin for the wings instead of plywood. This gave a much smoother surface to the wing than the plywood. The wings for the triplane are made with a wooden frame and covered with fiberglass or plywood. The remainder of the construction methods are the same as the biplanes.

Flying the Acrolite 1T Aircraft

The aircraft accelerates and lifts off the ground very quickly and climbout is exceptional. We were concerned that with the ailerons on only the center wing that the roll rate would not be adequate but this was not the case. Compared to the biplanes aileron response is just a bit slow initially but once it starts moving it is quite good. It does not roll as fast as the biplanes but the turning radius is a lot smaller so I think it may just out turn the biplanes. The stall is more pronounced in the triplane and unlike the biplane that will fly itself out of a stall even with full back stick. the triplane requires proper stall recovery technique. In a 1000 ft climb out contest with the 80 hp biplane the triplane lagged only slightly behind. A full throttle, level flight, speed run showed 115 mph indicated at 6800 rpm. The triplane flew hands off on the first flight with no changes required in trim and it is very stable in pitch. Visibility is very good, especially on approach and it feels easier to land than the biplanes because it does not seem to float as much at touchdown. Rudder authority is very good and it will make a really neat flat turn, just cut the throttle back to half, give it about ¾ rudder and it will do a 120 degree flat turn in the blink of an eye.

Present Status

The Triplane presently has just over 50 hours on it, flight testing has been completed and the aircraft sports a new shiny polyurethane finish. We are very pleased with its flight characteristics and its performance and reliability. This aircraft required no changes and had no problems at all during its flight testing. Other than trying a couple of different props (we finally ended up with a two blade GCS ground adjustable so the blades from the Warp Drive prop will go into a new 3 blade hub for the Acrolite 1C.) we made no changes to the airplane at all. The construction drawings and builders manual are completed and are now available. Please see the ordering page for more information.

Acrolite 2M

General Description of the 2 place Acrolite 2M Light Aircraft

This aircraft was designed in 1991 and built in 1991 to 1994, it had its first flight in June of 1994. It is a high wing two place tandem seat monoplane powered by a Rotax 65 hp 582 engine. Originally designed for the Rotax 912, performance is surprisingly good with the smaller engine. It was designed as per TP10141 the Canadian specifications for advanced ultralight aircraft. This aircraft also meets the U.S. Sport Pilot requirements. The aircraft is stressed for this category with a 4 g. limit load and 6 g. ultimate load.

When it was announced that the biplane was one of the finalists in the design contest the final development work on this aircraft was set aside until the work on the biplane was done.

Design details

The aircraft was designed with strength, ability to take abuse, ease of repair, good short field performance and stable flight characteristics as the most important features. The high wing design affords good visibility and requires a pilot with only average flying ability. The design and basic construction is in accordance with standard aircraft practices and aircraft grade materials are used throughout.

Tandem seating was selected for its low drag characteristics and sleek appearance. Most of the popular ultralight twin cylinder two stroke engines can be used from 60 hp on up and the lighter four cylinder aircraft engines like the 80 hp four cylinder Rotax 912 and the 80 hp Jabiru. With an engine of 65 hp or more the aircraft is easily capable of carrying two 180 lb. persons of over 6 ft. in height and full fuel.

The fuselage is long for better stability and is constructed of welded 4130 chrome moly steel as per standard aircraft methods and covered with Polyfiber 1.7 oz. fabric. A welded steel fuselage is generally considered to be the most durable, is easy to repair and provides the best protection against impact damage.

The tail assembly is constructed of 6061 aluminum tube riveted together with 2024-T3 aluminum gusset plates and fabric covered. This type construction allows a full cantilever empennage with low drag and light weight.

Control linkages to the ailerons and elevator are push-pull rods with bearings on each end for positive control and friction free operation. Rudder and steerable tailwheel control is via a common cable.

The wing is of stressed skin construction with a box section main spar, a channel section rear spar and strut braced. Preliminary stress analysis shows it is good for well over 6 g. ultimate load. It is built entirely of 2024-T3 aluminum, fully sheeted and flush riveted with 1/8 inch diameter stainless steel blind rivets. The ailerons are full span aluminum tube, fabric covered and static balanced.

The landing gear is one piece spring aluminum clamped and bolted directly to the bottom of the fuselage with four bolts. This type landing gear has low drag is easy to construct and handles hard landings and rough ground well. The wheels and tires are 600 X 5 aircraft type with cable operated drum brakes. Optionally hydraulic operated disk brakes can also be used. Floats and skis can also be used with a minimum of adapting.

Flying the Acrolite 2M Aircraft

Unlike most small airplanes the Acrolite is a very easy airplane to fly. Ground handling is excellent and in the air it is very responsive yet stable. Control feel is light but firm enough that there is little tendency to over control the aircraft. Stall occurs at a little less than 44 mph. straight ahead with just a little shudder to let you know what has happened. There is very little tendency for it to fall off one wing and the ailerons work right up through the stall. An unintentional spin is almost impossible. The Acrolite has to be forced into a spin. Recovery is immediate after releasing the controls. This is a very honest airplane with absolutely no vices in the air or on the ground.

Present Status

On November 2002 the 582 engine was removed for installation in the new Triplane and a new Rotax 912U engine was purchased for it. During the next year the 912 engine was installed, modifications were made to the airframe to strengthen the landing gear area, the fuselage was recovered, wheel fairings were added and the aircraft was painted in two tone polyurethane. The first flight with the new engine was made on Nov. 8, 2003. The aircraft now has over 60 hours on it with the new engine and performance and reliability have been excellent. We have constructed a new set of skis for it and flew it on skis through the winter of 2004/2005. The skis worked very well and if there is enough interest we will offer plans for them. These skis should work well on most light sport planes of 1300 lbs gross or less.

With over 200 hours on the airframe, all the restrictions have been flown off and the flight testing has been completed, so we feel confident enough in the design to offer the plans for sale. The construction drawings and builders manual are completed and are now available. Please see the ordering page for more information.

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