American ultralight trike aircraft

Jetwing

Role  | Ultralight trike

Type of aircraft

National origin | United States
Manufacturer  | Ultimate Flight Designs
Introduction  | 1981
Status  | Production completed

The Ultimate Jetwing is an American ultralight trike that was designed and produced by Ultimate Flight Designs of Mounds, Oklahoma. The aircraft was supplied fully assembled.[1]

## Design and development[edit]

The Jetwing was one of the first trikes to be made commercially available, being introduced in 1981. The initial versions used a single surface Rogallo wing. The type went out of production in the mid-1980s, but was reintroduced by the original manufacturer in the late 1990s, using a much newer wing design, a double-surface Demon wing.[1]

The aircraft was designed to comply with the US FAR 103 Ultralight Vehicles rules, including the category's maximum empty weight of 254 lb (115 kg). The aircraft has a standard empty weight of 217 lb (98 kg). It features a minimalist design, cable-braced hang glider-style high wing, weight-shift controls, a single-seat, open cockpit, tricycle landing gear and a single engine in pusher configuration.[1]

The aircraft is made from bolted-together aluminum tubing, with its wing covered in Dacron sailcloth. Its 165 sq ft (15.3 m2) area Demon wing is supported by a single tube-type kingpost and uses an "A" frame control bar. The landing gear employs large-diameter plastic-rimmed wheels to save weight and has suspension on all three wheels. Mainwheel suspension is of the swing-axle and bungee type, while the nosewheel uses a steel spring. A wide variety of small engines can be used, including the Kawasaki 440 twin-cylinder, two-stroke snowmobile engine.[1]

Because of its light weight and low wing loading the Jetwing is suitable for power-off soaring flight.[1]

## Specifications (Jetwing)[edit]

Data from Cliche[1]

General characteristics

* Crew: one
* Wing area: 165 sq ft (15.3 m2)
* Empty weight: 217 lb (98 kg)
* Gross weight: 480 lb (218 kg)
* Fuel capacity: 5 U.S. gallons (19 L; 4.2 imp gal)
* Powerplant: 1 × Kawasaki 440 twin cylinder, two-stroke snowmobile engine

Performance

* Cruise speed: 35 mph (56 km/h, 30 kn)
* Stall speed: 23 mph (37 km/h, 20 kn)
* Rate of climb: 500 ft/min (2.5 m/s)

## References[edit]

1. ^ a b c d e f Cliche, Andre: Ultralight Aircraft Shopper's Guide 8th Edition, page C-12. Cybair Limited Publishing, 2001. ISBN 0-9680628-1-4