Leading idea in design has been:
Operational cost must be kept reasonable, but not instead of safety.
Following ideas have been used to reach this:
These are numbers for the prototype. It carries the penalty of being a prototype, particulary in the empty weight. We estimate that the prototype penalty is something like 30-40 kg. Weight includes 70 m towrope (in the integral hoist).
| Length | 6,125 m | 20,1 ft |
| Span | 9,1 m | 29,8 ft |
| Wing area | 9,0 mē | 96,9 sqft |
| Wing profile | LS (1) -0417 mod | |
| Horizontal tail span | 2,92 m | 9,6 ft |
| Horizontal tail area | 2,24 mē | 24,1 sqft |
| Empty weight | 410 kg | 904 lbs |
| Maximum take-off weight | 595 kg | 1312 lbs |
| Maximum glider weight | 850 kg or more | 1874 lbs or more |
| VNE | 270 km/h | 146 kts |
| VA | 198 km/h | 107 kts |
| VS | 81 km/h | 44 kts |
| Load factors | +4,7 g ... -2 g | |
| Fuel tank volume | 90 liters | 24 USg |
| C. of G. range | 20% ... 41% mac | |
| engine | Rotax 914, prototype. s/n 002 will have engine from RAM Performance Ltd | |
Fits within LSA definition of FAR CR 1.1.
Prototype has welded tube construction of SAF 2205 tubing. This tube does not corrode. And this material has very high yield (25%) meaning better changes in crash.
Plans are for 4130 material, far easier to get.
Composite structure. Common glider structures, whith glass fibre reinforcement PCV foam samdwich. Carbon spars. Fuel in wings.
Components selected keeping in mind, that someday towpilot will make a hard landing. Main wheel components are same as what Cessna 172 has. Brake unit is also same and while braking an aircraft this light it does not work very hard.
Rotax 914 may not seem to offer much more than 912S. But it is turbocharged, meaning that it does not lose power when density altitude rises. 912S has 100 hp at sea level at 15 C. When is a gliding airport at sea level and when it is that cold? Rotax 914 will maintain 115 hp up to FL150.
And as the langing gear is quite high, we could use a propeller optimized for low speed. Diameter is 1,95 meters, large prop disk area means very high static thrust.
