During the late 1970s and early 1980s, many people sought to be able to fly affordably. As a result, many aviation authorities set up definitions of lightweight, slow-flying aeroplanes that could be subject to minimum regulation. The resulting aeroplanes are commonly called ultralight or microlight, although the weight and speed limits are rarely the same between any two countries.
There is also an allowance of another 10% on Maximum Take Off Weight for seaplanes and amphibians, and some countries (such as Germany and France) also allow another 5% for installation of a ballistic parachute. A seaplane is a Fixed-wing aircraft capable of taking off and landing (alighting on water An amphibious or amphibian aircraft is an Aircraft that can take off and land on either land or water Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe. This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. A ballistic parachute is a Parachute ejected from the casing via a small explosion much like that used in an Ejection seat.
The safety regulations used to approve microlights vary between countries, the strictest being the United Kingdom, Italy, Sweden and Germany, while they are almost non-existent in France and the United States. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located Italy (Italia officially the Italian Republic, (Repubblica Italiana is located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe, and on the two largest "Sverige" redirects here For other uses see Sweden (disambiguation and Sverige (disambiguation. Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe. This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the The disparity between regulations is a major barrier to international trade and overflight, as is the fact that these regulations are invariably sub-ICAO, which means that they are not internationally recognised. International trade is exchange of Capital, Goods, and Services across International borders or Territories. The International Civil Aviation Organization ( ICAO) an agency of the United Nations, codifies the principles and techniques of international air navigation
In most affluent countries, microlights or ultralights now account for about 20% of the civil aircraft fleet.
In countries where there is no specific regulation, ultralights are considered regular aircraft and subject to certification requirements for both aircraft and pilot.
Ultralight aircraft are generally called microlight aircraft in the UK and New Zealand, and ULMs in France and Italy. New Zealand is an Island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses (the North Island and the South Island Some countries differentiate between weight shift and 3-axis aircraft, calling the former microlight and the latter ultralight.
The U. S. light-sport aircraft is similar to the UK and NZ Microlight in definition and licensing requirement, the U. Light-sport aircraft, or LSA, is a classification of Aircraft specific to the United States. S. 'Ultralight' being in a class of its own.
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Definitions
United States
The USA FAA's definition of an ultralight is significantly different from that in most other countries and can lead to some confusion when discussing the topic. WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout Biaxially-oriented Polyethylene terephthalate (boPET Polyester film is used for its high Tensile strength, Chemical and dimensional Stability Ultralight aircraft in the United States are much smaller and lighter than ultralight aircraft in all other countries The Federal Aviation Administration ( FAA) is an agency of the United States Department of Transportation with authority to regulate and oversee all aspects of The governing regulation in the United States is FAR 103, which specifies a powered "ultralight" as a single seat vehicle of less than 5 US gallons (19 L) fuel capacity, empty weight of less than 254 pounds (115 kg), a top speed of 55 knots (102 km/h or 64 mph), and a maximum stall speed not exceeding 24 knots (45 km/h or 27. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the The Federal Aviation Regulations, or FAR s are rules prescribed by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA governing all Aviation activities in the For other uses see Stall. In Aerodynamics, a stall is a sudden reduction in the lift forces generated by an Airfoil 6 mph). Restrictions include flying only during daylight hours and over unpopulated areas. Unpowered "ultralights" (hang-gliders, paragliders, etc. ) are limited to a weight of 155 lb (70 kg) with extra weight allowed for amphibious landing gear and ballistic parachute systems.
In 2004 the FAA introduced the "Light-sport aircraft" category, which closely resembles other countries' ultralight categories. Light-sport aircraft, or LSA, is a classification of Aircraft specific to the United States.
In the United States no license or training is required by law for ultralights, but training is highly advisable. The Ikarus C42 is a two-seat fixed Tricycle gear, General aviation Microlight airplane, manufactured in Germany by COMCO IKARUS GmbH For light-sport aircraft a sport pilot certificate is required, which is similar in requirements to other countries' ultralight license. Pilot certification in the United States is under the authority of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA
Ultralight aviation is represented by the United States Ultralight Association (USUA), which represents the US portion of the sport to the world through its affiliation with the FAI. The United States Ultralight Association ( USUA) is a Non-profit organization that endeavors to support Ultralight aviation and ultralight aircraft
Canada
Europe
The definition of a microlight according to the Joint Aviation Authorities document JAR-1 is an aeroplane having no more than two seats, maximum stall speed (VS0) of 35 knots (65 km/h) CAS, and a maximum take-off mass of no more than:
- 300 kg for a landplane, single seater; or
- 450 kg for a landplane, two-seater; or
- 330 kg for an amphibian or floatplane, single seater; or
- 495 kg for an amphibian or floatplane, two-seater, provided that a microlight capable of operating as both a floatplane and a landplane falls below both MTOM limits, as appropriate. See also Ultralight aviation The Canadian Aviation Regulations define two types of ultralight aircraft: basic ultra-light aeroplane (BULA and advanced ultra-light The Joint Aviation Authorities, or JAA, is an associated body of the European Civil Aviation Conference (ECAC representing the Civil aviation regulatory In Aviation, V-speeds or Velocity-speeds are standard terms used to define Airspeeds important or useful to the operation of Aircraft, such The Maximum Takeoff Weight or Maximum Takeoff Mass of an Aircraft is the maximum weight at which the pilot of the aircraft is allowed to attempt to take off
Foot-launched aircraft are excluded from this definition.
Australia
In Australia a "Sport/Recreational aircraft" must have:
- a maximum all-up weight (MAUW) of 544 kg or 1,200 lb or less;
- a stalling speed under 45 knots in landing configuration and
- a maximum of two seats. Recreational Aviation Australia (abbreviated to RAA or RA-Aus formally known as the Australian Ultralight Federation (AUF is the governing body of ultralights in Australia For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Australia topics.
In Australia, microlight aircraft are defined as one or two seat weight-shift aircraft, with a maximum takeoff weight of 450 kg, as set out by the Civil Aviation Safety Authority. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Australia topics. The Civil Aviation Safety Authority ( CASA) is the Australian federal agency responsible for the regulation of private and commercial flight In Australia microlights are also referred to as trikes and are distinguished from three-axis aircraft, of which the smallest are known as ultralights. An ultralight trike, also known as a Flex-wing trike or Weight-Shift Microlight, is a type of powered Hang glider using the Rogallo wing coupled
In Australia, microlight aircraft and their pilots can either be registered with the Hang Gliding Federation of Australia (HGFA)[1] or Recreational Aviation Australia (RA Aus)[2]. Recreational Aviation Australia (abbreviated to RAA or RA-Aus formally known as the Australian Ultralight Federation (AUF is the governing body of ultralights in Australia In all cases, except for privately built single-place ultralight aeroplanes[3], microlight aircraft or trikes are regulated by the Civil Aviation Regulations.
New Zealand
In New Zealand microlight aircraft are separated into two classes, basically single and two seat aircraft. All microlights are required to have a prescribed endurance testing period when they are first flown, and all microlights must have a minimum set of instrumentation to show airspeed (except powered parachutes), altitude and magnetic heading.
NZ Class 1
Single seat aircraft with a design gross weight of 544 kg (1,200 lb) (landplanes) or 579 kg (1,275 lb) (seaplanes or amphibians), or less, and a stall speed in the landing configuration of 45 knots or less. Air Creation is a French manufacturer of ultra-light aircraft. Requires aircraft registration, and annual condition inspections, but does not require a permit to fly.
NZ Class 2
Two seat aircraft with a design gross weight of 544 kg (landplanes) or 614 kg (seaplanes or amphibians), or less, and a stall speed of 45 knots or less in the landing configuration. Must meet minimum type acceptance standards which may be foreign standards which have been deemed acceptable, or via a temporary permit to fly and flight testing regime. Requires aircraft registration, annual condition inspections, and a current permit to fly.
Types of aircraft
While ultralight-type planes date back to the early 1900s (such as the Santos-Dumont Demoiselle), there have been three generations of modern, fixed-wing ultralight aircraft designs, which are generally classed by the type of structure. Alberto Santos-Dumont (July 20 1873 &ndash July 23 1932 was an early pioneer of Aviation.
The first generation of modern ultralights were actually hang gliders with small engines added to them, for self-launching. History See also History of hang gliding Summary: Hang gliding existed in China perhaps by the 4th century AD according to the writing of the The wings on these were braced by wires, and steered by shifting the pilot's weight under the wing.
The second generation ultralights began to arrive in the mid-1970s. These were designed as powered aircraft, but still used wire bracing and usually single-surface wings. Most of these have "2-Axis" control systems, operated by stick or yoke, which control the elevators (pitch) and the rudder (yaw) -- there are no ailerons, so may be no direct control of banking (roll). A few 2-Axis designs use spoilers on the top of the wings, and pedals for rudder control. In Aeronautics a spoiler (sometimes called a lift dumper) is a device intended to reduce lift in an aircraft Examples of 2-Axis ultralights are the "Pterodactyl" and the "Quicksilver MX".
The third generation ultralights, arriving in the early 1980s, have strut-braced wings and airframe structure. Nearly all use 3-Axis control systems, as used on standard airplanes, and these are the most popular. Third generation designs include the "T-Bird," "Kolb" and "Challenger" families.
There are several types of aircraft which qualify as ultralights, but which do not have fixed-wing designs. These include:
- Weight shift - while the first generation ultralights were also controlled by weight shift, most of the current weight shift ultralights use a hang glider-style wing, below which is suspended a three wheeled pod which carries the engine and aviators. These aircraft are controlled by pushing against a horizontal bar in roughly the same way as a hang glider pilot flies. Trikes generally have impressive climb rates and are ideal for rough field operation, but are slower than other types of fixed-wing ultralights.
- Powered parachutes - cart mounted engines or motor scooters with parafoil wing, similar to parachutes used in skydiving. A powered parachute (motorized parachute PPC paraplane is a parachute with motor and wheels A scooter is a style of two-wheeled motor vehicle traditionally defined by characteristics such as a step-through frame wheels less than 16" in diameter and an engine located Parachuting, also known as skydiving is where a person jumps from enough height so that he can deploy a fabric Parachute and land safely
- Powered paragliding - backpack engines with parafoil wing, which are foot-launched. Powered paragliding, also known as paramotoring is a form of Ultralight aviation where the pilot wears a motor on his or her back (a Paramotor) which provides
- Gyroplane - rotary wing with cart mounted engine (see autogyro), a gyrocopter is different from a helicopter in that the rotating wing is not powered, the engine provides forward thrust and the airflow through the rotary blades causes them to autorotate or "spin up" to create lift. Configuration An autogyro is characterised by a free-spinning rotor that turns due to passage of air upwards through the rotor In Aviation, the word autorotation is applied to operation of Fixed-wing aircraft and Rotary-wing aircraft. Most of these use a design based on the Bensen Gyrocopter. Configuration An autogyro is characterised by a free-spinning rotor that turns due to passage of air upwards through the rotor
- Helicopter - there are a number of single-seat and two-place helicopters which fall under the microlight categories in countries such as New Zealand. However, few helicopter designs fall within the more restrictive ultralight category defined in the United States of America.
- Hot air balloon - there are numerous ultralight hot air balloons in the US, and several more have been built and flown in France and Australia in recent years. The hot air balloon is the oldest successful human-carrying Flight technology Some ultralight hot air balloons are hopper balloons, while others are regular hot air balloons that carry passengers in a basket. A hopper balloon (or simply hopper) is a small one-person Hot air balloon.
Electric powered ultralights
Research has been conducted in recent years to replace gasoline engines in ultralights with electric motors powered by batteries to produce electric aircraft. An electric aircraft is an Aircraft that runs on Electric motors rather than Internal combustion engines with Electricity coming from This has now resulted in practical production electric power systems for some ultralight applications. These developments have been motivated by cost as well as environmental concerns. Climate change is any long-term significant change in the “average weather” that a given region experiences In many ways ultralights are a good application for electric power as some models are capable of flying with low horsepower, which allows longer duration flights on battery power. [4]
In 2007 ElectraFlyer began offering engine kits to convert ultralight weight shift trikes to electric power. The ElectraFlyer is an Ultralight Aircraft with a trike design that flies using an Electric motor, instead of a traditional Gasoline The 18 hp engine weighs 26 lbs and an efficiency of 90% is claimed by designer Randall Fishman. The battery consists of a lithium-polymer battery pack of 5. 6kwh which provides 1. 5 hours of flying in the trike application. The power system for a trike costs USD $8285. The United States dollar ( sign: $; code: USD) is the unit of Currency of the United States; it has also been to $11285. The company claims a flight recharge cost of 60 cents. [4][5]
Safety
Historically, ultralights have had a poor safety reputation. Most of the early designs were fragile or unstable, and this resulted in a number of accidents. However, the reputation came largely from rumor and distrust of the new type of aircraft.
As designs matured, pilot error was shown to be the cause of the vast majority of incidents involving ultralights. As a result, most countries now require an Ultralight Pilot's license/certificate, often regulated by one or more officially-delegated pilots' organizations. The United States does not require any training for ultralight pilots; however, experienced ultralighters are nearly unanimous in recommending that no one solo before receiving dual training. Instruction may be given in two-place light-sport versions of the ultralight. Light-sport aircraft, or LSA, is a classification of Aircraft specific to the United States. An instructor must be certified by the FAA to give dual instruction in a light-sport aircraft. Light-sport aircraft, or LSA, is a classification of Aircraft specific to the United States.
The build quality and airworthiness of ultralight aircraft (and homebuilt light-sport aircraft in the USA) can now equal that of Certified light aircraft. Also known as amateur-built aircraft or kit planes, homebuilt aircraft are constructed by persons for whom this is not a professional activity Some types satisfy both sets of requirements and are available for registration to either Ultralight or Certified status. When registered as an ultralight (or Experimental), the pilot is permitted to do more of the simple maintenance tasks, resulting in a lower cost of operation, although this comes at the cost of restrictions such as avoiding densely populated urban areas, bad weather, or night. In generic use an experimental aircraft is an Aircraft that has not yet been fully proven in Flight. Many older pilots are willing to trade these operational restrictions for a lower drain on their retirement incomes, and as a result many ultralights are now flown by experienced General Aviation (GA) pilots or ex-commercial pilots. General aviation (abbr GA) is one of two categories of Civil aviation. One other reason for this increase in acceptance is that any pilot is "only one medical away from being an ultralight pilot" -- a reference to the requirement that most other pilots must pass periodic physical examinations, but not to fly ultralights.
The future
Ultralight/microlight aircraft were once regarded as "flying clotheslines", since early aircraft were typically completely open, wire, tube and rag aircraft – these aircraft were seldom used for anything more than local area flying.
However, ultralights are rapidly transforming into high performance aircraft, capable of very respectable speed and range. In recent years there has been a dramatic rise in the number of General Aviation pilots flying high performance ultralights due to the cost benefits. General aviation (abbr GA) is one of two categories of Civil aviation.
These aircraft are now often referred to as recreational aircraft.
A rapidly growing area of the class is scale-replica "warbirds", such as the offerings from Titan Aircraft and Loehle Aircraft. Titan Aircraft is an aviation company specializing in kits for small lightweight Homebuilt aircraft. Loehle Aircraft Corporation is an aviation company specializing in ultralight/light-sport aircraft kits
Ultralight Manufacturers
- Aerospool
- Ace Aviation
- Comco Ikarus
- Corvus Aircraft
- CGS Aviation
- Electric Aircraft Corporation
- Evektor-Aerotechnik
- Fantasy Air
- FK Lightplanes
- Flight Design
- Fly Synthesis
- Hart Aero
- Jabiru
- Loehle Aircraft
- Quicksilver Aircraft
- Rans Aircraft
- Remos Aircraft
- Storm Aircraft
- Titan Aircraft
- Tecnam
- Urban Air
Ultralight/microlight organizations
- Aero Sports Connection
- American Aerotrekking Society
- Australian Ultralight Federation
- British Microlight Aircraft Association
- Danish Ultralight Flying Association
- Experimental Aircraft Association
- Recreational Aircraft Association of Canada
- Recreational Aircraft Association of New Zealand
- Ultralight Pilots Association of Canada
- United States Ultralight Association
- Vintage Ultralight Association
- US Powered Paragliding Association
- Island Microlight Club - Malta
References
- ^ Hang Gliding Federation of Australia (undated). The ElectraFlyer is an Ultralight Aircraft with a trike design that flies using an Electric motor, instead of a traditional Gasoline Evektor-Aerotechnik is a young Aircraft and automotive design company located in Kunovice, the Czech Republic. Flight Design ( Flightdesign Vertrieb) is a German Aircraft manufacturer This article is about the bird Jabiru mycteria from the Americas for other uses see Jabiru (disambiguation. Loehle Aircraft Corporation is an aviation company specializing in ultralight/light-sport aircraft kits Titan Aircraft is an aviation company specializing in kits for small lightweight Homebuilt aircraft. Costruzioni Aeronautiche Tecnam is an aeronautics manufacturer based near Naples in Italy. Urban Air is an Aircraft manufacturer based in the Czech Republic. Experimental Aircraft Association ( EAA) is an international organization of Aviation enthusiasts based in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. The United States Ultralight Association ( USUA) is a Non-profit organization that endeavors to support Ultralight aviation and ultralight aircraft Malta, officially the Republic of Malta (Repubblika ta' Malta is a European Microstate, comprising an Archipelago of three islands The HGFA. Retrieved on 2008-05-25. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Events 1085 - Alfonso VI of Castile takes Toledo Spain back from the Moors.
- ^ Recreational Aviation Australia Inc (August 2007). About the RA-Aus association and our mission. Retrieved on 2008-05-25. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Events 1085 - Alfonso VI of Castile takes Toledo Spain back from the Moors.
- ^ Legal Services Group Civil Aviation Safety Authority (July 2007). PART 200 Aircraft to which CASR do not apply. Retrieved on 2008-05-25. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Events 1085 - Alfonso VI of Castile takes Toledo Spain back from the Moors.
- ^ a b Grady, Mary (April 2008). Electraflyer Flies Trike, Motorglider On Battery Power. Retrieved on 2008-04-13. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Events 1111 - Henry V is crowned Holy Roman Emperor. 1204 - The Fourth Crusade sacks Constantinople
- ^ Electric Aircraft Corporation (2007). ElectraFlyer Technical details. Retrieved on 2008-04-13. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Events 1111 - Henry V is crowned Holy Roman Emperor. 1204 - The Fourth Crusade sacks Constantinople
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