Air Creation Skypper

The Air Creation Skypper is a French ultralight trike, designed and produced by Air Creation of Aubenas. The aircraft was introduced in 2011 and is supplied complete and ready-to-fly.[1]

Skypper
Role Ultralight trike
National origin France
Manufacturer Air Creation
Introduction 2011
Status In production (2013)
Unit cost
€23,850 (with Rotax 582 engine and Air Creation NuviX wing, 2011)

Design and development

The Skypper was designed as a simpler, lighter and less expensive carriage than the top-of-the line Air Creation Tanarg, to replace the Air Creation GT series in production. It was intended to comply with the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale microlight category. It features a cable-braced hang glider-style high-wing, weight-shift controls, a two-seats-in-tandem, open cockpit, tricycle landing gear with wheel pants and a single engine in pusher configuration.[1]

The aircraft is made from bolted-together aluminum tubing, with its double surface wing covered in Dacron sailcloth. The wing is supported by a single tube-type kingpost and uses an "A" frame weight-shift control bar. Available powerplants include the a twin cylinder, liquid-cooled, two-stroke, dual-ignition 64 hp (48 kW) Rotax 582 engine, the four cylinder, air and liquid-cooled, four-stroke, dual-ignition 80 hp (60 kW) Rotax 912UL or 100 hp (75 kW) Rotax 912ULS engine and the twin cylinder, air-cooled, four-stroke, dual-ignition 60 hp (45 kW) HKS 700E.[1]

With the Rotax 582 the aircraft has an empty weight of 201 kg (443 lb) and a gross weight of 462 kg (1,019 lb), giving a useful load of 261 kg (575 lb). With full fuel of 55 litres (12 imp gal; 15 US gal) the payload is 221 kg (487 lb).[1]

A number of different wings can be fitted to the basic carriage, including the Air Creation NuviX, Fun 450, iFun 16, iXess 13 and the BioniX.[1][2][3]

When equipped with the Bionix wing and Rotax 912 engine the Skypper was €6,300 cheaper than the more sophisticated Air Creation Tanarg with the same engine and wing, in 2011.[1]

Specifications (Skypper 582 NuviX)

Data from Bayerl and Air Creation[1][2]

General characteristics

  • Crew: one
  • Capacity: one passenger
  • Wingspan: 9.55 m (31 ft 4 in)
  • Height: 3.45 m (11 ft 4 in)
  • Wing area: 15.2 m2 (164 sq ft) with Air Creation NuviX wing
  • Aspect ratio: 6.00:1
  • Empty weight: 201 kg (443 lb)
  • Gross weight: 462 kg (1,019 lb)
  • Fuel capacity: 55 litres (12 imp gal; 15 US gal)
  • Powerplant: 1 × Rotax 582 twin cylinder, liquid-cooled, two stroke aircraft engine, 48 kW (64 hp)
  • Propellers: 3-bladed composite Ecoprop, 1.72 m (5 ft 8 in) diameter

Performance

  • Maximum speed: 125 km/h (78 mph, 67 kn)
  • Stall speed: 53 km/h (33 mph, 29 kn)
  • Rate of climb: 3.5 m/s (690 ft/min)
  • Wing loading: 30.4 kg/m2 (6.2 lb/sq ft)
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References
  1. Bayerl, Robby; Martin Berkemeier; et al: World Directory of Leisure Aviation 2011-12, page 200. WDLA UK, Lancaster UK, 2011. ISSN 1368-485X
  2. Air Creation (2012). "Skypper Technical Characteristics & Performance" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2013-02-28. Retrieved 12 March 2013.
  3. Tacke, Willi; Marino Boric; et al: World Directory of Light Aviation 2015-16, page 218. Flying Pages Europe SARL, 2015. ISSN 1368-485X
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