Airborne Outback
The Airborne Outback is an Australian two-seat flying wing ultralight trike that was designed and produced by Airborne Windsports in the mid-2000s.[1]
| Outback | |
|---|---|
| Role | Ultralight trike |
| National origin | Australia |
| Manufacturer | Airborne Windsports |
| Status | Production completed |
| Variants | Airborne XT |
Design and development
The Outback was developed as an off-airport aircraft, with a carriage that lacks a fairing and other encumbrances to "all-terrain" operations. It features a cable-braced hang glider-style high-wing, weight-shift controls, a two-seat, open cockpit, tricycle landing gear and a single engine in pusher configuration.[1]
The aircraft single surface Wizard model wing is made from bolted-together aluminium tubing, covered in Dacron sailcloth. Its 9.96 m (32.7 ft) span wing is supported by a single tube-type kingpost and uses an "A" frame control bar. The landing gear has optional tundra tires. The standard engine factory-supplied was the Rotax 582 liquid-cooled two-stroke powerplant of 48 kW (64 hp). The aircraft has demonstrated operations from sand dunes.[1]
The basic Outback model was later developed into the Airborne XT series that still dominates the company's product line in 2012.
Specifications (Outback)
Data from Bertrand[1]
General characteristics
- Crew: one
- Capacity: one passenger
- Wingspan: 9.96 m (32 ft 8 in)
- Wing area: 17.6 m2 (189 sq ft)
- Empty weight: 165 kg (364 lb)
- Gross weight: 401 kg (884 lb)
- Fuel capacity: 48 litres (11 imp gal; 13 US gal)
- Powerplant: 1 × Rotax 582 twin cylinder, two-stroke, liquid-cooled aircraft engine, 48 kW (64 hp)
Performance
- Maximum speed: 93 km/h (58 mph, 50 kn)
- Cruise speed: 67 km/h (42 mph, 36 kn)
- Stall speed: 52 km/h (32 mph, 28 kn)
- Rate of climb: 4 m/s (790 ft/min)
References
- Bertrand, Noel; Rene Coulon; et al: World Directory of Leisure Aviation 2003-04, pages 22-23. Pagefast Ltd, Lancaster OK, 2003. ISSN 1368-485X