Flylight Dragonfly

The Flylight Dragonfly is a British ultralight trike, designed by Ben Ashman and produced by Flylight Airsports of Northamptonshire. The aircraft is supplied as a complete ready-to-fly-aircraft.[1]

Dragonfly
Role Ultralight trike
National origin United Kingdom
Manufacturer Flylight Airsports
Designer Ben Ashman
First flight 2007
Introduction 2008
Status In production (2013)
Produced 2008-present
Unit cost
€11,543 (2011)
Variants Flylight Motorfloater
Flylight E-Dragon

Development of the Dragonfly started in 2007 with the aircraft entering series production in 2008.[2]

Design and development

The Dragonfly was designed to comply with the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale microlight category, the UK Single-Seat De-Regulation (SSDR) guidelines, as well as the US FAR 103 Ultralight Vehicles rules. It features a strut-braced Aeros Discus hang glider-style high-wing, weight-shift controls, a single-seat open cockpit, retractable tricycle landing gear 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. Its 10.3 m (33.8 ft) span wing is supported by a single tube-type kingpost and uses an "A" frame weight-shift control bar. The powerplant is a single cylinder, air-cooled four-stroke, 22 hp (16 kW) Bailey V4 200 engine, with the single cylinder, air-cooled, two-stroke 33 hp (25 kW) Simonini Mini-3 or 33 hp (25 kW) Simonini Mini-2 engines optional.[1]

With the Bailey engine and the Aeros Discus 15T wing the Dragonfly has an empty weight of 80 kg (176 lb) and a full fuel capacity of 20 litres (4.4 imp gal; 5.3 US gal). With its manual, or optionally electrically retractable landing gear the aircraft can be folded up and ground transported in the trunk of a car.[1]

A number of different wings can be fitted to the basic carriage, including Aeros Discus 15T, 14 and 12 as well as the Aeros Combat 12T.[1]

Variants
Flylight E-Dragon
Electric aircraft version.[1]
Flylight Motorfloater
Simplified model with single surface wing and fixed landing gear.[1]
Flylight Libelle
High performance variant equipped with a single cylinder, air-cooled, two-stroke 33 hp (25 kW) Simonini Mini-3 engine and the "topless" strut-braced Aeros Combat 12T wing.[1]

Specifications (Dragonfly)

Data from Bayerl[1]

General characteristics

  • Crew: one
  • Wingspan: 10.3 m (33 ft 10 in)
  • Wing area: 14.7 m2 (158 sq ft)
  • Empty weight: 80 kg (176 lb)
  • Fuel capacity: 20 litres (4.4 imp gal; 5.3 US gal)
  • Powerplant: 1 × Bailey V4 200 single cylinder, air-cooled four-stroke, aircraft engine, 16 kW (22 hp)
  • Propellers: 3-bladed Powerfin

Performance

  • Maximum speed: 100 km/h (62 mph, 54 kn)
  • Cruise speed: 57 km/h (35 mph, 31 kn)
  • Stall speed: 38 km/h (24 mph, 21 kn)
  • Rate of climb: 2.5 m/s (490 ft/min)
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References
  1. Bayerl, Robby; Martin Berkemeier; et al: World Directory of Leisure Aviation 2011-12, page 212. WDLA UK, Lancaster UK, 2011. ISSN 1368-485X
  2. "Flylight Airsports Ltd. - Flexwing Microlights". Flylight.co.uk. Archived from the original on 16 February 2014. Retrieved 13 July 2013.
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