Icaro Pit-Trike

The Icaro Pit-Trike is an Italian electric-powered ultralight trike, designed by Manfred Ruhmer and produced by Icaro 2000 of Sangiano. The aircraft is supplied as a complete ready-to-fly-aircraft.[1]

Icaro Pit-trike
Role Ultralight trike
National origin Italy
Manufacturer Icaro 2000
Designer Manfred Ruhmer
Status In production (2013)
Unit cost
€8,200 (2011)

Design and development

The Pit-Trike was designed to comply with the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale microlight category and the US FAR 103 Ultralight Vehicles rules. It features a cable-braced hang glider-style high-wing, weight-shift controls, a single-seat open cockpit without a cockpit fairing, tricycle landing gear and a single electric motor in pusher configuration.[1]

The aircraft is made from bolted-together aluminum tubing, with its single or double surface wing covered in Dacron sailcloth. Its wing is supported by a single tube-type kingpost and uses an "A" frame weight-shift control bar. Initially Simonini and Bailey gasoline engines were offered, but currently only electric motors are available. The current standard powerplant is a brushless, rotating-can 10 kW (13 hp) Flytec HPD 10 electric motor. With the standard 24 Ah lithium ion battery endurance is 20 minutes. With two batteries connected in parallel, providing 48 Ah, the flight endurance is 40 minutes.[1][2]

With two batteries and the single surface Icaro RX2 model 18 hang glider wing the aircraft has an empty weight of 70 kg (154 lb) and a gross weight of 173 kg (381 lb), giving a useful load of 103 kg (227 lb).[2]

A number of different wings can be fitted to the basic carriage, including the single surface Icaro RX2 18 or 21 or the double surface Icaro MastR large size.[1]

Specifications (Pit-Trike with Icaro MastR wing)

Data from Bayerl and Icaro 2000[1][2]

General characteristics

  • Crew: one
  • Wingspan: 10.48 m (34 ft 5 in)
  • Wing area: 14.88 m2 (160.2 sq ft)
  • Aspect ratio: 7.38:1
  • Empty weight: 70 kg (154 lb)
  • Gross weight: 173 kg (381 lb)
  • Powerplant: 1 × Flytec HPD 10 electric aircraft engine powered by two lithium ion batteries connected in parallel, total of 48 Ah, 10 kW (13 hp)
  • Propellers: 2-bladed folding carbon fibre, 1.40 m (4 ft 7 in) diameter
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References
  1. Bayerl, Robby; Martin Berkemeier; et al: World Directory of Leisure Aviation 2011-12, page 214. WDLA UK, Lancaster UK, 2011. ISSN 1368-485X
  2. "Icaro 2000 electric trike". Icaro2000.com. Retrieved 2013-07-27.
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