Photograph:
Hughes GR912 Lightwing Sport 2000 25-0692 (c/n 088) at The Oaks, NSW in June 2003 (David C Eyre)
Country of origin:
Australia
Description:
Two-seat light sport monoplane
Power Plant:
One 60 kw (80 hp) Rotax 912 four-cylinder horizontally-opposed liquid-and-air-cooled engine
Specifications:
- Wingspan: 9.6 m (31 ft 6 in)
- Length: 5.7 m (18 ft 8½ in)
- Height: 1.9 m (6 ft 2¾ in)
- Wing area: 14.86 m² (160.0 sq ft)
- Max speed: 176 km/h (109 mph)
- Economical cruising speed: 139 km/h (86 mph)
- Stalling speed flaps down: 59 km/h (37 mph)
- Max rate of climb at sea level: 259 m/min (850 ft/min)
- Service ceiling: 3,050 m (10,000 ft)
- Range: 400 km (248 miles)
- Endurance: 3 hrs 30 mins
- G limits: +6 and –3
- Empty weight: 295 kg (650 lb)
- Loaded weight: 520 kg (1,146 kg)
History:
Construction of the prototype of the Lightwing series began in 1984 and, initially known as the GA-55, it flew for the first time in June 1986, being built as a ‘micro-light’ to meet ANO 101-28. Subsequently the prototype was used by the manufacturer as a testbed, being flown at various stages with variants of the Rotax series of engines, including the 532 and the 912S series. Subsequent development led to a variant designed to meet CAO 101.55, this being an amateur-built model supplied in kit form, the kits being constructed at the manufacturer’s facility at Ballina on the New South Wales north coast. The type was fitted with a fixed tailwheel undercarriage, but could also be fitted with a tricycle u dercarriage, floats or skis.
More than 150 examples have been delivered in a variety of models. Initially the type was available with the 58 kw (78 hp) Aeropower or 67 kw (90 hp) Limbach engines, but in later years variants of the Rotax were installed, the GR-582 having the 47 kw (63 hp) Rotax 582 two-cylinder engine; the GR-912 having the Rotax 912 four-cylinder unit; and the Sport 2000 also having the Rotax 912 engine. One example 19-4192 was fitted with a Rotec radial engine.
Prototype of the amateur-built series flew for the first time in March 1987 and was registered VH-OVW (c/n 155). Others followed, the first kit-built aircraft flying in 1988. Construction of the wings was from aluminium alloy, with a welded steel tube fuselage and tail unit, all Ceconite covered. Fuel capacity was 60 litres (13.2 Imp gals).
In later years a number of models have been available: the GA-912 and the GR-912, the former being available as a floatplane. A single-seat variant became available, known as the “pocket rocket”, demonstrated at a number of aviation events.
An agreement was reached in 1996 with Shanghai Feiten Light Plane Company in China for the GR-582 variant to be licence-built as the SB-582.
Further variants include the PR Breeze, which was based on the Pocket Rocket with an all-round larger cockpit and designed as a cheap entry level aircraft. It was a single-seater with no doors, these being added later if required, and no rear body fairing. It could be fitted with the Rotax 582, 503 or 618 engines in two-stroke form, or the 912 engine in four-stroke form. Another variant was the PR Bipe using the basic single-seat Pocket Rocket frame but with biplane wings.