Photograph:
Aeriane Swift ZK-LAJ (c/n 020509/94) at Rangiora in New Zealand in April 2017 (Keith Morris – NZCIVAIR)
Country of origin:
Belgium
Description:
Single-seat ultralight self-launched powered glider
Power Plant:
One 13.4 kw (18 hp) Bailey 175 single-cylinder, four-stroke, air-and-oil-cooled SOHC engine of 178 cc
Specifications:
- Wingspan: 12.80 m (42 ft)
- Wing area: 12.6 m² (136 sq ft)
- Aspect ratio: 13:1
- Rate of sink: 61 m (200 ft/min) in a 30 m (98 ft) radius turn
- Minimum sink rate: 36 m/min (118 ft/min)
- Lift to drag ratio [general]: 20:1
- Lift to drag ratio[maximum]: 15:1 at 111 km/h (69 mph)
- Empty weight: 48 kg (106 lb)
History:
The Swift started life as a lightweight foot-launched tailless glider with rigid wings. It was designed in California in the United States but has been manufactured by Aeriane, a company based at Gembloux in Belgium. It was initially built under licence but later the Belgian concern became the sole manufacturer. It was designed by a company known as Bright Star Gliders and Mr Ilan Kroo, a professor at the University of Stanford, with assistance from a group of students.
It was conceived as a hang-glider with a rigid wing but with the ability to fly like a sailplane. The swept wing had control surfaces along the trailing-edge and had flaps and elevons. Directional stability was dealt with by winglets and some models had an enclosed cockpit with a conventional type fuselage. Development led to the Swift’Lite which had winglets which acted as rudders when used by themselves, or as airbrakes when operated together.
A range of models has been produced over the years, including the Swift-PAS which had an 8.9 kw (12 hp) two-stroke engine, and a model known as the P-Swift which had a 19 kw (25 hp) engine. In more recent times a two-seat model has been developed for training and has been known as the Tandem Swift. A model known as the Icao Electric Swift, had an electric motor, batteries and a flight time on the engine of 20 minutes. The models fitted with engines had an Arplast EcoProp folding propeller, this being folded when turned off for soaring. Powered versions had two-main wheels in tandem and castors on the wing tips.
At least one example has been registered in New Zealand, this being ZK-LAJ (c/n 020509/94), registered to Mr T Pentecost of Christchurch, NZ on 2 March 2017, this machine being fitted with a 13.4 kw (18 hp) Bailey 175 four-stroke engine driving a three-blade propeller.